Kaltura FAQ and Video Tutorials

Tags kaltura video

Below is a list of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the college media tools (Kaltura). You can search the text below for the FAQ.

Additionally, you click the "Video Tutorial Library" link below to view all of the video training that we offer:

 

Kaltura FAQ and Help

What is Kaltura?

Ithaca College has partnered with Kaltura to provide a media service for the campus we are calling media.ithaca.edu.  The same tool resides in Canvas and is simply integrated as the Canvas media tool.  With this new service, you can upload, manage, and deliver your video, image, and audio content.  This makes it easy to use and delivers high-quality media to your students for a variety of educational uses.

 

How do I access the media service?

Users can log into http://media.ithaca.edu and also through our Canvas LMS integration https://canvas.ithaca.edu

 

What are the policies for using the media service?

Users must adhere to the terms of service, which can be viewed here: Terms of Service  As a user of the service, you must comply with all federal, state, local, and other applicable laws.  You are also expected to comply with all Ithaca College policies.  http://www.ithaca.edu/policies/

 

More specifically, Ithaca College Technology Use Policies can be reviewed here: http://www.ithaca.edu/policies/vol2/volume_2-210/

 

Who can use media.ithaca.edu?

Ithaca College faculty, staff, and students with current and active campus-authorized credentials (e.g. Netpass user ID) are eligible to access and use Kaltura.

 

What is Video Quizzing?

Video Quizzing is a way to make interactive multiple-choice quiz questions right inside a video. Please visit the Tech Bar to find out more. techbar@ithaca.edu

 

Can I upload Audio files?

Yes, you can upload audio, video, and image files. Image files are not generally recommended as there are better ways to show images rather than using this system.

 

Can I upload images?

Yes, you can upload the following image formats:  JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIF, TIFF, GIF, BMP.   Note:  while you can upload photos and images to this service, there are much better ways to do this using the Ithaca College website.

 

What types of files can I upload?

There are a variety of file formats that you can upload.  Here is a list, but there are more added as the software develops - updates to this list will follow.  Some formats will upload but are not listed on the official vendor support page, such as .mts files. If you need assistance, please contact the Educational Technology Center, email edtechcenter@ithaca.edu 

 

File Type

Video

Audio

3GP

X

X

ACC

 

X

AIFF

 

X

AMR

 

X

ASF

X

X

AVI

X

X

F4V

X

X

FLV

X

X

M1V

X

 

M2V

X

 

M4V

X

 

MKV

X

 

MOV

X

X

MP3

 

X

MP4

X

X

MPG

X

 

MPEG

X

 

MVB

X

 

MXF

X

 

OGG

X

X

QT

X

X

RA

 

X

RM

X

X

RV

X

 

TS

X

 

VOB

X

 

WAV

 

X

WEBM

X

X

WM

X

X

WMA

 

X

WMV

X

 

 

Images in the following formats may also be uploaded: JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIF, TIFF, GIF, BMP.  Most document formats can be uploaded as additional attachments to videos.

 

How do I upload my .TS/.MTS/.M2T/.M2TS video file?

Newer cameras may record as an MPEG transport stream with extensions such as .TS, .MTS, .M2T or .M2TS. Ultimately, all these videos are MPEG videos. If you change your file's extension to .MPEG or .MPG, you should be able to upload your recording successfully.

Windows sometimes conceal the extensions to your video files. In order to see all your file extensions, follow these steps:

In Windows 7:

  • Open Windows Explorer (shortcut: Windows-E on the keyboard)
  • Click "Organize" from the menu across the top
  • Choose "Folder and Search options"
  • Click the "View" tab
  • Scroll down and remove the checkmark from "Hide extensions for known file types"
  • Click OK

 

What are the recommended settings for best quality video?

To achieve the best results from your video upload, we recommend videos to upload be 1280x720 MP4s (using the H.264 codec) at a bit rate of 4000kbps. 

Generally, If your source video is high quality you should have high-quality results.  Please be aware that your video will only look as good as the source.  Low resolution, or compressed files, cannot be "made better" by uploading it to the Ithaca College media service.

 

Is there a file size limit for uploads?

No, there is no limit for uploading files to the media service.  However, you might encounter issues with specific web browsers for files over 2GB.  Web browsers change versions and update all the time so the general advice is to try a different one if you are having trouble.  Common browsers are Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. and our tests show compatibility with these popular browsers.

 

Will you archive my media forever?

No, even though it may seem like a good idea, you should not rely on this service as your sole media archive.  Please store your original files in a secure place in the event your files get removed from this service.  It is your responsibility to maintain backups of important files.

 

Who owns the content?

Each piece of uploaded content is associated with an individual's Ithaca College user account. The media system assigns the content "ownership" to whoever uploads the file.  Ownership can be transferred and co-owners can be designated.

Owner - The person that originally uploads the file.  (Please note that this designation does not mean that you necessarily legally own the content when it comes to copyright law.  For example, I do not own a Hollywood film just because I uploaded a copy to this system.)

Co-Editor -Users with the permission to edit the metadata associated with your media. Co-editors have all the same metadata options as owners except the 'Collaboration' tool.

Co-Publisher - Users who have the permission to publish the media anywhere that the co-publishing user has the rights to publish.

 

How do I change ownership of a media file?

  1. Navigate to your 'My Media' page where you will see your media arranged in a list. On the right side of the page, each entry will have an 'Edit' button. Select this to edit the media.
    (You will also find an edit button on any of page where you can view media that you own. It will be below the video on the right, in the 'Actions' drop-down menu.)
  2. Select the 'Collaboration' tab.
  3. In the "Media Owner" section, click the 'Change Media Owner' button.
  4. Enter the Netpass User ID of the person that you wish to transfer full ownership.
  5. Click 'Save' to change the owner which will also remove the media from your 'My Media' page.

 

What is a channel?

Channels are ways to create a gallery of video that you can either make open or private depending on your goals. Sharing multiple videos with a select group of people is done best by creating channels.

Note: even if you make an open channel, users of the system would still need to login to view the videos. Channels can be set to private and you can manually add members that you want to have access. Users must have logged in at least once to be recognized in the system.

 

Why can't I find the other person's name in the system to share video with?

Users must have logged in at least once to be recognized in the system. Once a user logs in, then their name will appear when you are trying to share media with them, or add them to channels, etc..

 

Is there a charge for using this service?

No, this service is brought to you by Information Technology free of charge to the Ithaca College user.  Eligible users can access media.ithaca.edu, the Kaltura Media Gallery in Canvas, and Canvas Studios.

 

Can I recover a video that I uploaded?  Download the video back to me?

Owners have the option to download their content.  They can choose  from a low quality and a high quality mp4 file.  Due to file size restrictions, owners do not have the ability to download the source file they originally uploaded.

 

Can I password protect my media?

You cannot password protect your media. However, by default, every piece of media you upload is private and remains inaccessible to outside viewers until the owner either publishes it to a category or adds it to a channel with defined access controls. 

One way to make private videos is: Create a private channel and invite only the specific members that you wish to have viewing rights.

 

Is this service mobile friendly?

Content is designed for both desktop and mobile playback. It will also play back content on any device capable of playing Flash video. It also supports HTML5 playback and will play video without a Flash plugin on both Mac and Windows computers with most modern browsers, including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, most Google Android devices, as well as iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

 

 

Can I upload or record a video using my mobile device?

Yes, you can record media from your mobile device and upload it easily.

 

What devices or browsers can I use?

Browsers running on Windows or Mac OS support playback in the media system. This includes Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Opera.  Playback also works on the latest versions of Android OS and iOS. The service is not designed to work with any Blackberry or Windows Phone device specifically, but you may have success with playback if the device can play 3gp or mp4 videos.

 

 

Do I need Flash to play videos?

Flash is not required to playback media. If you find that videos and audio are not loading in your web browser, please make sure that you have the latest version of that browser. If you are not sure, or your browser needs updating, please contact the Service Desk and ask about updating your browser.

 

Can I get statistics or analytics for my media?

Kaltura provides you with extensive statistics on the viewership and usage of your media. These analytics are available in media.ithaca.edu or in Canvas in the Kaltura Media Gallery. Keep in mind that in media.ithaca.edu, your media can be set so that a person can access it without logging in, so it is possible that the bulk of your viewers will be listed as "anonymous".

 

Is the system's video player accessible (508 compliant)?

Yes, all video players have the ability to display captions, work with screen readers, and are keyboard control capable. It is important to note that if the video you are trying to view does not have captions or audio descriptions, they will not be available.

 

What caption file types can I use?

Caption files such as srt and dxfp are compatible with the system.

 

Is there software available to make captions?

yes, .srt files can be created with Adobe Premiere which is available for free on college owned computers. There are also several inexpensive "apps" that create subtitles as well as using the free tools located in YouTube, depending on your familiarity with the service and if you already have existing videos there, you can simply download existing captions in some cases. Contact techbar@ithaca.edu for more information. We have more suggestions and advice on the topic.

 

Is there a limit to the amount of media I can upload to Kaltura?

IC instructors have unlimited storage, so there is no limit to the amount of media you can upload to Kaltura. However, videos that have not been played in three years are moved into the archive and then deleted.

 

Mini-Tutorials

 

How to Log in

  1. Use your browser to navigate to the media.ithaca.edu page.
  2. In the upper right-hand corner you will see a "Guest" button. Select that and choose Login.
  3. You will see a new screen that asks for your IC Netpass user name and password. Enter your credentials and select the "Sign In" button.

How to upload media

In the upper right corner of the page, select the "Add New" button, and choose "Media Upload". You will be taken to a new page where you can click the "+ Choose a file to upload" button to search your computer for the media file that you would like to upload.

Browse and select your file; and click the "Open" button to begin uploading the file.

Note: if you are using the college wireless network, you may experience problems uploading your file. We recommend connecting to the secure college network connection for best results. Beyond wireless, our wired network connection is the fastest and most reliable way to upload your files.

Also, you may experience issues with web browsers for files that are over 2GB in size. If you are having trouble uploading, please come visit the Tech Bar for assistance, it is open M-F from 9am to 5pm.

 

How to create a channel

Note: You must first be logged in to create or view a channel.

Select the button that shows your account name in the upper right-hand corner, select "My Channels". Click the "+Create Channel" button, located at the top right of the page to create your channel. You can also create channels by clicking the "Channels" link on the header of the page and selecting the "+Create Channel" button.

When creating a channel, you will need to enter the following information:

Name

Enter the name of the channel. This will be prominently displayed and is a required field.

Description

You can enter text here to help describe the channel's purpose.

Tags

Tags are ways to add keywords to make your channel more searchable.

Privacy

You have three privacy choices for how users interact with your channel:

  • Open - Any user that logs in can view and add video to your channel.
  • Restricted - Any authenticated user can view the channel, but must be invited to add content.
  • Private - Users must be invited to view and/or to add content to the channel.
  •  
Enable comments in channels

This setting allows you to control whether other users can leave comments on the channel.

Keep comments private to channel

This setting allows you to restrict the comments made on media in this channel to this channel.

Moderate content

Enabling this setting will prevent new content from appearing in the channel until it is approved by a channel manager or moderator.

When you are done filling out these details click the "Save" button at the bottom to create the Channel.

 

How to edit channel settings

Select your account name in the upper right-hand corner, select "My Channels". This will take you to the channels page.

Find the channel that you'd like to edit and click on its "Edit" link.

On the "Details" tab you will find all of the initial creation settings.

Click "Save".

 

How to add media to a channel

  1. Navigate to the channel that you want to add media to.
  2. Click the "+Add to Channel" button, on the right side of the page, to open a list of your media.
  3. Select one or more media items you would like to add by checking its corresponding checkbox.
  4. Click the '+ Publish' button.

Note: items which are already on the channel will appear here with their corresponding checkbox already selected.

Also, if the channel is moderated, you will not see your media until a moderator or manager has approved it.

 

How to remove media from a channel

You can remove media from a channel by navigating to the channel where the media exists. Then, just below the video there is a "+" button. Select that "+" button, and you will see a button called "Remove". Select the "Remove" button to remove that media from the channel.

Note: this will not delete the video, but only removes it from the channel. Only users with the correct permissions can remove media from a channel. Permissions are explained below click to view.

 

How to add channel members

  1. Select your account name in the upper right-hand corner, select "My Channels". This will take you to the channels page.
  2. Find the channel that you'd like to edit and click on its "Edit" link.
  3. Click on the 'Members' tab in the channel's settings to see a list of current members of the channel. You can also change a users permissions, or remove a user from the channel, using the corresponding buttons next to each person's name in this list.
  4. Select the 'Add Member' button on the right side of the page.
  5. Enter the IC Netpass username for the user you'd like to add to the channel under the "Enter user name" field. The system will attempt to autocomplete the name you fill out to make it easier to find people in the system.

Note: if the user has not logged into the system at least once before, you will not be able to add them as a user.

There are levels of permissions that you can assign to a channel member. This will allow you to delegate or manage what your channel members are allowed to do. They are as follows:

Member
View channel content only.

Contributor
View channel content and add media to the channel.

Moderator
View channel content, add media to the channel, and moderate the channel.

Manager
View channel content, add (or remove ) media to the channel, moderate the channel, and manage the channel by editing channel settings and membership.

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