Media in ICON (University of Iowa's Course Management System)
The following is a guide on how to place media - video and audio files - into ICON.
Determine the type of media you currently have or need
Video and audio can come in a variety of formats. If you are unsure of the format on a PC check the properties by right clicking on the file or use the QuickTime Player to open the file and select "Show Movie Info" for more detailed information. This will display the format type except for filenames ending in ".flv" or ".wmv". On a Mac press 'apple button+i' for file information
Most Common Web Media Formats:
Flash (.flv, .mp4) Flash media is the format of choice because of the stability, 95% adoption of the Flash Player, and cross platform compatibity. However, typically Flash media files cannot be easily downloaded and played locally. A specially developed Flash player or software such as VLC (VideoLan, an open source media player) is needed to view Flash media. (Recently, the Flash player was updated to play H.264 video. This means Flash video created using H.264 can be played locally using the QuickTime Player.)- Flash Players for ICON and embed codes for ICON
Windows Media (.wmv , .wma) Windows Media is freely available only under the Windows operating system within the Windows Media Player. Flip4Mac is available to purchase for playing Windows Media files (.wmv, .wma) under the Mac OS using the QuickTime Player. However, there are limitations to Flip4Mac such as no scrub bar navigation for streamed media.- Windows Media is not a recommended format due to cross platform and cross browser support.
QuickTime (.mov, .mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .m4p, .m4b,
etc.) Quicktime ".mov" file acts as container for a vareity of video and audio formats. Thus, a QuickTime ".mov" file could include many media formats. The Quicktime Pro Player is commonly used as a powerful encoder and multimedia tool. - QuickTime Media embed codes for ICON
| The following media formats need to be converted to Flash, Windows Media, or QuickTime in order to be placed into ICON: | |
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ITS-Instructional Servces' Media Studio, 2800 University Capitol Centre, has all the technology needed to convert these formats. |
Delivery (Streaming vs Progressive vs Podcasting)
There are two choices for delivering video and audio through ICON: Streaming or Progessive Download. Streaming files provide quicker playback for large videos and a higher level of security. Progressive download forces the user to download the file and provides the user the ability to keep the file. (For more information, see "Web Video".)
- File size impacts the time it takes for the user to download a media file. On campus the high-speed networking service makes this neglible. Downloads using off-campus networks, i.e., cable modems and DSL lines, can take a long time. For example, it could take a student downloading files larger than 20 megabytes as little as 5 minutes using a cable modem and 50 minutes using a 56K modem. Use this online speed calulator to consider the download times.
- Protection: Streaming media places a roadblock on capturing the media file to a local storage. However, streaming media does not ensure the media is completely protected. Screen capturing software can always grab what is displayed on the computer screen, including video that is playing.
- Speed Streaming servers can not speed up for faster listening without encoding the original file at a faster rate.
- Chapter Progressive downloads provides an easy way to create chapter markers.
- Scrubbing Streaming provides near instant scrubbing.
For more information on web video...
Lecture Capture Options
Camtasia with Flash Video Chapters
Camptasia with Flash Movies Chapters
