UNLV and Epiphan Lecture Capture

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has always been a trailblazer in leveraging technology to enhance the educational experience. As an early adopter of lecture capture, UNLV continually sought the best solutions to improve student and faculty engagement.

“We pride ourselves on being the front runners that punch above our weight class in AV technology,” says Frank Alaimo, Classroom Technology Services Manager at UNLV.

The school’s forward-thinking approach led them to Pearl Nexus, a classroom capture solution that unlocked the capability for video capture at scale. Following a 2018 pilot program, UNLV identified critical gaps in its current hardware. System failures, outdated technology, and lack of integration with their AV infrastructure drove the search for a premium, scalable lecture capture solution. As Alaimo puts it, “Our previous hardware appliances just weren’t up to the task. We had some failures, update issues, and were reliant on outdated hardware.”

The team needed seamless integration with Panopto for content management and Crestron for room integration while ensuring remote management and cost efficiency. After careful evaluation, UNLV selected Pearl Nexus. The solution offered everything they needed: seamless integration with AV infrastructure, robust remote management through Epiphan Edge, and streamlined installation allowing over 200 units to be deployed in classrooms and research spaces in record time. The simplicity and speed of installation were remarkable, with each device taking less than 10 minutes to set up.

Pearl Nexus integrates directly with Panopto and Crestron, creating a smooth, user-friendly AV experience. Faculty interaction with the technology is minimal, allowing them to focus on teaching. The adoption of Pearl Nexus has significantly improved the experience for students, faculty, and the AV team. Students are more engaged, as the ability to revisit recorded lectures boosts comprehension and retention. As Safiyaa Bintali, a student at UNLV puts it, “[classroom capture] allows me to be a lot more present in the class when I’m there. I can engage in class, and if I really need to review something, I can always go back and review that online. It’s definitely had a positive effect on both my learning and my grades.”

Faculty, meanwhile, have gained back valuable time by directing students to recordings for review, freeing them to address deeper questions during office hours. The AV team has benefited too, with fewer maintenance issues and no more time spent fixing unreliable equipment. This frees them up to focus on other projects and provides peace of mind. UNLV became the first school to fully standardize on Pearl Nexus, transforming how they manage and scale classroom and content capture across campus.

The university’s partnership with Epiphan and the standardization on Pearl Nexus has set a benchmark for lecture capture technology in higher education. Pearl Nexus is more than just a tool – it’s the backbone of UNLV’s AV infrastructure, supporting the school’s commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience. This system has cemented UNLV’s position as a leader in educational technology, paving the way for future advancements.