Streaming Media Server and WebCT Guide

From CTLpedia

Creating a Streaming Media File using Sony Vegas or other Non-Linear Editor or Encoding Tool:

1. Edit your video to your liking
2. Save your project file (this saves your timeline and edits) this creates a .veg file.
3. Choose File -> Render As:
4. You have a choice of what file type to render out to. Your choices for the MCC Sreaming Media Server (prana.mc.maricopa.edu) are (in order of preference):
   

   • RealMedia (.rm -- preferred)
   • Windows Media (.wmv)
   • Quicktime (.mov)

5. For Realmedia, you have several different templates to use depending on the quality of the file and your audience (i.e. what bandwidth they have available to them). For most clips, choose the middle of the ground (250 – 350 Kbs)

Converting a Video File From Some Other Format

There are several different tools out on the web that will convert your file between different video types. The streaming server at MCC supported by the CTL is optimized for RealMedia. Here are some free programs that will do this for you:

RealProducer Basic:

http://www.realnetworks.com/products/producer/basic.html

Helix DNA Producer:

https://helix-producer.helixcommunity.org/downloads.htm

There are some programs that are fairly inexpensive that do wonders for video conversion between different formats. We recommend AVS Video Tools:

http://www.avsmedia.com/VideoTools/index.aspx

Uploading your file to MCC CTL Streaming Media Server (prana)

Open SSH Software: (available from http://wiki.mc.maricopa.edu/tsswiki/index.php/Portal:Software )

Click Quick Connect:

Click the Connect button and the password dialog comes up:

This document assumes you know what your username and password is.

When logged in it should look like this:

Open the file transfer window by clicking on the yellow file folder icon:

The file transfer window opens.

Double click on the ’smedia’ folder

Transfer your files inside the remote smedia folder.

Windows Media Files (.wmv or .wma):

The next information comes from the CTL streaming media guide (info may be moved or changed but this is consistent for now…2/19/08)

http://ctl.mc.maricopa.edu/_resources/sm_Guide/clip_delivery_wm.html

You need to create text files that have the .asx extension on them that look like so:

 <ASX version = "3.0">
    <Entry>
      <Ref HREF="mms://prana.mc.maricopa.edu/mcc/<username>/France.wmv"/>
    </Entry>
 </ASX>

Where <username> is your account username.

(Copy and paste this in notepad if it helps)

Save the file like so:

To Stream Video from the Prana server within a WebCT/BB course:

If you want to stream video from the prana streaming media sever within an online course using WebCT, it is recommended at this time to only use RealMedia for compatibility and support issues. To get it working, follow these steps:

1. Transfer all files as before:

2. Log into your WebCT Course
3. Click on Web Links

4. Click on ’Create a Web Link’

5. Create a Descriptive title (Whatever You Want…this appears on the page)

6. In the Web Address field use the following pattern:

http://prana.mc.maricopa.edu/ramgen/mcc/<username>/<streaming_file.rm> 

where <username> is your username and <streaming_file.rm> is the name of the file you uploaded in step 1

Adding Video Links As Icons to Your WebCT Course

1. Log into your WebCT course

2. Click on the ’Build’ tab if you are not already in the ’Build’ mode of your course.

3. Navigate to the page or spot in your course where you want your icon to appear.

4. Click on ’Add Content Link’ then choose ’Web Link’

5. Your Link you created previously should appear in the list. Click on it to select it

6. Click on the ’Add Selected Link’

7. Your link should appear on the course page. When students click on it to view the video, they may get a separate popup window, but if the RealPlayer is properly installed, the stream will invoke and start playing inside RealPlayer.