Best practice guidance: library skills videos

Ensure that when you render your Camtasia video, that you choose closed captions. This setting can be found under custom production settings when you choose to create the Mp4.

• When you are ready to render the video, go to Share and then Local file.
• Select Custom Production Settings from the drop-down menu and click Next.
• Choose MP4 Smart Player and click Next
• From the 'Smart Player Options' window
  • on the Controller tab, make sure all the boxes are ticked.
  • on the Options tab, make sure the Captions box is ticked, and that Closed captions is the option selected.
• Click Next 
• In the Video Options page, click on Options under Video info.
  • Change the information in the Title and Date field if necessary (e.g. if you have used a template).
• Click OK and Next
• In the Produce Video page, check the title and make sure you are saving your video to the correct folder of your choice.
• Click Finish

This will produce an MP4 but also all of the associated files which are necessary for the Smart Player. When uploading to Media Central, you only need to upload the MP4 file which is produced.

Once you have created captions, you then need to export your captions as a .srt file from Camtasia:

• At the top left of the captions window is a gear icon
• Click the gear icon and choose to Export captions.
• This generates a .srt file which can be saved to your computer and then uploaded to MediaCentral

To view the file right-click on the srt file and choose open with...  The .srt file can be opened using Firefox or Notepad.

Media Central uses JWPlayer as the method of video and audio playback, JW Player by default comes with the option to over lace CC files provided they have been produced.

For caption files, Mediacentral accepts VTT, srt  or Dfxp files. The subtitle/caption files can be uploaded either during the upload process or afterwards. 

To upload your video with captions to UCL MediaCentral:

• Access UCL MediaCentral and log in with your UCL userid and password.
• Click on the Upload icon at the top of the screen.
• Browse to upload your video file (MP4) and click on Next.
• Add the title and other details of the video and click Next.
• Select an appropriate thumbnail image (e.g. the title screen) or upload your own and click Next.
• Browse to upload the captions file and click on Next.
• Confirm you are happy by clicking on Confirm.
• Search for your video in UCL MediaCentral and check it plays ok.

Subtitles can be turned off or on by the viewer by clicking on the cc icon. The viewer also has the ability to download the subtitles separately as an attachment.