Audio & Video Resources for Teaching
Streaming audio & video services
Hosting for audio & video downloads
Please contact us for a consultation at atc_support@cornell.edu
About CIT’s Audio and Video Services
CIT offers accounts for audio and video services for instructional purposes to faculty, instructors or staff currently employed by Cornell University.
Streaming Account Settings: The file size limit for a audio & video streaming account is 2 GB
Please note: Users may request changes to the default file size limits.
What is Streaming?
Streaming is a technology for playing audio and/or video files (either live or pre-recorded) directly from a server without having to download the file.
Streaming avoids time-consuming downloads of large files, and may help avoid copyright infringement since the user is never provided with a complete copy of the file. Streaming files are stored on a special server. Web pages (including Blackboard) can link to these streaming files. The viewer must have plugins on the computer to play back the file, but these plugins are free, and in many cases are already installed on computers. There are hardware and software requirements to be able to receive streamed files, but you may want to encourage your students to test their systems by using our test page.
What Streaming Services Do We Offer?
CIT supports a RealNetworks streaming server for instructional audio-video content. These servers work for RealNetworks files, but also emulate Quicktime streaming servers and Windows Media servers, so these formats can be used as well. There are guidelines to help you choose which format to use.
Instructors may request accounts using theIT Resource Request Form on the Streaming1 server for course-related content.
For information about streaming non-instructional content or events (live or archived), contact the Classroom Technologies group.
Streaming files used for non-academic purposes are served from the specEvents server.
How Does Streaming Work?
When audio or video is streamed, a small buffer space is created on the user's computer, and data starts downloading into it. As soon as the buffer is full (usually 10-30 seconds), the file starts to play. As the file plays, it uses up information in the buffer, but while it is playing, more data is being downloaded. As long as the data can be downloaded as fast as it is used up in playback, the file will play smoothly.
The rate at which data can be delivered to the viewer's computer from the streaming server is determined primarily by how the viewer connects to the internet, but is also affected by other network variables. A 56Kbps dialup modem receives data much more slowly than an on-campus connection, so it has a lower bandwidth. Streaming files need to be made so they play within a bandwidth that matches the viewer's connection speed. If the bandwidth needed by the streaming file exceeds the viewer's connection speed, the file will play back poorly--starting and stopping and needing long intervals to fill the buffer. The bandwidth of a streaming file also determines its quality--how sharp the picture is, how smooth the motion is, and the size of the window in which it plays (see Comparisons page).
I'm Ready to Stream Files. What's My Next Step?
Step 1: Request an account on Streaming1
Use our Request for Instructional Technology Services Form to request space on the streaming media server (Streaming1). When you request a streaming account we will contact you regarding your course needs. You will be given a course folder and your own login name and password to put the streaming files on the server.
Step 2: Create the streaming files
Digitize your audio or video files, and then compress the files into a streaming format. See Creating Streaming Media.
The ATC has equipment and software available to capture and create streaming files. Request a reservation via the website here.
Step 3: Post the files on the streaming media server
You can use either:
WinSCP for PC
Fetch for Macintosh
Assistance is available from the Academic Technology Center.
Step 4: Link to the files from a web page
See Instructions for Linking to Streaming Files from a web page.
You can also embed the audio or video into the web page, instead of opening an external player program. For some examples and details about how to to do this, go to Embedding Streaming Media web page.
Step 5: Inform students of the minimum requirements
You will want to ask your students to test their systems for the minimum hardware and software requirements for viewing or listening to the streaming files. Go to requirements page to see the minimum system requirements for streaming media files.
**Note: Students can access streaming materials in any of Cornell's public computer labs.
What if I Need Assistance?
For help at any step along the way to providing streaming media for your instruction, please send e-mail to atc_support@cornell.edu.
The Academic Technology Center has equipment and software available to digitize materials. The ATC also provides assistance and instruction in creating streaming files.
Any regular system maintenance and server restarts for any of our services will be scheduled weekdays between 5:00 am and 7:00 am. All users should be aware that a system may become unavailable during this maintenance time.
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