Streaming video
If you want to put video into online teaching materials such as eLearn (WebCT), then you need to consider the speed at which your students might be able to access it. Students using the UCLan network directly, say from the PCs in the Library, will get a much higher bandwidth connection than students logging in from home, even if they have broadband connections. Watching jerky video is very annoying, so an alternative method is to use streaming video, which will automatically compensate for the user's connection speed.
Streaming video for the Web
UCLan has Helix Universal Server Software from RealNetworks for the delivery of streaming media, so the content created would not be restricted to the RealMedia type. With continuing support from ISS, the University is now able to support the on and off campus delivery of all major media types from AVI and MPEG to Quicktime, Real and Flash. A greater variety of supported formats has created a reduction in the amount of time taken for the production of streaming video enabling the delivery of the latest video codecs for increased clarity and definition.
Here are two examples of a video clip originally sized at 293 megabytes uncompressed; the two links show each of the file formats and their corresponding file sizes after compression:
Mpeg movie format (17.5MB)
Real Media format (4.4MB)
A folder has been created on the video server for every department across the University. Currently 14 departments provide streaming video in some form for their students. Students can access the video content either through WebCT as a URL link, directly through a web browser, or embedded within a web page to give a much more professional finish (see Embedding video).
Streaming video is regularly produced with the support of the LDU using specific equipment available only in certain areas on the campus. However the Real Producer software is now available on the network for everyone to access. This will enable anyone to produce their own streaming video content from their University desktop PC.
Live Streaming Video
There are two types of video available via the internet. Firstly, on demand video which is stored on a server and available at the recipient's leisure, similarly to the content of any web page. Secondly, and recently available via the LDU with support assistance from ISS, is live streaming video which can be viewed in real time like the content of a video conferencing session.
Live streaming video is currently produced and delivered from the LDU, and made available via WebCT or directly from a web browser. The presenter requires a camera, microphone, PC containing Real Producer software and a connection to the University network. The stream is recorded by the camera, sent through the software on the PC and onto the video server for delivery to connected recipients.
It is planned to begin trialing this setup within the main lecture theatres through the existing camera installations. As the software is made available across the campus, live video streaming could effectively be produced from the desktop using a microphone and web cam.
Windows Media Encoder for Dolphins Server
Further Information
For further information about either of the above ways of presenting streaming video, please contact Kevan Williams (kwilliams@uclan.ac.uk).
