Live Stream Broadcasting and Recording

Information Technology Services can work with departments to deliver live stream broadcasting of campus events over the internet and provide a recording for on-demand viewing. Departments are responsible for hiring their own video production vendor and captioning provider or using their own in-house staff. Information Technology Services can help departments select a vendor and consult along the way.

Information Technology Services also provides rental equipment for departments that want to do their own live stream broadcasting and recording.

Important Note Regarding Class Sessions/Lectures
Panopto is Temple University’s video platform used for recording and hosting classroom capture and can also be used for live stream broadcasting. The live stream broadcasting service is not intended for recording, transcoding or hosting of class sessions/ lectures. For more information on class capture services and using Panopto, please contact the technical support staff for your school or college.

Request Service
To request a consultation for a live stream broadcast of an event, please submit a request at least two weeks in advance.

Before submitting a request, please make note that departments are required to:

• Provide their own technical support contact for the event
• Be fully responsible for contracting and managing the third-party video production vendor and captioning provider (see Live Captioning, below)
• Ensure that you have obtained the appropriate rights under copyright laws and licenses to distribute the materials (audio or visual) you wish to record and stream

Information Technology Services Responsibilities
When you submit a request for a live stream broadcasting consult, Information Technology Services will:

• Provide information for contracted third-party vendors for the live stream and/or captioning services
• Provide a consultation on the best tools to use based on event requirements (i.e. accessibility, breakout rooms, copyrights, etc.)
• Provide support for Panopto platform (i.e. troubleshooting video upload errors and submitting inquiries to the vendor)
• Work with other Information Technology Services groups as needed

Live Captioning
Live captioning requires a human transcriber via a third-party vendor and is mandatory for live events according to the Accessibililty Guidelines for Multimedia. Your department is responsible for coordinating and paying separately for this service. More information on pricing and vendor availability can be obtained by submitting a TUHelp ticket.
Your department is responsible for working with the vendor to provide captioning for the video. Information Technology Services, however, does not take responsibility for the accuracy or quality of the service provided by the captioning vendor. If there is an issue, please follow up with the vendor on necessary remediation steps.

By default, most live video streams feature open captioning, which means the captions display automatically. If your department requests closed captioning for streams provided online (such as on YouTube), then inquire with the captioning provider on any additional requirements. 

Video Production Vendor
Your department is responsible for hiring a video production vendor for any events that will be live streamed, as Information Technology Services only performs consultations. Information Technology Services can help you select a vendor and consult with you along the way.
 
Stream Quality
While streaming has come a long way in the past several years, much of the experience is still determined by a viewer’s computer software and network connection. While one viewer in Rome, Italy may have a great experience, another in South Philadelphia may experience regular buffering during playback. One viewer may experience low volume while listening from a laptop, while another has a great experience listening from a desktop computer with speakers attached. This is all to say that the viewing experience can vary dramatically depending on the viewer's computer and internet access.
 
Network Connectivity
Streaming requires a robust network connection. Many locations on campus are equipped with such a connection, but there are several locations that are not. We urge you to contact Information Technology Services several weeks in advance of any streaming event, so we can help you work through what locations have this capacity and which locations do not. If an event is scheduled to take place in a location without adequate network capabilities, you will need to plan for additional time and cost to get the networking in place. Again, early notification is critical to ensure a successful event.

Service Availability
On-demand and live streaming can be provided by Panopto, Temple’s video platform. If your department uses a third-party tool for live streaming, you can upload the recording to an appropriate department folder in Panopto and share it with your audience for on-demand viewing. Please refer to Panopto’s Usage Guidelines for appropriate usage of the platform.