Opencast
Opencast is a university-wide video management service that on the one hand enables the automated recording of (teaching) events in large lecture halls, on the other hand offers the storage and provision of digital instructional videos mainly in ILIAS, but also in web projects or in the OER framework. Playback is done via HLS streaming with the opencast version installed at the Univerity of Cologne.
Hinweis zu Problemen beim Abspielen von Videos "weißer Bildschirm"
Das Verhalten ist auf unser Update des ILIAS-Opencast-Plugins am Freitag, den 24.05. zurückzuführen. Bitte laden Sie die Seite komplett neu. Auf Windows/Linux können Sie dafür folgende Tastenkombinationen verwenden (Strg + F5, Shift + F5 oder Strg + Shift + R). In MacOS mittels Cmd + Shift + R oder in Safari Cmd + Option + R.
Über eine Rückmeldung, ob das Problem dadurch gelöst wird, würden wir uns sehr freuen.
Bitte entschuldigen Sie die Umstände. Leiten Sie diesen Hinweis auch gerne an andere betroffene Kommilitonen weiter.
Falls oben genanntes nicht funktioniert, versuchen Sie bitte einmal ihren Browsercache manuell zu leeren. Je nach verwendetem Browser sind die Vorgehensweisen etwas unterschiedlich, daher würde ich Sie bitten in einer Suchmaschine Ihrer Wahl zu suchen nach " Browsercache leeren *ihr Browser*". Häufig funktioniert das auch für einzelne Seiten, in diesem Fall "ilias.uni-koeln.de" auch dazu finden Sie etwas über eine Suchmaschine.
Falls möglich, könnten Sie auch bitte versuchen einen ganz anderen Browser als sonst zu verwenden z.B. Chrome statt Firefox oder andersherum. Safari oder Edge wären auch eine Option, je nachdem welches Betriebssystem Sie verwenden.
Automated recording
Good reasons for recording lectures
Live Streaming
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How can I schedule recordings and livestreams?
Unfortunatley this guide is only available in german. Anleitung
If you need assistance in english please do not hesitate to contact us.
Which rooms are ready for recording and livestreaming?
The following lecture halls have recording equipment installed (last updated on November 2022):
! Due to the ongoing technical alteration work until the coming semester, the functionality of the camera images can unfortunately not be guaranteed at the moment. !
Main Building
- Gb. 100 - HS XIII *
- Gb. 100 - HS II *
- Gb. 100 - Aula 1 * , (no camera recording)
- Gb. 100 - Aula 2 *
Lecture Hall Building
- Gb. 105 - HA1 *
- Gb. 105 - HA2 *
- Gb. 105 - HB *
- Gb. 105 - HC *
GeoBio Building
Physics Building
- Gb. 321 - H1 *
- Gb. 321 - H2 ² or *
- Gb. 321 - H3 ²
Chemistry Building
- Gb. 322 - H I *
- Gb. 322 - H II *
- Gb. 322 - H III *
Faculty of human sciences
- Gb. 213 - H 161 (currently offline) *
- Gb. 216 - H 124 (with limitations) *
* Live-Streaming available (see live streaming)
² Blackboard camera with 4k resolution. Please contact us in advance via our contact form opencast.
If you would like to arrange a recording in another lecture hall or you need more information, please contact us via the contact form opencast.
Why should I use ditigal lectures?
Due to the constant increase in digital instructional videos, their direct provision in ILIAS is no longer up-to-date, both for storage reasons and the way they are played as HTML5 videos. As a video management system, Opencast offers the management of the videos outside of ILIAS. Most of the management functions are directly available to you in ILIAS. The following functions are possible:
- Upload videos
- Record videos in the browser ('Opencast Studio' see below)
- Transfer existing videos from Opencast
- Delete video
- Cut videos
- Change metadata
- Put videos on/offline
- Allow students within a course to upload videos themselves
How can I use more advanced features of Opencast?
Further functions can be found in the user interface of the local installation of Opencast.
How do I use the Opencast object in ILIAS?
Who can access my videos in ILIAS?
All accesses are only possible within the ILIAS course authorizations and roles.
How can I create recordings by myself? | Opencast Studio
Via the opencast object in ILIAS, you will also find a tool for creating your own videos. 'Opencast Studio' allows the creation of video content in your browser, uncomplicated and without the installation of additional software. It allows you to record your whole screen or the window of a single application (e.B. a presentation), your audio output and the image of your webcam simultaneously. How you combine these possibilities is up to you. Speeches, presentations, instructions or lectures can thus be easily made accessible to students regardless of time and place. See this link for a short video on using Opencast Studio.
What can I do if I have problems playing back recordings?
In our experience, our integrated player works more reliably with the Chrome and Firefox browsers, which is why we recommend using them for playback. Furthermore, if you have used the browser for a longer period of time, it may help to restart our browser before playback or to empty the browser cache. Link on the subject of 'clearing the cache': for a collection of browsers.
What possibilities are available for creating lecture recordings or hybrid scenarios if the seminar room/lecture hall is not yet equipped with the necessary technology?
First of all, you should consider the possibility of reusing your own recordings you may have already created. With the help of the object Opencast videos from your courses from previous semesters can easily be integrated into the current semester in ILIAS.
If it is necessary to record your current course or if you would like to hold a hybrid lecture, you can find out more about the various scenarios and their technical requirements on the page of the multimedia section linked here.
Contact
If you have any questions or problems, please contact the RRZK-Helpdesk
