Getting Started

Once you've signed up for a Huddle account, setting up your first event is easy.

What You Need

For a standard webcast with voice and slides you will need the following:

• A computer
• A microphone
• A slide presentation (Microsoft Office or OpenOffice format)

Clients attending your webcast will only need a computer with the Flash plug-in installed.

Testing Your Setup

Before beginning an event each presenter will want to verify that they can connect to the streaming service and that the bandwidth they have will accommodate for streaming to the service.

There are two tests that each presenter should run. These tests can both be found on the support page.

A successful message on the first test lets you know that you can successfully connect to Huddle. The second test checks your bandwidth to and from the Huddle servers for the person running the test. It will notify you if you have sufficient bandwidth.

These tests are very important to run from the location where you are doing the webcast as well as using the same machine that will be running the event.

Uploading Presentations

Any Microsoft Office or OpenOffice document can be uploaded to Huddle and be displayed in your presentation. There are no animations, yet all popular document types are supported and your audience doesn't need to have the applications installed to view them.

When uploading a presentation you also have the ability to control the privacy of the document. If you have multiple presenters in your account, an uploaded file can be marked as private, which will limit its access to the person that uploads the document. By default, all presenters can view and use uploaded documents.

There are three locations in Huddle where you can upload your presentation:

1. Uploading During Event Creation
   During the creation of an event the form contains an option to select a default presentation to use when the event is loaded. Next to the selection box there is a link for uploading a new presentation.
2. The Files Tab
   In the Huddle dashboard there is a tab called "Files". From within this tab, you can view all the presentation and image files that are uploaded.
3. In The Presentation Pod
   While you are running an event you can click the options drop-down at the top right of the "Presentation" pod. There is an option to upload a new presentation there. After uploading a new presentation it is immediately available for usage in your event.

Broadcasting Audio and Video

Huddle allows you to stream audio (voice or music) and video to your audience. As with all streaming applications the bandwidth of your audience must be considered when deciding whether to use audio and video as well as the quality of each to use.

• Audio
  Audio settings are handled through the "Audio Settings" popup window that is launched from the microphone button in the center bar. In this popup there are options to select your microphone source, a volume slider with your current volume setting, and a volume meter bar that reacts to detected sound. Once the audio has been started a volume bar will appear in the center bar to communicate the audio response at all times.
  • Audio Source
    This drop down box is used to select which device to capture audio from. Depending on your computer configuration you may only have one device that shows up. If this is the case then it is your sound card. On Linux it doesn't matter which selection you use seeing as they all pull audio from the microphone jack.
  • Level Bar
    The level bar shows if any audio is being recognized by Huddle. If when an audio source is selected this bar will fill with color depending on the level of audio received.
  • Volume Slider
    This bar controls the volume level at which you are streaming the audio.
  • Mute
    Clicking this box will mute any sound that is being captured. Needless to say this also mutes any audio that was being streamed to clients.
  • Auto Volume
    If this box is checked then the volume slider will auto adjust itself to stay at a level that will be loud enough for clients to hear what is going on but not allow it to spike (The sound gets too loud and gets distorted).

  Each event can have multiple presenters broadcast audio, however, only one presenter can broadcast at a given time. When a presenter is broadcasting audio, all other presenters will have the option to request audio control by clicking on the "request the mic" button in the center bar.

• Video
  Video in Huddle is handled through the video pod. The options menu for the pod provides you with an option to select the video source. It also shows you a preview of the video so you can see it before you broadcast it to everyone watching the event. After selecting your video source, just hit the start video button for everyone to view. Similar to audio, only one presenter can stream video at a given time.

In the event that presenters don't have a microphone or access to Huddle then a conference call can be used to allow for conversations to be streamed over Huddle. This requires not only a conference call to be setup outside of Huddle but it also requires the use of a Telephone Logger Patch (TLP) which is a way to connect your phone to a computers microphone jack. This lets Huddle use this audio feed from the phone as the microphone source for your audience.

Event Stages

Each event has different stages as it runs. These stages are important to understand so that your audience can properly view your event.

• Pre-event
  Before an event starts it is in a pre-event state. In this state, they audience cannot see any of the presentations elements. They only see a message stating that the event will begin soon. This means that the presenters may adjust things as they see fit without the audience viewing the content of the event. They can also chat with other presenters without the audience viewing the chat.
• Event Started
  When you are ready to begin, the event is started by clicking on the "Start Event" button. In this started state, all participants who are logged in will see the interface. This means they will see your presentation, video, and public chats that take place from that time forward. If your microphone is turned on they will also be able to hear you.
• Event Recording
  After the event has been started, you can choose the appropriate time to start recording by clicking on the "Start Recording" button. Once an event is recording, everything will be recorded. This includes audio, video, chat, slide movement, pod movement, etc. This state cannot be stopped once started. So make sure everything is ready to go before pushing this button.
• Event Stop
  At the conclusion of an event simply click the "Stop Event" button to end the event and disconnect all participants and presenters. If the event was recorded, then the event is immediately available for replay using the same link as the live event.

Guest Presenters

You may on occasion find it necessary to have a guest presenter join your event. There are two options for this. First, you can promote any user who is logged in to your event to be a presenter. This is done through the people pod by clicking on the user and selecting the "promote to presenter" button. The second option is to set them up in your Huddle dashboard as a designated guest presenter and then granting them access to individual events. This is done in the "Presenters" tab. When creating an event this guest presenter can be selected as one who can assist in administering an event.

Misc and Best Practices.

• Mute applications that have sound or turn them off.
• Facilitators should try to make the presenter feel comfortable and relaxed during the recording session. Give them an opportunity to practice briefly while testing audio, offer presenter some water, tell them they will do great. It helps!
• Facilitators should have a written script for introductions, explaining any webinar logistics to the audience, Q&A process, pointing audience to additional resources, and closing remarks.
• Presenters should be as comfortable with the material as possible prior to recording! The more comfortable and familiar they are with the material, the smoother their presentation will sound. If they do not feel completely comfortable with the material, a script may help.
• Post a sign on the door of the recording room to discourage interruptions during live recordings.
• You may start to lose participant's attention after 1 hour. Generally, It is best to keep content to 40 minutes or less and allow time for questions.