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Media Centre

The University of Chichester’s Media Centre is a facility designed to support students and staff from across the university in working with digital media – video, audio, and graphics.  Whatever your subject area or your expertise, you are welcome to use the facilities and consult our specialist experts. 

We can offer access to

Supported Formats

As of the 2011-12 Academic year, the Media Centre has moved over to solid-state formats. The current standards in use are SxS and SD card, and permanent provision has been made for these on our edit suites.

Additional supported formats include:

  • QuickTime
  • AVI
  • WMV
  • Motion JPEG

Other formats may also be supported but consultation with Media Centre staff will be required to determine compatibility.

MiniDV/HDV tape formats are still supported; the following specification is recommended:

  • Mini DV/HDV tape
  • Standard play (SP)
  • DV/HDV PAL
  • 48kHz/16-bit audio
  • 16:9 (1024 x 576 pixels) screen ratio

Footage shot on equipment that does not comply with the above standard can cause compatibility issues, which can result in significant delays to project setups.  Please consult the Media Centre beforehand for advice on this issue. 

Inductions / Software Demonstrations

Media Centre inductions are available to introduce students to the facilities and available support structure.  These run at the beginning of each Academic year and should be booked by Academic staff prior to the onset of first year student use of the Centre.  It is expected that these inductions are incorporated in the first year student schedule.  Software specific inductions or demonstrations may be required prior to the use of specialist software and these should be booked beforehand.  Failure to do this may result in an increase in unreasonable support requests and IT Services may insist that training takes place before support can be offered.

Demonstrations of selected software packages are available to University staff by prior arrangement. We also offer this service to student groups, but it must be arranged by Academic staff and may be limited to a maximum group size (please liaise beforehand).  A complete list of demonstrations can be found in the included Appendix.  Please make your demonstration requests via the Self Service Portal located within Portia or by email.

Media Centre Bookings

All the following bookings are subject to the 15-minute rule; if you do not arrive within 15 minutes of your booking, the machine becomes available to other users.  It is expected that anyone not able to attend bookings will provide advanced warning.  If the delay is unavoidable, alternative arrangements can be discussed.

Open Access

The Open Access space is available to all staff and students and is offered on a first come, first served basis.  It is not available to be booked as a whole, but specific machines can be booked by individuals.  These bookings are to be made at the IT Service Desk.

Teaching Area

Teaching Area bookings can be made by staff via the University room bookings system, and should be made prior to the start of the Academic year.  Once all main teaching activity has been reserved, this area is available for ad hoc events though room bookings, providing 2 weeks’ notice is given.  At all other times this area is available for open access and individual machines can be booked via the IT Service Desk or Media Centre.

Video Editing Suites

Video Editing Suite area bookings can be made by staff via the University room bookings system, and should be made prior to the start of the academic year.  Once all main teaching activity has been reserved, this area is available for ad hoc usage though room bookings, providing 2 weeks’ notice is given.  At all other times, individual machines can be booked via the IT Service Desk or Media Centre. This area is highly specialised and requires considerable training to use, therefore an alternative option may be provided by IT Services staff where appropriate.  We reserve the right to relocate users away from this facility if an alternative simpler option will suffice. 

Normally the following limits on bookings per week will apply:

1st year / 2nd year students Maximum 2 full days in a week or equivalent amount of hours per week (16 hours total)
3rd year students Maximum 3 full days in a week or equivalent amount of hours per week (24 hours total)

Bookings are prioritised for students who require the use of these facilities for assignment completion.

Media Centre Conduct

Noise Levels

Software Support

Software Support: Level Definitions

Software Support Level Definitions

Level 1: Support is available for commonly used functions and facilities of the package.
Level 2: Support is available for commonly used functions and facilities of the package, but access to this support may require advance booking and consultation.  
Level 3: Access to support for specific functionality may be available but is very limited and access to it will always require advance booking and consultation.
Level 4: IT Services cannot provide support for the use of this software.

Opening Hours v Support Levels

Semester Time       Other Times  
  Level 1, 2, 3 Level 1     Level 1, 2, 3
Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 17:00 17:00 to 21:45   Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 16:45
Friday 8:30 to 16:30 16:30 to 18:45   Friday 8:30 to 16:15
Saturday N/A N/A   Saturday N/A
Sunday N/A N/A   Sunday N/A

Software Support Levels

Software Support Level Licenses Training Demo
    Opening Access Teaching Area Editing Suites S6 Basic Advanced  
Audacity 2 10 21 7 16 ✔   ✔
Acrobat Pro 4 10 21 7 16      
Dreamweaver 3 10 21 7 16 ✔    
Excel 2 10 21 7 16      
Final Cut Express 2 0 21 0 0 ✔ ✔ ✔
Fireworks 4 10 21 7 16      
Flash 3 10 21 7 16      
FrameForge 4 0 7 0 0      
GarageBand 1 10 21 7 16 ✔    
iDVD 1 10 21 7 16 ✔ ✔ ✔
Illustrator 3 10 21 7 16      
iMovie 1 10 21 7 16 ✔ ✔ ✔
InDesign 2 10 21 7 16 ✔ ✔ ✔
Isadora 3 0 9 0 0 ✔   ✔
Photoshop 2 10 21 7 16 ✔ ✔ ✔
PowerPoint 2 10 21 7 16      
Second Life 4 10 21 0 16      
Sibelius* 4 10 21 0 16      
Word 1 10 21 7 16      
                 
Edit Suite Specialist Software Support Level Licenses Training Demo / Induction
    Open Access Teaching Area Editing Suites S6 Basic Advanced  
AfterEffects 4 0 0 7 0      
Cinema Tools 3 0 0 7 0      
Color 4 0 0 7 0      
Compressor 3 0 0 7 0      
DVD Studio Pro 2 0 0 7 0 ✔ ✔ ✔
Final Cut Pro 2 0 0 7 0 ✔ ✔ ✔
Modul8 3 0 0 7 0 ✔   ✔
Motion 3 0 0 7 0 ✔    
Soundtrack Pro 4 0 0 7 0      

* Sibelius is installed on 47 machines but there are only 17 concurrent licenses.  Therefore only 17 users can use it simultaneously.

Software and Support Levels

The Media Centre has a large portfolio of software available.  In addition to the applications provided as part of the Mac operating system, additional packages are installed on various machines. A complete list of software and where it is installed is outlined on large wall charts located in the Media Centre. 

Support for the use of each software package is dependent on the level it is in.

Level 1: Support is available for commonly used functions and facilities of the package.
Level 2: Support is available for commonly used functions and facilities of the package, but access to this support may require advance booking and consultation. 
Level 3: Access to support for specific functionality may be available but is very limited, and access to it will always require advance booking and consultation.
Level 4: IT Services cannot provide support for the use of this software.

Availability of software support varies depending on day and time.

GOLF