April 19, 2023

Streaming video considerationsStreaming video considerations

Robert SebekWebmaster, Virginia Tech Libraries

BarriersBarriers

• Bandwidth• Technology• Scaling• Accessibility• Copyright, licensing

Problem: BandwidthProblem: Bandwidth

• File size and compression• Metered use

Solution: BandwidthSolution: Bandwidth

• Reduce file size• Video dimensions• Compression

• Streaming specialized codecs (H.264)• Data rate• Frame rate

• Active vs static video

Problem: TechnologyProblem: Technology

• Creation tools• Hosting tools• Viewing tools• Flash vs mp4 (just a modern browser)• Desktop vs mobile

Solution: TechnologySolution: Technology

• Great free video tools• Host in the cloud (YouTube, Vimeo)• Device detection• Flash vs mp4

Problem: ScalingProblem: Scaling

• Handful of users vs large classes• (Self hosted vs in the cloud)

Solution: ScalingSolution: Scaling

• Cloud hosts

Problem: AccessibilityProblem: Accessibility

• Captions useful beyond hearing impairment• Read along• Translation

• Audio descriptions or parallel access to visual content

Solution: AccessibilitySolution: Accessibility

• Automatic captioning• YouTube• Some manual cleanup

• Upload your script or translation• Add additional audio tracks

Problem: Copyright and licensingProblem: Copyright and licensing

• What you create is OK, but what about using others’ materials

• Commercial and much educational material is copyrighted

• Putting even snippets on open web could have legal issues

Solution: Copyright and licensingSolution: Copyright and licensing• Fair use for snippets• Purpose of use• Nature of work• Amount of work used• Effect on market

• Copyright exemptions for education• Purchased and subscribed content• Creative Commons and other

licenses