So you’ve heard from some of your colleagues how wonderful this streaming stuff is. You bring in a tape or DVD and the Media Center does some magic that creates a format that can be utilized right with your Moodle course, or placed in your server file allowing access to your entire class! It’s awesome! You decide to try this and send a student bearing one of your old VHS tapes. You plan to have this available to your students the next day. No problem. They just play the movie and voila!
Well, not quite. It’s a little more detailed than this.
VHS tapes must first be converted to DVD. Once this is finished, the new DVD must then be encrypted and decoded. This means that every frame has to be pixilized. This can take 24 hours or longer. Longer movies are usually set up to run overnight. Once this is completed, the next step is referred to as “hand break”. This converts the file to Mp4 and it can now go onto the server. Total time for all of this can be 3 days or more.
Also, the Media Center only has two sets of machines that will create these files, and items are completed on a first come first serve basis. In other words, there may be quite a line in front of you. All this to say having an item streamed for your class takes some time, so plan accordingly.
A few more facts and hints:
You can have old LP’s streamed.
Cassette Tapes do not seem to do well.
If the movie has subtitles, please tell the Media Center crew if you want those subtitles left on the film. This requires some additional work on their end.
Some VHS tapes have a copyright block. We can’t do anything about this.
Remember: The College must own the materials you want streamed. The Media Center CANNOT do personal copies. It is illegal! Department owned is ok, but nothing you taped at home on your own VCR!
For more information on streaming please contact Rose Ann Hicks @ 3886, or Joe Wack @ 3125. They will also be hosting a Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, April 28th from 11:30 – 12:30 in the Alburty Room.
Summer is a great time to have materials prepared for the fall term, so think ahead and pace yourself!
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