Frequently Asked Questions and more

Here is a list of frequently asked questions on a few ideas on how you can use Mediacentral

How do I find my video after uploading: You can see your media files once encoded by logging into the , then clicking on the silhouette icon in the top right of your screen which will allow you to click on听My Account > My Content, here you can search for your file and by听clicking on Yes听link in the "Encoded" field, this feature will load your video file.听
Every time you upload a media file, once encoded you receive an email from the system. The team recommends that it's best not to delete these emails as they contain the URL听link to your videos and these are useful to have as a record of all your media.
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I cannot access, upload or play certain videos since the Mediacentral move to the Cloud

Mediacentral has now moved to the Cloud, however, some people may be experiencing or having trouble playing, uploading or accessing content.

One major change since the move to the Cloud, is that Mediacentral now requires you to login using Single-Sign On or SSO, to access your account. Before this can take effect, it is important that you:

Sign-out of all your UCL accounts and web applications from your web browsers e.g., from Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge. Please check all your different devices e.g. desktop computer, laptop, tablet smartphone etc., and sign-out of your 911爆料网eb applications there too.

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If problems still persist, please contact the听Mediacentral team.

Open the browser and clear the cache and browser history.

A tip for ensuring you are signed-out of your 911爆料网eb applications, is to:

Completely close and quit your web browsers including any open tabs.

I get an Error Code 232011 or 224003 notification听when I听play a video?听

We note these errors only听seem to听happen听with听Apple devices.听If you see an error code displayed when trying to playback video such as 232011听or 224003 error, then in the first instance:

Please check that you have the most up to date version of all of your听web browsers.
It is important to update browsers regularly, primarily for security purposes.
Once you have updated your browser, it is good practice to听restart your device to ensure any old settings are deleted.

If the problem persists:

For users who prefer Chrome for Mac,听we have created a workaround:

Problem

SSL certificates on 911爆料网ebsites were revoked due to a security update, but we have discovered that听Chrome for Mac is听still referring to an old revoked SSL certificate.

Resolution

We have created a听document that outlines the steps听that are required to manually update the SSL certificate, please听contact the听Mediacentral team听to access the information.
Simply read the document and download the attached .crt file
Double click on the file and it should automatically open Keychain for Mac and update the certificate.
Close and reopen Google Chrome for Mac

If you need additional assistance, please contact the听Mediacentral team.

Will my videos play in countries that block YouTube and Vimeo content?: Yes, Mediacentral does work in countries that block mainly Google-hosted听content. However, this should be caveated by saying the video viewing experience will be dictated primarily by a viewer's broadband speed (bandwidth)听which can vary and that some people viewing may not have the best of experiences.听Also, it is important to note that the services delivered听are at the behest of any new firewall rules brought in by any听national government in the future.

I'm leaving UCL听but wish to transfer ownership of my media to one of my colleagues?: We now have a simple听solution that will allow your media to be transferred to another UCL user/staff member.

Please request a change of ownership听via email for content that is in use and may be required in the foreseeable future and the team will explain how to do this.

Why is the sound muted when I play a video

For Desktop@UCL and PC Users

Google Chrome

Click on three dots听on top right-hand corner
Click on听Settings
Then click on听Privacy and Security
Then choose听Site Settings
Then scroll down until you see听Sound
Then ensure that the slider is on to听Allow sites to play sound (recommended)

Internet Explorer

Click on the听Cog in the top right-hand corner of your browser window
Choose Internet Options
Then click on the听Advanced tab
Scroll down and ensure under听Multimedia听that the听Play sounds in webpages听option is ticked.

Firefox

Click on the three lines听in the top right of the screen
Select听Options Select听Privacy and Security听(left-hand side of the page)
Scroll down and ensure that the check box听Block websites from automatically playing sound is unticked.

Apple Mac users

Safari

If there is no sound when playing听a video in Safari:

Then in the听menu bar choose Safari >听Preferences
In the Safari Preferences menu bar听select Websites
Then select Auto-Play in the sidebar听mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk听should show under听Currently Open Websites
Or if you have visited before under Configured Websites
Choose听Allow All Auto-Play听in the drop-down box to allow sound to play automatically.

For Google Chrome and Firefox please follow the instructions for a PC

What is the retention period for Mediacentral content?

听Mediacentral should not be used as a data storage facility, users should use either their N, S or OneDrive for long term storage

For information about the policy

Information can be found here听/mediacentral/terms-use/retention-policy

Can videos hosted on UCL Mediacentral be embedded on Wordpress?: Yes, we have recently received confirmation from a听UCL department听that Mediacentral videos can be embedded into a WordPress site. This is done using the Mediacentral听Embed听link rather than the Share link. Contact the team for further assistance.

How do听I add听captions to my video?

This is an activity that听is done in the upload process, or if you like, this听can be done at a later stage, note that after 23rd September 2020 with respect to accessibility, you have to have added your captions file within 14 days of upload. in Mediacentral please听use听either a .srt or .vtt听or .dfxp file format.

Depending on where you get your captions, you can always edit these within Mediacentral - further information to follow.

Where do I get information on how to create a subtitle file?

The Mediacentral team added a 'charged for' captioning service in the summer 2020, please contact captions at ucl.ac.uk, the rates are significantly lower than using external services and we can offer these in various languages.

There is a UCL document on subtitling best practices found here听and a useful blog entry听here.

How can I听create听a transcript file and add this to my content in Mediacentral?

There are free online tools to help you convert your captions file to a transcript.

A simple solution is to use Notepad or TextEdit to open your .srt or .vtt file, copy the text and paste it into the text box , then copy the results and paste them into a Word (or similar) document, once you have completed this process you can then add to your Attachments in Mediacentral to share.

I can see a Record Screen icon,听how do I听record using Mediacentral?: We now have the 听MEDIALecture tool, this is听a component of Mediacentral and was trialed during the initial听Covid-19 lockdown, due to its success UCL staff & students can now record their screen, their webcam, and their voice or all three whilst at home. For further information go to the MEDIALecture pages

Can I听upload multiple media files?: Currently, each file you have has to be uploaded individually, however, please contact the team for information on how we can assist with uploading a large number of files.

How do I听add a PowerPoint or Word document file?

If you wish to add a file that links to your content then it is possible to add 3 attachments, these can be in the file formats .doc,听.docx, .gif, .htm, .jpg, .mp3,听.pdf, .ppt,听.pptx, .swf, .txt, .xls, .xlsx, .zip

You can do this at the upload stage or if you wish to add at a later date just find your file in My Content and click on the Pencil icon to initiate the process, just click Next until you see the Assoc Files tab and听then Browse and add your file. Once your file has uploaded click Next and then Finish. You do not need to wait for any encoding process, your file will be there immediately.

Can I听upload and view media when using a mobile device?

Currently, you can only upload via Apple iOS.听To upload from an iOS device, you must be logged onto the site with an account that has upload permission for at least one category.

On an iOS device

Click the听Upload听button at the bottom of the screen.
On the next screen choose a file to upload by click听Browse.
You can upload an existing video or use the device's camera to shoot a new clip. Video with audio and video-only uploads are allowed.
Once the clip has been uploaded click听Next听and provide the听details for the clip. The听Title,听Category,听Description, and听Email听fields are mandatory.
Add tags to the clip to help viewers find the clip through search criteria.听If there is a disclaimer check the box to agree to it.
Click听Next.
On the confirmation page, click听Finish听to complete the upload process.

Enable sharing your content听with a 'Creative Commons' licence?

Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International听(CC BY-ND 4.0)

It is best to use the Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)听licence. This will听let others copy, distribute, display, and perform only original copies of your work. If they want to modify your work, they must get your permission first.

You are free to:

Share -听copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.

The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

Attribution听-You must give听, provide a link to the license, and听. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your us

NoDerivatives听-听If you听听the material, you may not distribute the modified material.

No additional restrictions听-听You may not apply legal terms or听听that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Notices:听

You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable听. No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as听听may limit how you use the material.

Can I add a watermark or听overlay to my video?: Prior to uploading to Mediacentral if you wish to add a watermark or overlay to brand your video then a simple solution is to download and use the free software听.听Information on how to add your logo/watermark/overlay can be found .

How do I download a file for offline viewing?

You can听download video and audio files by right-clicking on the听Download听link in the information under the video on the Mediacentral site.

You should note that not all content has been made available for download.
If you need a copy of a file that听is not available for download then we suggest that you听note the name of the Contributor and email them with a request stating the purpose and听why you would like a copy of their file.

Using Playlists

Playlists are created with the application, currently, they are also only available to view within Mediacentral.听

You can view and manage your听Mediacentral听playlists by clicking the听My Account听button at the top of the screen after you have logged in.

Creating a Playlist

Click听New听to create a playlist. In the pop-up window, give the playlist a name and a description.
The听Private听checkbox is checked by default.
Uncheck it to make the playlist available to other听Mediacentral听users.
Click听Save听to save the playlist.
You can then add content to the playlist.

Reordering Playlist Content

Once you have added content to a playlist,听you can reorder the clips within the playlist

Go to my听My Account
Click听Playlists, and select the playlist by name, searching for it if necessary.
The playlist displays the list of clips.
Hover over a clip, then click and hold the four-way arrow, dragging the clip to a new position in the playlist.

How do I manage my media?

Once you have uploaded听content to听Mediacentral, you can manage this听by clicking the听My Account听button at the top of the screen after you have logged in.

Content List

Your content page displays information about the media you have uploaded. In the content list, you can search for content, modify settings, and delete items. In the media listing area, content is organised according to the most recent contributions.

Click any of the green column headings to organise your media differently.

Searching for media

In the听Content Manager听area at the top of the content listing page, you can search for media items by specifying certain criteria:

Keywords:听Keywords return content that contains these words in the title, description or tags.
Category: 听Selecting a category returns only the content from that category in the search results.

I want to delete a media file, is this possible?

Deleting your media is quite simple, but before you do this ensure that you have a copy of your file offline, if you are not sure then download your file before deleting it.

To delete a file, first log in to Mediacentral and then:

Under听My Account听select听My Content听to see your files.
If you have a large quantity then use the听Search听function to find听the file you wish to delete.
Then tick the radio button on the left-hand side of the camera icon and at the bottom of the page.
You will see the text听Delete selected media听and a tick box to include deleting any associated files.
Before clicking on the听Delete selected media,听double-check that you have only chosen the files you no longer require as听this action cannot be reversed.

Support for Learning and Teaching and using the Moodle Media Resource

FAQ's when using the Moodle Media Resource

It has been advised by UCL Digital Education that media files that are part of a taught module should be uploaded through the Lecturecast system, which connects these files to a Moodle module, especially where these are lectures. Information on adding content to a class can be found here:

Existing Mediacentral content that is in a Personal, Public, or departmental category should be added to Moodle by using the embed code seen by clicking on the share icon on the top right of your video.

The system still allows you to use the Moodle Media Resource if that is considered a more appropriate method of distributing media to students. See /mediacentral/moodle for help

Do I use the Mediacentral portal or Moodle to upload and view my videos?: If you wish to share your video with the world, then adding the content directly through the Mediacentral portal is the best method.听However, if you just want students on a particular module to view the content then please use the to your Module.

Can I upload multiple files?: If you have a significant number of video or audio files that you wish to add to Mediacentral or your Moodle course, please contact the UCL Mediacentral team for further help and information.

What media file formats can I upload?: When uploading media files, please check your media is one of the approved file types. These currently are: .avi, .flv, .mkv, .mov, .mpg, .mpeg, .mp3, .mp4, .wav, .webm, .wma, .3gp.

Who do I contact for further information on using Lecturecast for uploads?: You can contact the ISD Service Desk or email the UCL Digital Education听support team for help and information.

How can I choose my own thumbnail image?

During the upload process, it is possible to choose your own thumbnail image. This can be an image that better reflects your media content, instead of the thumbnails that are automatically generated by the system.

When uploading you arrive at or select the section marked Thumbnails
Next, choose the button marked Browse
This will then take you to a file chooser where you can select the image of your choice.
Once selected, this will become the new thumbnail image.

It is recommended that the image you choose has:

a JPG or PNG image file format with a minimum image size of 640 x 360 - (Width x Height)
a maximum file size of 1 MB

How long will my file take to upload?: This depends on the size of your file, it's best to only upload files that are 1080p as few PC monitors display 4k video.

Processing time - my file is still not available?: Unfortunately, we do not have the same processing power as YouTube, and all files go into a queue - please be patient, the transcoding of your file is on a听'first-come, first-served basis, and at peak times听you should always allow 4 to 8 hours to guarantee your file has been fully processed and available.

Why can't I see the content I've previously uploaded into听Mediacentral?: The Mediacentral portal is the interface for publicly available content and although all media sits on the same servers, the security and access for Moodle content is kept separate for obvious academic reasons.

Unsuccessful uploads听- what happens, what do I do etc.?

If your file fails to upload you will receive an email letting you know there is an issue. The support team also receives this and we will look to ascertain if the problem is a system error or a problem with the file. Normally the issue is due to poor connectivity, UCL's infrastructure is more stable, so it is always best practice to upload when on campus. If you are working from home try and use an ethernet connection if possible.

Also, check that the format of the file you have uploaded is on the list of approved file types and is under 5Gb in size.

My听Media has failed to load or play?

On rare occasions your media may not play,听the main reason is normally that听your browser probably requires updating or is set to play via Adobe Flash and this is now blocked for the majority of browsers. All content in Mediacentral听is set to play in HTML5, and will ONLY fall back to Flash if your browser is not HTML5 compliant.

If your content will not play using Desktop@UCL then please contact the听Mediacentral team.

Editing, is this possible?: Editing of your video content is now possible using the Trim, Chop,听and Export function in Mediacentral further information is on the general upload pages of the website,听if your project is more substantial please contact the UCL Educational Media team.

Can I upload & view from mobile devices?: Yes, this is possible, but generally not advisable if you are on the move. Try to do this where you have good access to WiFi rather than using your data allowance. To view login to as you would do normally.

Can I update a media resource added by another tutor?: Yes, you can do this. However, only do this if you have a good reason to and you also have equal authentication rights as an instructor.

How does a student upload media?

This feature听will be implemented in the summer 2020.听If as a student you currently wish to add a video or audio file to your UCL Moodle module then use the portal. Follow the process to upload as described here and make the content Personal(Public) to you. It is possible then to share or embed the content but your video will not show up in the portal.

Once your file is available, always use the UCL Mediacentral Share听link to add to Moodle.

How do I delete media I no longer require?: If you wish to delete any media assets uploaded using the Moodle "Media Resource", then please contact the Mediacentral support听team.

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