Multimedia Library
What mulitimedia formats are support? Can I test my multimedia players?
How do I get multimedia files to open properly, like mpeg files?
How do I use the Multimedia library?
How do I open Multimedia (Videos)?
What is the Multimedia feature used for?
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What mulitimedia formats are support? Can I test my multimedia players?
Configuring Multimedia Playback
Using the multimedia feature in Blackboard Collaborate is an excellent way to bring interactive content into your sessions. Multimedia files in MPEG, MPEG 4, QuickTime and Shockwave Flash formats can be loaded into Blackboard Collaborate by the moderator. Blackboard Collaborate's Collaborative Communication Framework (CCF) manages the bandwidth and provides detailed information for the moderator about when everyone has received the file so that playback can be initiated.
The following formats of multimedia files can be loaded in the Elluminate Live! session:
- Shockwave Flash Media Files (*.swf)
- MPEG (*.mpg, *.mpe, *.mpeg)
- QuickTime (*.qt, *.mov)
- MPEG4 (*.m4v, *.mp4)
- Windows Media Files (*.wmv)
- MP3 Audio Files (*.mp3)
Follow the steps below to test that you have the necessary multimedia players to view files of these types. Note: these steps are optional and not required to use Elluminate Live!
MPEG Files
MPEG is a common video file compression method. Go to http://support.microsoft.com/support/mediaplayer/wmptest/samples/new/mediaexample.mpeg to test an MPEG file. To obtain additional samples and information about multimedia formats supported by Windows Media Player visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316992
For Windows users, the default player is typically Windows Media Player.
For Mac users, the default player is typically QuickTime. The newest version of QuickTime should be included in your software updates from Apple.
Your computer may play this file in a different media player. Depending on your computer configuration, we cannot ensure the compatibility with this media player and Elluminate Live!
QuickTime Files
QuickTime is Apple Computer's standard for integrating full-motion video and digitized sound into applications. To obtain samples and information about multimedia formats supported by QuickTime visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1425.
For Windows and Mac users, the default player is Apple's QuickTime Player.
Your computer may play this file in a different media player. Depending on your computer configuration, we cannot ensure the compatibility with this media player and Elluminate Live!.
You can also use the same page to test for MPEG4 files.
Shockwave Flash Files
Shockwave Flash is a file format for delivering interactive vector graphics and animations over the World Wide Web. To test a Shockwave Flash file visit http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome/. To obtain additional Shockwave Flash samples visit http://www.adobe.com/support/documentation/en/flash/samples/.
If your current Internet browser is not configured to play Shockwave Flash files, you will be prompted to install the Shockwave Flash Player. Alternatively, you can also visit http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/ prior to your session.
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How do I get multimedia files to open properly, like mpeg files?
Each file type on your computer is associated with an application that runs it. Files of type MPEG are run by Windows Media Player for example.Blackboard Collaborate obtains its action instructions from the Operating System so that if your file type is associated with a different program, Blackboard Collaborate will attempt to play the multimedia in that program.
The result is an empty Multimedia window displaying a white background.
To modify the file association options please follow the steps below:
Windows:
Step 1. Click on Start and select Control Panel from the Settings menu (or click Start and select Control Panel)
Step 2. Select Tools > Folder Options
Step 3. Select the File Types tab.
Step 4. Locate multimedia extension on the list of registered file types and click on it once to highlight it. (In this example we are using MPEG)
Step 5. Select the Change button.
Step 6. Select the Application you want to open the file with. In our Example it would be Windows Media Player.
Step 7. Click OK and close the Folder Options control.
You have now changed your file association, you can use these steps for any extension we have just used the MPEG extension for demonstration purposes.
Macintosh:
To change what program opens a specific file, you first need to open one of those file's information windows.
Step 1. Select the File you are trying to open.
Step 2. Select the “Get Info” option under the File menu or if you are using a single button mouse you can control-click and select “Get Info” from the contextual menu that pops up.
Step 3. In the Open with section you can observe which application is currently opening this file. In this example you will see that this file is being opened with Microsoft Word.
Step 4. Select the application you want to open your file with from the Open with drop- down list. In this example the .doc file is currently being opened by Microsoft Word and we are changing this to be AppleWorks 6.
Note. You can also change which program opens all documents of a certain file type. For example, you may want all Microsoft Word documents to open in AppleWorks. To do this, first select AppleWorks 6 in the drop-down menu, as in the example above. Then, before closing the window, click the "Change All..." button. You will be prompted to confirm the change with an alert window:
Click "Continue" and all files with a .doc extension will now open in AppleWorks. Of course, you can change the file associations back to Microsoft Word by selecting Word from the drop-down menu and repeating the same steps.
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How do I use the Multimedia library?
Using the Multimedia Library
1. Open the library by selecting Window> Show Multimedia Library.
2. Click button to load a multimedia file
3. Select the multimedia file. Supported formats are Flash, MPEG, QuickTime, MPEG4, WMV and MP3.
4. The file will load to the server. When the Server status indicator reaches 100%, the file is fully uploaded to the server.
5. Multimedia content is then downloaded to each participant’s computer for playback. This process happens automatically and the rate that the content is sent to the participants will vary depending on their connection speed. Each section of the Progress indicator represents a participant in the session. The first section represents the moderator. When all sections are green, the Moderator can begin playing the file.
Note on the Progress Indicator: There are five download status reporting levels: Red: 0% – 50%, Orange: 51% – 75%, Yellow: 76% - 95%, Cyan: 96% – 99% and green is 100% complete.
6. To play the multimedia file, the Moderator must first select the desired file from the Name list and then click the Play the selecte media file button.
7. To stop the multimedia file, the Moderator may click Stop the current playing media file button. The Confirm Media Halt box will appear. Click Yes to stop the media and to close the window.
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How do I open Multimedia (Videos)?
NOTE: This can only be performed by the moderator of the session.
· Once in your session, from the Window menu select Show Multimedia Library.
· Select method of loading multimedia, either Load a multimedia file or Load a multimedia URL
· Find the multimedia file on your computer or from a URL and load.
· Once you load the multimedia file, the participants will see it in their session window. Be sure that the participants have the proper media player to view the file.
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What is the Multimedia feature used for?
Blackboard Collaborate allows users to incorporate rich multimedia content into their sessions and, therefore, allowing users to re-use existing content to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment. Multiple files can be loaded and are played from the multimedia library. The moderator is responsible for loading, starting and stopping the multimedia files.
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