Streaming Platforms
Youtube¶
Summary
Youtube is a great, free platform for hosting instructional videos, especially if you want to create libraries of on-demand resources for your students.
Pros
- Universally recognized
- Unlimited storage
- Easy to use
- Fast uploading times
- Ability to create playlists to group videos for courses/modules
- Works great on any device
- Advanced online video editor
- Generates an automatic closed caption track that can be edited for accuracy
- Embraces the open web
Security
- Youtube has three security settings for videos and playlists:
- Public videos and playlists can be seen by and shared with anyone.
- Private videos and playlists can only be seen by owner and the users the owner chooses.
- Unlisted videos and playlists can be seen and shared by anyone with the link.
Feature | Unlisted | Private | Public |
---|---|---|---|
Can share URL | Yes | No | Yes |
Can be added to a channel section | Yes | No | Yes |
Shows up in search and related videos | No | No | Yes |
Posted on your channel | No | No | Yes |
Shows in Subscriber feed | No | No | Yes |
Cons - If you are comfortable with Youtube's security settings, there is very little not to like about the platform.
Vimeo¶
Summary
Vimeo is very similar to Youtube, with more security settings and advanced customization. It is an excellent platform used by many documentary film makers and independent artists.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Fast uploading times
- Ability to create playlists to group videos for courses/modules
- Works great on any device
- Add closed captioning file
- Create Custom URLs for videos
- Advanced security
- Allow videos to be downloaded
Security
- Vimeo has a few more security settings than Youtube.
- Anyone - videos are Public
- Only me - videos can only be seen by owner
- Only people I follow - videos can only be seen by owner and Vimeo users the owner follows
- Only people I choose - videos can only be seen by owner and selected Vimeo users
- Only people with a password videos can only be seen by people with a correct password
- Only people with a private link - videos can only be seen by people who have the link (Plus account only)
- Hide this video from Vimeo.com - videos can be embedded on other sites but can't be viewed on Vimeo.com (Plus account only)
- For more on Vimeo's security settings see their Privacy Settings Overview
Cons
- Free Vimeo account only allows 500MB/week of storage and 25GB/year. However, the Plus plan is very affordable at $60/year and allows 5GB/week and 250GB/year.
Google Drive¶
Summary
Some power Google users may find Google Drive a convenient way to share videos. The benefit of using Google drive vs. youtube is that you can stay within the Google Drive environment and there is less chance of someone stumbling across your videos.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Fast uploading times
- Ability to add videos to a folder and share
- Works great on any device
- Allows videos to be downloaded
Security
- Security settings for video on Google Drive are similar to those on a Google Doc.
- Specific people - Allow specific people with Google account to view your video
- Anyone with a link - Anyone with a link can view your video, but it is not searchable Additionally, you can allow anyone with a link to:
- View only
- Comment
- Edit (applies only to video information, since Google Drive doesn't have any online editing tools.)
-
Public - Anyone can search on Google and view your video
-
Disable downloading - for each of the above security settings, you can disable downloading of your video
Cons
- Slower encoding time
- Less intuitive sharing features than other platforms
- Free Google Drive account is limited to 15GB. You can upgrade to 100GB for $1.99/month.
Tip
Pro tip: share a Google folder to your class that has all the videos in it. Here is an example: goo.gl/WoY6uG
CASA Cloud¶
Summary
CASA Cloud is a basic cloud storage platform developed at UH in the Center for Academic Support and Assessment. It is available to faculty to use for file storage and sharing, including video.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Fast uploading times
- No storage restrictions
- Host any type of file
- No new account needed / uses Cougarnet ID
- Ability to restrict access to Blackboard users
- Works on any device
Security
- Public - Anyone can view publicly
- Restricted
- Blackboard - Accessible only from a link within a Blackboard course
- CASA - Accessible only from a link within a CASA course
Cons
- Cannot create playlists, channels or share folders
Screencast.com¶
Summary
Screencast.com is a great platform from Techsmith, the company that makes Camtasia, Snagit, and Jing. While the storage and bandwidth are limited on the free version, it is a great way to quickly share videos from any Techsmith application.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Fast uploading times
- Fast Encoding times
- Add closed captioning file
- Ability to create playlists to group videos for courses/modules
- Ability to replace a video without changing the shared link
- Allows commenting
Security
- Public
- Hidden
- Password Protected
- Authenticated