October 3, 2015 Streaming video considerations Robert Sebek Webmaster, Virginia Tech Libraries

Barriers Bandwidth Technology Scaling Accessibility Copyright, licensing

Problem: Bandwidth File size and compression Metered use

Solution: Bandwidth Reduce file size Video dimensions Compression Streaming specialized codecs (H.264) Data rate Frame rate Active vs static video

Problem: Technology Creation tools Hosting tools Viewing tools Flash vs mp4 (just a modern browser) Desktop vs mobile

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

Problem: Scaling Handful of users vs large classes (Self hosted vs in the cloud)

Solution: Scaling Cloud hosts

Problem: Accessibility Captions useful beyond hearing impairment Read along Translation Audio descriptions or parallel access to visual content

Solution: Accessibility Automatic captioning YouTube Some manual cleanup Upload your script or translation Add additional audio tracks

Problem: 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 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