Product Updates

We have released a new Software Capture for Apple version (version v 3.2.4) to all instances located in the United States, Canada and the European Union. This minor release focused on improving performance and user guidance on high-resolution Retina displays.

1. Decrease in CPU Usage When Recording Apple Retina Display Screens
   CPU usage during a recording has been significantly improved when recording the screen of Apple Retina Display screens. This should result in fewer skipped frames and better overall system performance.
2. Detection of Resolutions That May Be Too High
   In situations where the resolution, frame-rate and CPU may ultimately result in audio and video frames to get dropped, we now provide better detection of this and display a warning to the user. This warning also provides specific steps to resolve the issue.
   
   

A new Video Conferencing release is now available that provides the following infrastructural improvements:

1. Infrastructural Improvements
   • #171884613 – Resolved issue which could prevent the screenshare from being activated on the latest Firefox browser.
   • #171724885 – Upgraded crytographic support of media streaming sub-system to use DTLS 1.2
   • #172025893 – Automatically remove the Poor Connection inline dialog that appears once the connection quality has improved.
   • #172028694 – Improved connection stream management algorithms to perform better under high-load scenarios.

A new Video Conferencing release is now available that provides the ability for the Operations Team to dynamically provision additional capacity. At the same time, we tripled the HTML5 Video Conferencing capacity and are now working on making additional improvements this week to improve the scalability.

We have successfully published a new version of the YuJa Software Capture for PC application to all geographic zones.

1. New Configurable Recording Toolbar with Built-in Audio Confidence Monitor
   A new Recording Toolbar is available that provides a built-in audio confidence monitor with the ability to configure how the toolbar appears including the option to always show the Recording Toolbar while logged in.
   
   
2. Ability to Adjust, Move, and Stretch the Screen Capture Region Once Selected
   The customized screen region now has adjustable edges with a clear size indicator within the window.
   
   
3. More Attractive 3, 2, 1 Countdown
   Improved the optional 3, 2, 1 countdown to be more modern and attractive.
   
4. Improved Fault Tolerance and Indicator when a Source Fails Mid-Recording
   If a source disconnects mid-recording, the recording will now display an indicator on the Confidence Monitor and continue with the remaining sources.
   
   
5. Improved Quick Installer Robustness with Improve Diagnostic of Missing .NET Components
   The Quick installer now provides prescriptive guidance when the .NET Framework is not fully installed.
   
   
6. Smaller Improvements
   • #169899798 – PC Capture – Resolved issue where the Shared Profile saved in a previously installed Software Capture did not appear in a newly installed Software Capture application.
   • #170628100 – PC Capture – Resolved issue where the timestamps for internal audio recordings were could be incorrect in some cases.
   • #153562174 – PC Capture – Added a clearer highlight selected for the selected folder.
   • #158150658 – PC Capture – Disallow creation of empty profiles that do not have audio, video or screen sources.
   • #170658249 – PC Capture – Resolved issue with IP camera connectivity that could cause the Software Capture application to crash.
   • #170404097 – PC Capture – Resolved issue where clicking on Delete after a session ends due to an abnormal session termination does not delete the recording file.
   • #170659006 – PC Capture – Resolved issue where a user is able to execute the Quick Installer multiple times by clicking and installing the downloadable file over and over again.
   • #157519432 – PC Capture – Ability to expand the Media Channel window to be able to better view long Media Channel names (typically originating from long LMS course strings).
   • #167896950 – PC Capture – Improved accessibility of Software Capture user interface with additional screenreader-readable hover text added to all buttons.
   • #154973664 – PC Capture – Recording Toolbar enables user to have a docked toolbar with recording capabilities when logged in.

A new Video Conferencing release is now available that provides new viewing and localization options, as well as, several smaller improvements and fixes.

1. New Views Option to Show Video-Only, Sharing-Only and Everything Views
   Users now have more flexible viewing options within a video conferencing including the ability to toggle between the video streams, the sharing panel, and everything-at-once.
   

   

2. French Localization Support of Video Conferencing
   As part of an initiative to provide users with dynamic language options across all our products, the Video Conferencing is the first product in our portfolio to be localized. Users can now select from French or English within their My Account settings to see the UI updated to French. Please note: Localizing the Enterprise Video Platform web application in a similar manner is on our roadmap for Summer 2020.
   
   

   

3. Smaller fixes and improvements
   About a dozen smaller fixes and improvements are also included. Highlights include:
   • #170680657 – Resolved issue where the meeting title was not properly reflected in the Notification tab of the Video Platform
   • #169652427 – Resolved issue where the Invitee URL was not sharable in all cases.
   • #169153329 – Resolved a potential race condition that could cause the video stream “loading dots” to remain.
   • #162100138 – Notification Bell icon now displays actual meeting title instead of displaying a generic meeting name.
   • #171390971 – Resolved issue where attendees who join a meeting before the owner changes the view, the follower and main presenter’s views do not match.
   • #171190930 – Resolved issue which caused some video conference recordings to remain in a “stuck” status despite being complete.

We have successfully pushed an update to all instances residing in the United States and the European Union. For a summary of the release, please refer to the corresponding tag for Canadian zones.

We have successfully pushed an update to all instances residing in the United States. Please note that this release will be pushed to Canadian and European Union zones next week. This release includes over 135+ new features and improvements.

1. Full Sub-Administrator Capabilities within Custom-Designed Hierarchies
   The Video Platform now provides full capabilities to create hierarchical representations of your organization including Faculties, Departments, Schools, Campuses and Schools. Within this hierarchy, custom-defined Sub-Administrators can be created that can manage specific sets of Users, Courses, Devices, as well as create subsets of functionality. Over the coming months, we will continue to create new Sub-Organization capabilities so your feedback will help shape the future product roadmap of this capability.
   

   

2. Create Sub-Administrators Based on Both Role Scope and Functional Needs
   Custom sub-administrator roles can be defined based on virtually any role scope and functional need. Some examples of possible sub-administrator roles you could create include:
   
   
   • Classroom Device Manager for Medical School
   • Closed Captioning Associate for the Department of Earth Sciences
   • Full Admin for the Online Campus

   
   

   

3. Each Sub-Administrator Role Can Be Assigned a Custom Start Page
   Each sub-administrator role can now select the default start page that is shown on login. The options listed in the drop-down will adjust based on the functional capabilities of the sub-admin role.
   

   

4. Support for Upcoming Chrome 80 Version (“The Cookie Crumbling Update”)
   In advance of the upcoming – and much anticipated – Chrome 80 release which introduces several breaking changes to most major third-party web applications, we released an update that is compatible with this new browser version. With this change, we believe your users will not be affected when the Chrome 80 browser, that is currently in beta, releases to production.
   

5. New Picture-in-Picture Viewing Mode Designed for Tight Spaces
   We have introduced a new viewing mode that is designed for tighter embedded viewports such as within an LMS. The Picture-in-Picture mode can also be enabled selectively as an additional viewing option on the primary or secondary Media Player menu. The Picture-and-Picture sources can be swapped and users can also move the embedded picture source within the window to suit their viewing preference.

   
   Note: To enable the new Picture-in-Picture capability within the Media Player, within the Admin Panel’s Branding tab, please add this option to your Media Player branding.
   

   

6. Live Streaming Infrastructure Now Scales Elastically with No Practical Limit
   As part of a larger-scale project to create elastic scalability in all key sub-systems, the Live Streaming infrastructure can now stream to any-size audience without the need for in-advance provisioning. There are some related capabilities we have planned for future releases to also elastically scale the real-time live stream transcoding sub-system.
   

7. New Video Platform Branding Options Enable Customization of the Left Navigation Bar Colors
   The Video Platform now includes the ability to customize the colors of the Left Navigation Bar to align with your organization’s brand.
   

   

8. Minor Version Update to YuJa Mobile for Android Native Application
   We released a new minor version update to our YuJa Mobile for Android application (2.0.9) that incorporates 15+ smaller bug fixes and video streaming improvements. We are actively working on a new iOS application which matches the current functionality of the Android application.
   

9. Improved Video Quiz Integration with LMS Course Copy
   To support the use of LMS Course Copy and the creation of Master Course Shells, for LMSs that support Content Item Message-based Course Copy, namely Canvas and Blackboard, previous Video Quizzes can be re-posted to the newly copied course as a new Video Quiz directly within the LMS interface. For Moodle and D2L customers, to take advantage of this capability, please contact your LMS vendor and request a status on the following open feature items: Moodle MDL-66934 and D2L LTI Copy Course Updates.
   

10. New Video Conference Start Meeting Panel
    The new Video Conference Start Panel provides quicker access to start an impromptu meeting, schedule meetings, and view the calendar of scheduled meetings.
    

11. New Video Player Capabilities including Click-to-Pause, Improved Multi-stream Mobile Compatibility and More
    The Media Player now offers some additional enhancements including the ability when viewing single-stream videos to click the video box to pause and resume the video. For multi-stream videos, there is a new hover effect to swap the primary stream. We also improved multi-stream compatibility on mobile browsers and added a new hover-glow effect for the Media Player icons.
    

12. Support for Canvas Accommodated Groups
    To provide specialized video support for designated Accommodated Groups within Canvas, the Video Platform can now interface with the Canvas LMS to pull Accommodated Group rosters and display specific sub-channel content designated only for the Accommodated Group.
    

We have released a new Software Capture for PC version (10.3.0) that introduces a one-click install-to-launch capability, internal audio recording and ability to record from IP-based wireless cameras.

1. New Express Click-Install-Launch
   The latest Software Capture accessible from the Create Recording dialog can perform a one-click installation-to-launch process. Once the user has selected the installer to launch, it will quickly install, configure and launch the Software Capture in a ready-to-record state. In our focus groups, this experience greatly simplified the first-time user experience. We will be launching a similar experience for Apple users in early January.
   
2. Integrated Capability to Record Internal Computer Audio via a Single Toggle
   Content Creators can now opt to record the internal system audio directly via the Software Capture’s main Confidence Monitor interface.
   
3. Integrated Support for IP / Wireless Cameras
   Organizations deploying IP cameras with RTSP capabilities can now directly integrate these cameras with the Software Capture application.
   
4. Automatic Firewall Rule Inclusion Where Applicable
   In instances where a firewall rule is required to enable audio and video preview, this is now automatically performed on the user’s behalf during the installation process.
5. Performance Improvements When Recording a High-Resolution Video Source at High Framerates
   Originally intended to support higher-resolution Logitech cameras, this performance improvement is also applicable more broadly to all USB-based video sources.
6. Improved the Fault Tolerance of the Photo ID Capture During Intermittent Bandwidth Scenarios
   The Photo ID capture process is now more resilient in situations of weak or intermittent Internet situations.
7. Full Installers Available for Download within My Account
   To provide access to the regular (full) installer files, a new Downloads tab is available within the My Account section.
   

We have successfully pushed an update to all instances residing in the United States. Please note that this release will be pushed to Canadian and European Union zones next week. This release includes over 165+ new features and improvements.

1. Easier-to-Use and More Robust Video Uploading Experience
   The Platform now integrates a new media uploading experience that’s easier-to-use, more fault-tolerant and faster. The new upload experience now includes:
   
   • Faster uploads with auto-queuing capabilities
   • Better adaptation to browser capabilities and constraints
   • Upload continuation even when navigating between Video Platform pages
   • Better user interface with “docking” window controls

   

2. Video Editor Now Shows Captioning Confidence Scores
   Users can now highlight words within the captioning that was below a specific Confidence Score. The words that the captioning engine AI was not “sure of” are highlighted to enable a more streamlined editing experience. Users can also hover over any word to see the specific Confidence Score attained when transcribing the given word. Please note this capability is only available for newly auto-captioned content.
   

   

3. Multi-Level Training Dictionary Available for Improved Caption Quality
   Both organizations and individuals have new tools to improve the captioning quality of the Platform’s integrated artificial intelligence-based captioning. Organizations can establish an instance-wide dictionary, and users submitting videos for auto-captioning can also include a video-specific custom dictionary.
   

   

4. Create Multiple Media Player Branding “Skins”
   Organizations can now create multiple Media Player branding options (often called “skins”) that can be applied organization-wide or to specific videos. Customizations include primary and secondary button placements, colors, and menu option selections.
   

   

5. Improved Media Player User Interface
   New iconography and menu style provides a more modern user experience for both instructional and marketing video use-cases alike. These improvements to the Media Player can be utilized in conjunction with the Multiple Player Branding capabilities also released in this update.
   
   
6. Video Editor Supports Removal of Video Stream While Retaining the Embedded Audio Track
   Users who use the capture tools to record a multi-source recording, but then wish to subsequently remove the video source that contains the audio track, can now do so.
   
7. New Video Conference Start Panel with Participant and Chat Pane
   A new “Start Screen” is now available within the Video Conference that provides the ability for participants to quickly access meeting bridge, participant list, and chat information.
   

   

8. New Participant Panel with “Raise Hand” Capabilities
   Video Conference participants now have the ability to perform a virtual “Raise Hands” within a meeting. The meeting owners and presenters receive a notification of the hand-raise as both a notification message and indicator on the Participant Panel.
   

   

We have successfully pushed an update to all instances residing in the United States. Please note that this release will be pushed to Canadian and European Union zones next week. This release includes over 195+ new features and improvements.

1. Users Can Now Resume Watching Where They Left Off
   Viewers watching content as an authenticated user can now resume watching a video from the place they previously left off. A user’s video resumption history is retained for all videos the user is authorized to view.
   
2. Auto-Captioning Now Offers Advanced Punctuation Capabilities for both Captions and Transcripts
   Over the next two releases, we are rolling out some innovative updates to our auto-captioning capabilities. The first of these capabilities is that the captioning engine will now provide advanced punctuation when performing captioning and transcription.
3. YouTube Media Ingestion to “Deep Import” Content
   User wishing to ingest a YouTube video can now specify a link and import the video content into their My Media account. This enables YouTube content to be ingested, auto-captioned and used in accordance with the TEACH ACT.
   
4. New Dark Mode Branding Option for Top Navigation Bar
   The Platform offers a new Dark Mode branding option for the Top Navigation Bar that also includes color customization of the top-bar’s color.
   
5. Roster View Displays the LMS and Single Sign Linkage Attribute Information
   The Roster tab within the Admin Panel now displays the dual integration parameters. This can be used by Administrators to ensure that the Linkage Attribute is being transferred correctly from the organization’s upstream enterprise systems.
6. Support for Enabling End-User Downloading at the Media Channel Level
   Content Owners can now enable download privileges to an entire course-level Media Channel to viewers.
   
7. Inline Action Menu Support within the List View of My Media
   Users managing their content within the List View now have the same inline Action Menu as they do with the Thumbnail View.
   
8. On-Screen Message When an Ad Blocker Could Interfere with Platform Use
   With a plethora of browser-based plugins blocking webapp and website capabilities, in a situation where the Platform detects components were blocked, a clear message will be displayed informing the user of this situation.
9. Added Support for the oEmbed Open Format
   To promote easier content exchange with third-party resources, as a content Provider, we have implemented the oEmbed protocol. This makes it easier to share content as embedding blog posts on websites and social platforms such as Twitter.
10. Better On-Screen Guidance for Uploading Media for the First Time
    New users are now greeted with a “Happy Folder” icon that provides a succinct suggestion on how to add content to their My Media account.
    
11. Added Native Integration Option for Microsoft Azure-based SAML
    Organizations integrating with Azure ADFS now have a dedicated integration tab rather than using the generic SAML integration tab.
    
12. New Keyboard Shortcut to Toggle Between Primary and Secondary Streams
    The Media Player now supports faster toggling between sources using the lower-case v key.
13. Media-Level Player Branding Option to Hide Video Chapters on a Per-Video Basis
    As part of a feature spanning multiple releases, we are adding media-level branding options for specific videos. The first of these capabilities is the ability to hide the left-side mini-bar of the Media Player.
14. Native Support for VTT and XML Caption File Ingestion
    The Platform now supports the ability to ingest VTT and XML caption file formats and display them within the Media Player. All existing multi-language and caption capabilities are compatible with the new VTT and XML caption file formats.
15. Video Conference Now Has Audit Log Capability
    To help troubleshoot Video Conferencing issues that arise, the Platform now integrates and audit log capability. Over the coming releases we will continue to add additional events and logs.
    
16. Video Conference Has Server-Side Performance Improvements for Improved Scalability
    To support additional capacity and improve stability, additional server-side performance and stability improvements were deployed.