Nicky Willis
SemTech1@dbq.edu
563.589.3647		 jc
Josh Crowell
jcrowell@dbq.edu
563.589.3350



Watching Mediasite (Video/Audio)

Mediasite is the product UDTS uses for most lecture recordings.

Recording with Mediasite Desktop Recorder

Still having trouble? Contact Nicky: SemTech1@dbq.edu or Josh: jcrowell@dbq.edu


Troubleshooting Playback of Mediasite Presentations

If you are having trouble playing a Mediasite presentation or are encountering excessive buffering/pauses in the video, first verify your computer and your internet service meet the requirements for playing a Mediasite presentation.

Requirements for viewing a Mediasite presentation

The web-based Mediasite player is HTML5-compliant and requires no special plugins. Most modern web browsers have built-in support for HTML5 content.

Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Windows 10
  • Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome
  • Broadband internet connection download speed of 4 Mbps minimum with a recommendation of 10 Mbps or greater (test your speed)

Apple macOS
  • Apple macOS Mojave (version 10.14) and higher
  • Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome
  • Broadband internet connection download speed of 4 Mbps minimum with a recommendation of 10 Mbps or greater (test your speed)

Apple iPadOS

  • Apple iPadOS 13 and higher
  • Apple Mobile Safari
  • Broadband internet connection download speed of 4 Mbps minimum with a recommendation of 10 Mbps or greater (test your speed)
Apple iOS
  • Apple iOS 12 and higher
  • Apple Mobile Safari
  • Broadband internet connection download speed of 4 Mbps minimum with a recommendation of 10 Mbps or greater (test your speed)
Linux
  • Ubuntu or similar Linux distribution
  • Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome
  • VLC Media Player (to install H.264 codecs)
  • Broadband internet connection download speed of 4 Mbps minimum with a recommendation of 10 Mbps or greater (test your speed)
 
Click here for Mediasite's: Viewing Requirements Test Tool

The Mediasite Viewing Requirements Test Tool detects which media types your web browser supports. At a minimum, you should see a check mark symbol next to MP4 under On Demand. The page also provides a link to a sample presentation you can use for testing, as well as helpful links to more detailed troubleshooting information.


Click here to test your internet speed: Internet Speed Test Tool

The university's internet speed test tool checks the speed and quality of the internet connection between your device and K-State, and it can be used to verify your connection performs as promised by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). It is best to perform this test during a time when Mediasite playback is troublesome, as the quality of your internet connection can vary throughout the day/night.

The tool evaluates the following metrics:

    • Download
      The rate at which you can receive data, and should exceed 4 Mbps. Higher is better.
    • Upload
      The rate at which you can send data, and should exceed 2 Mbps. Higher is better.
    • Ping
      Also known as latency, this is a measure of the responsiveness of your connection, and ideally should be less than 50 ms, but no greater than 100 ms. Lower is better. High latency increases the likelihood your video stream will pause/buffer.
    • Jitter
      This is a measure of the consistency of your connection, or the variability of the latency. Lower is better. High jitter values also increase the likelihood your video stream will pause/buffer.

If any of the above four values are of concern, please consult with your Internet Service Provider.

Other troubleshooting measures

If you have determined your computer and your internet connection meet the above requirements, but you still cannot watch Mediasite presentations, please try the additional troubleshooting tasks below.

  • A potential workaround for constant buffering is to begin playback, then pause the presentation for 30-60 seconds before continuing playback. This allows your web browser to build a video buffer large enough to avoid or reduce the frequency of buffering.

  • Clear your web browser's cache.

  • See if you can successfully play this Mediasite test presentation. The test presentation is hosted on a different Mediasite server and can help isolate the issue.

  • Are you using a wireless or cellular connection? Try switching to a wired Ethernet connection or plugging directly into your cable or DSL modem.

  • Avoid situations where you may be competing for bandwidth on a shared internet connection, such as trying to watch Mediasite presentations while your roommate is streaming Netflix or playing online video games.

  • Try playing the presentation in other web browsers to learn if the issue is isolated to a specific browser.

  • If you have access to another computer or playback device, see if the presentation plays successfully on that device. For example, try playing back the presentation on a smartphone using cell service instead of your wifi.

  • Evaluate the adequacy of your internet service or plan. Certain basic DSL packages do not offer sufficient download bandwidth to support high-quality streaming video. Similarly, most satellite internet services struggle with streaming video due to the high latency inherent in beaming a signal into space and then back to Earth.

Specific error messages or conditions

Error message: The requested presentation is currently unavailable

Error: The requested presentation is currently unavailable

This message most often results when the presentation's visibility status is set to "Private." Contact Nicky Story and ask her to fix the visibility status from "Private" to "Viewable." (make sure to list exactly what class/professor and session it is!)

Error message: Your playback ticket is not valid for this session

Error: Your playback ticket is not valid for this session

Chrome 80 introduced a change that may prevent playback of Mediasite content that is embedded in other webpages, such as within an LMS like Moodle. Change a few settings in Chrome to allow playback.

Blank space where the presentation should appear

Your K-State Single Sign-On (SSO) browser session may have expired. Do one or more of the following:

An unfamiliar login screen or a message stating the service requires cookies be enabled appear instead of the presentation

These conditions can occur under certain circumstances. Do one or more of the following:

Last modified: Tuesday, 18 October 2022, 11:09 AM