What is Microsoft Stream?

You may have heard Microsoft Stream described as an organisational YouTube. Microsoft Stream is a web-based service which allows people in an organisation to upload, view and share video content. Help guides can be found in the MyPlace staff support pages.

Can people external to the institution view Microsoft Stream content?

There is no public access to the Strathclyde Microsoft Stream implementation.

Who can upload videos to Microsoft Stream?

All staff can upload videos.

Who can view videos in Microsoft Stream?

All staff and all students can view videos.

Do staff and students have to be logged in to Office 365 to access Microsoft Stream?

Yes, if you are not already logged in to Office 365 you will be prompted to do so.

If you or your student are not logged in to Office 365 with University credentials (rather than a personal account) there may be issues viewing the videos in Myplace.

Is there a Microsoft Stream App?

Yes and staff can upload videos via the app. Students can only view videos.

Is there any way of restricting access to your videos to a specific group or are they all automatically visible to everyone in the university?

At the moment video content in Microsoft Stream can only be set to “Allow everyone in your company to view this video”. This means all staff and students. If that option is not checked, only the video owner(s) can view it.

Can more than one member of staff upload to the same channel?

Yes - if you make your channel “companywide”, then any staff member can upload videos to it. For example, if you create a channel for a class, multiple tutors can upload content to it.

Do channel names have to be unique?

Companywide channel names have to be unique to the organisation.

Which video formats can I upload to Microsoft Stream?

Stream currently supports a number of file formats but .mp4 is the preferred format for accessibility.

Do videos have to be edited before you upload them to Microsoft Stream?

Stream is not designed to be a video editing tool. It has a basic editing option for trimming the start or end of a video but for anything more you will need something like the Windows video editor.

Where do we get more information on requirements for captions and transcription?

There is guidance on the use of transcription and captioning here:

https://support.myplace.strath.ac.uk/display/MS/Academic+Continuity+Guidance

Can we select other languages for video captions? 

Some additional languages are supported for captions, currently these are: English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.

What do we need to do in terms of captioning for videos already on Planet eStream?

If you have videos on Planet eStream but they don’t have captions, then you can download them from Planet eStream, and then upload them into Microsoft Stream. You can then get Microsoft Stream to auto-generate captions. If you have already got captions for your Planet eStream video then you can leave it there if you prefer.

What if I already have an edited caption file?

You can upload existing caption files in .VTT format to Microsoft Stream, and use those instead of auto-generated ones. Please refer to the MyPlace support pages for guidance on that.

Can videos be linked to MyPlace as with Planet eStream videos?

Videos can be embedded in MyPlace, preferably within a Page resource (you can also embed video into Book, Lesson and Label). There is no embed button for Microsoft Stream so please refer to the MyPlace support pages for guidance on embedding Stream video.

Is it possible to bulk migrate the Planet eStream videos I already have to Microsoft Stream?

Yes you can drag multiple videos into Microsoft Stream, although they will need to be manually individually tagged with metadata and assigned to channels.

Can students look for videos in Microsoft Stream or do they have to view them via MyPlace?

Yes, students can look for class videos by going directly to Microsoft Stream, either via the web page or the App. If you have a class channel, students can “follow” the channel as a convenient way to find the relevant videos.

Can I download a video from Microsoft Stream?

Yes but only if you are the video owner.

Can I download a transcript from Microsoft Stream?

Yes but only if you are the video owner.

Can my students download videos from Microsoft Stream?

No students can’t download videos.

Is there a way to download “clean” captions (without timecodes etc)?

No. Stream generates a .VTT file and this would need to be edited manually or using an online utility.

Can a video be uploaded without transcript?

Yes. You can deselect the option to auto-generate captions but please ensure you are following the guidance for transcription and captions.

Can you add other people  as video owners after you have already published the video?

Yes. You can assign other people as owners for a video which has already been published.

How long does it to create automatic captions in Microsoft Stream?

Microsoft advise that it takes 1-2x the duration of the video to generate captions.

What is format the transcript file, e.g .srt, .vtt, .docx?

The file is generated in .VTT format

Can viewers switch off the captions?

Yes captions (CC) can be switched on or off from a button on the toolbar in the video player.

Can captions be placed under the video rather than on top?

No, Microsoft Stream captions are placed on the video.

Do I need to check my transcript for accuracy?

Yes, accuracy of transcription can vary depending on pace of speech, accent, and subject matter. Transcripts must always be checked carefully.

Is it possible to get statistics on how many people have watched the video, and how much they watch?

You can only see how many people have viewed your video, from the Views icon under the video title or in the details screen. Only administrators can see who has viewed the video.

Do we receive an email when transcript is ready to edit?

No, though Microsoft Stream sends an email when the video has finished processing and is ready to view.

Will students need internet access to watch the videos or will they be able to view them “offline”?

Students will need to be online to view videos, whether in MyPlace or Microsoft Stream itself.

Why can't my students see my videos?

If they are logged in to Office 365 with their university credentials and still have trouble accessing videos in Myplace, they may need to allow 3rd-party cookies in their internet browser. See here: Common MS Stream Issues for Students

Why can't I upload videos?

For most staff users you should be automatically provisioned to allow the uploading of videos, however this does depend on how you are engaged by the University.