Common Problems You May Run Into

The podcasting system has been in use for many years on campus, and we've worked to make it as seamless and easy to use as possible, but things can happen and issues can occur. Here are some of the more common issues that may occur, and ways that you can address them and possible fix them live during your lecture.

Note, that some rooms have a small touch screen panel on the lectern that have a dedicated "podcast" button. This button can display live podcast recording information during your lecture and can help show you what is and is not being recorded. 

Audio not recording

If you see on the confidence monitor that the audio levels are not moving, and/or you are unable to hear yourself in the room’s speakers, double check that the lapel microphone’s battery pack is turned on and has enough battery. If the screen does not turn on, the battery level is low, or if the small LED light turns red, try replacing the battery in the pack with the spare battery in the clear case where the microphone came from.  You may also want to check to ensure that the microphone wire is properly connected to the battery pack - make sure the wire is clicked into the pack and is not loose or disconnecting.

Audio levels are low

The lapel microphones in each room should be sensitive enough to capture your voice clearly - even with a mask on. If you notice, however, that the audio levels are low on the touch-screen panel, you might want to double check the location of the microphone and reposition it, if necessary. Clip the wireless microphone to your shirt about 8 inches from your mouth. Try to clip it right in the center, and not to the side. The microphone (the soft foam semi-sphere) should be pointed up toward your mouth.

Screencast is a black screen

If you see on the confidence monitor that your screencast feed is a black screen but you see your computer’s screen on the projection screen in the room, then there may be an issue with copyright protection blocking the system from properly recording your computer screen. In this case, HDMI and Type C connections have a built-in copyright protection filter that may overzealously be blocking your computer screen from being recorded. If you run into this issue try to disconnect the video connection and reconnect it. If the touch-screen panel still shows a black screen, use the classroom phone to contact the Classroom Support team immediately.

Video tracking camera is not following me

If you see on the confidence monitor that the tracking camera is not moving with you, try returning to the middle of the camera frame to see if it catches you. If the camera continues to not move with you, or if the camera is not looking anywhere towards the front of the room, the camera may have been bumped and may need to be reset. Please contact the Classroom Support team right away through the classroom phone for immediate assistance.

Podcast recording starts too late, or ends too early

The podcast recording schedule is set to start recording exactly at the scheduled start of your lecture, and is set to stop recording at the scheduled end time of your lecture. When you sign up for podcasting you can choose to record an additional 5 minutes at the end of your lecture time. The podcast system starts exactly on time based on an internal network-connected clock so it is very rare for it not to record on time. What is more common is your lecture may run late due to student questions, comments, or losing track of time. If you decide you want to record your lecture up to 5 minutes extra, contact the Podcast Admin team to extend your future recordings (note, we are unable to retroactively extend recordings in the past). Contact the Podcast Admin team at 858-822-3315 or podcast@ucsd.edu