Upload & Share Videos using my Mediasite

Recommended settings for Video Files

• Container Format: MP4 
• Resolution: A maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels 
• Video Codec: H.264
• Audio Codec: AAC
• Frame Rate: 24 frames per second (if you are only recording your slides, set this to 15 fps)
• Duration: We recommend keeping individual videos to less than 3 hours
• File Size: A one-hour video should not be larger than 2 GB. (Please compress the video if it is unusually large)

ADVANCED USERS

For faster processing, make sure your video contains the following properties:

• A Keyframe Interval of less than 6 seconds
• An Aspect Ratio that uses Square (1:1) pixels 
• A bitrate of 1.5 Mbps or less 
• Audio tracks with a 44.1 Khz sample rate

Required settings for Sound Files

• Container Format: MP3
• Bitrate: 128 kbps or less
• Sample rate: 44.1 khz (48 Khz will also work)

Once your file is finished uploading to SFU's servers, it usually needs to be re-processed into a format that is optimised for on-demand streaming.

Processing times average well under an hour, but some things can affect this processing time. 

SFU is continually looking to improve the performance of the Mediasite platform. Below are some things to watch out for when uploading videos.

• An incorrect file was uploaded (e.g. uploading a PowerPoint .pptx file instead of a video file)
• Uploading very large, uncompressed video files. If you are using a video editor, try exporting with a lower bitrate (we recommend 1.5 Mbps)
• Sometimes, the wait is happening before the processing stage. If the status of the video lists "Queued for Processing", then your video has not yet begun processing. This wait time can go above the usual 10-20 minutes when too many people are uploading at the same time. If your video spends too much time waiting in the queue, try uploading your content at a different time of day.

When making videos using Zoom or PowerPoint it is important to acquire a video file. If a non-video file is uploaded to Mediasite you will not receive an error. Mediasite will keep trying to convert the file but will fail after a long time.

Zoom Recordings
When using the Zoom local recording feature, Zoom will create a special temporary file. This file will end with ".zoom". After a recording finishes, please allow Zoom some time to process this file and produce a file that ends with ".mp4"

PowerPoint Recordings
Microsoft PowerPoint will allow you to make a recording of your presentation. PowerPoint files end with ".pptx". When your presentation recording is complete you must export the video to produce a usable video file. This file should end with ".mp4".

For best results, see "1. Recommend video settings for faster upload" above.

In response to the rapid transition to remote teaching, SFU has removed any storage quotas for videos uploaded to Mediasite until further notice.

Mediasite accepts a wide variety of video and audio formats. Popular formats that are supported are listed below. If you are hoping to upload a different file format, please send an email to its-help@sfu.ca

Video: mp4, avi, mov, flv, m4v, mkv, wmv

Audio: mp3, wav, vob, 

Please note that very large files and videos with a very long duration may have difficulty being processed by the server. Processing times for Media Uploads can vary based on capacity and can take several hours to complete processing. 4K Video is not currently supported.

Any content you upload yourself will remain available for as long as your SFU account remains active. 

Class recordings can be downloaded to your own computer or transferred to your My Mediasite account for long-term storage.

This is the default behaviour and it is a safety feature. If you upload a video, this behaviour will encourage you to take a moment and verify that it is indeed the correct video before it becomes watchable by your audience.

If you would like the videos you upload to automatically publish without a chance to verify the contents, please follow these instructions:

1. Click on the face icon to the right of "Moderation" and navigate to the "My Settings" page
2. Navigate to the "Publishing" options
3. Set the option "Set visibility of MyMediasite uploads as viewable" so that it is "TRUE".
4. Save

To quickly get to this configuration page, please visit this link: https://stream.sfu.ca/media/mymediasite/settings/publish-settings

The My Mediasite application allows you to share multiple videos with your audience using "Channels". These playlists can be shared with students or other users, or they can be embedded inside of a Canvas course.

To create a channel, please look at our how-to guide on sharing videos using a playlist/channel.

Mediasite is the platform used by SFU to automate scheduled recordings in supported rooms. Recordings are captured based on your SFU Course Outline information and can be distributed through Canvas. A browser-based video editor is also available to make your own adjustments to your recordings.

My Mediasite is a Content Management System for streaming video available to SFU Faculty & Staff. It allows users to make changes to lecture recordings, upload new videos, control their visibility and create playlists of other videos from your library that you can share with other SFU users.

Mediasite streams your video in a way that cannot easily be saved through normal use.

If you would like your audience to be able to easily download a copy of your video or audio presentation, please inquire with IT Services by submitting a ticket.

At this time, only faculty and staff may request recordings or upload content. Allowing students to submit assignments through Mediasite is currently outside of the scope of the Lecture Capture service.

Students and faculty can share files with one another using SFU Canvas, OneDrive, SFU Vault, etc.

Mediasite allows you to upload closed-captioning files for your videos. Simply follow the steps below to add your captioning file.

Note: Mediasite cannot automatically create captions for you. You must upload a caption file or create your own captions using Mediasite's caption editor.

Add a caption file to your video:

1. Navigate to your presentation. Click Edit and go to the Delivery tab.
2. If you have not already enabled captioning, select the Captioning check box.
3. Select the Manually Upload an Audio Caption File radio button and click Select a file to locate and select your closed caption file.
4. Click Upload. Once the file is uploaded, launch the presentation in Mediasite Player and verify your captions appear as expected.

If you need to provide editing privileges to a collaborator, you can make use of the green "Edit Security" button on your Presentation or Channel. Add the user to the list in this area, then make sure the security setting for "Write" has a check under "Allow" when clicking on their name in the list.

More information is available from the people who created Mediasite: https://docs.mediasite.com/76/mymediasite/#!Documents/assigncustompermissionsdesktoponly1.htm