Opencast video platform


In order to improve the production, processing and distribution of your teaching videos, the software Opencast has been integrated into Moodle, the learning and examination platform of JKU.

Opencast is an open source product for planning, recording and publishing audiovisual learning content and is developed for the university context (https://opencast.org/features/).


In Moodle, the block "Opencast Videos" can be added to any lecture course. Videos can be uploaded or recorded via this. These can then be incorporated into activities and work materials via the editor. There is also an online video editor available. 

JKU branding

In the Moodle courses from summer semester 2024 onwards, newly uploaded or processed Opencast videos will receive JKU branding depending on the category (Interdisziplinär, MED, RE, SOWI and TNF) with opening credits, title frame and end credits.

Videos shorter than 10s are automatically deleted by the system. 

If you want to publish a recording from HS1-8, S5 101 in Moodle, please please use the corresponding form in the IT service portal. We will make the video available in the block "Opencast Videos" in your requested Moodle course.


The Opencast Admin-UI is only needed if you want to use the extra functions in the online video editor. Otherwise the administration via the block "Opencast Videos" in Moodle is sufficient.

  1. Open the Opencast Admin-UI in an up-to-date browser: opencast.jku.at
  2. Log in with your JKU account

Events

In the "Event" tab you will find the overview of all recordings (to which you have editing rights).

  • Sort events: Click on one of the column headings (e.g. "Title" or "Date") to sort the recordings in ascending or descending order.
  • Filter events: If you click on an entry, e.g. the room "HS1", a filter will be active and only recordings of the room "HS1" will be displayed. This way you can filter by date, room and status.

Opencast Administration Filter

Series

In the "Series" tab you will find an overview of all series to which you have editing rights.

Series are automatically created by us when we make the block "Opencast Videos" available to you in your Moodle course. The name corresponds to the course ID number consisting of the semester and the course number (e.g. "2021W000000"). There can be a maximum of one series per Moodle course.

More information on the "Opencast Videos" block.

If the list of series or recordings is not complete, you must trigger the synchronisation of the rights. To do this, please click on Play in Moodle for an included Opencast video and log in again if necessary.

Actions

Opencast Actions overview

The following changes can be made to the videos using the buttons in the Actions column:

    1. Click on the blue icon.
      OC_Action Event Details

    2. You can change all metadata marked with a gray pen (title, subject, series, etc.). Make the desired change and confirm with ENTER. The "Start date" will be shown to you later in the "Date" column. It has no effect on the availability of a video and is for information purposes only.
    3. A green check mark confirms the change.

    Event Details

    1. Click on the green icon.
      (If the green icon is missing in "Actions", this video is not assigned to any series.)
      OC Aktionen Seriendetails

    2. You can change all metadata marked with a gray pen (title, subject, description, etc.). Make the desired change and confirm with ENTER.
    3. A green check mark next to the gray pencil icon confirms the change.

    Series details

    1. Click on the red X.
      OC Actions delete

    2. Confirm that you want to delete the recording irrevocably.
      OC Actions delete confirmation


    If you have already made the video available to students via an element in the Moodle course, it must also be deleted there. Otherwise, an error message will appear at this point.
    More information about the "Opencast Videos" block in Moodle.

  • Clicking the scissors icon opens the online video editor. 
    (If the scissors icon is missing from the actions, the video cannot be edited. This is the case for a screencast, for example).

    OC Actions Videoeditor

    In the "Segments" tab you have the option to blank out selected parts of the recording:OC Video editor


    1.  Drag the red scissors icon to the place where you want to cut the video and click "Split" or directly on the scissors icon.
      OC Videoeditor split

    2. You have now created a new segment and can hide or show it by clicking the eye icon. Hidden segments are colored red and skipped during playback.


    3. If you want to remove the editing mark again, click on the "X".
      OC videoeditor remove editing mark

    4. When you have hidden all the unwanted segments and want to publish the recording, select the "Publish" workflow at the bottom right and click "Save". The edited video will be published again after processing.
    1. Click the folder icon to download a recording.
      OC download video

    2. In the "Media" type, click "Details" on the right.
    3. Depending on the recording
      1. 2 files: presentation only (presentation/source and presentation/prepared ) orcamera image only (presenter/source and presenter/prepared)
      2. or 4 files: presentation (presentation/source and presentation/prepared) and camera image (presenter/source and presenter/prepared) → Dual screen recordings
        The files presentation/source and presentation/prepared or presenter/source and presenter/prepared are the same.
        Event details media download

    4. Click on the HEX code in the "ID" column of the desired type to start the download.
    1. Click on the "chain" icon
      OC Aktionen Einbettungscode

    2. Select the size that the embedded video should have later.
      Create Embeddingcode

    3. Click on "Copy to clipboard" and paste the code at the desired position.


In addition to the actions described above in the column of the same name, Opencast offers further functions:

  1. First select the recording(s) you want to edit, by checking the checkbox.
  2. Click on "Start task" in the drop-down menu on the right.
    Additional actions check


  3. Select the desired task/workflow:
    Additional actions select workflow
  • Publish
    If you have not published your recording via the video editor, this task can also publish your recording.
  • Process upon reschedule
    This task is only needed if videos fail during the first upload due to unfavourable WebRTC parameters.
  • Republish Metadata
    If you have made a change to the metadata after publishing your recording (e.g. name of the recording, contributors or date/time), this task will also update the metadata outside the backend (opencast.jku.at) (e.g. for embedded videos in Moodle or similar).
  • Retract
    This task retracts a recording that has already been published. For example, if you have uploaded an entire lecture series but do not want to publish them all at once, simply retract the recordings and publish them at a later date. Retracting and republishing also allows you to refresh the still image with the recording information at the beginning of the video if you have changed it after publishing.
  • Duplicate Event
    This function allows you to duplicate a recording.
    Duplicate Event
    Title of Duplicate: Title of the duplicated video
    Series ID: Series ID which is dedicated to the duplicated video. Note: Series is not series ID!
    Number of Events: Number of duplicates that are created
    Do not use copy suffix: check if the suffix should not be used
    One reason for copying a recording could be that you want to publish two sequences from a recording individually. Be sure to change the metadata before publishing so that you do not have to reduplicate them afterwards.
    Another reason could be that you want to upload a recording into two different series. This way you don't have to upload it twice, but can select a different series in the metadata for one recording. Please do not forget to update the access rights afterwards. To do this, click on the series details (green symbol in the "Actions" column), then on the second tab "Access rights" and finally on the green button "Update access rights of individual recordings".
  • Update previews
    This task updates the thumbnails that are displayed in the video editor.

Updates

As scheduled, an update of the Opencast platform is performed once a year (during the semester break). In addition, security updates are carried out at short notice according to need and urgency.