Sheridan‘s Kaltura V7 Player Update Announcement

Last Updated: November 20, 2024

Last Updated by: Veerinder Mann

We are excited to announce the release of the Kaltura V7 Player on December 2nd, 2024. This update comes considering the upcoming end of support for the Kaltura V2 Player on December 31st, 2024. We will upgrade Sheridan’s Kaltura V2 Player to V7 as part of this transition.

For more information on Kaltura and its usage, please visit our Kaltura Knowledge article and FAQ in the next section.

Basic definitions: 

  • Player: The Kaltura player is a playback tool for viewing and interacting with videos, audio files, and other media.
  • Playback: Playing a recording is listening to the sound or watching the pictures recorded.
  • Media: A media item can be an image, a document, a video, or an audio file.
  • Please visit the Kaltura player page to learn more about player control and features.
  • Roles
  • Admin: The site admin can add, remove, and adjust multiple buttons and features and design a player to match the look and feel according to the guidelines or as best suited for the users.
  • Owners/Content Creator: Can create, edit, delete, and download media.
  • Viewer: Can view only if shared.

Player List and their location:

  • Main Player: Triggered when media is played from the My Media in SLATE.
  • BSE Player: Brightspace editor for discussions, assignments and embedded videos using Insert stuff.
  • Quiz player: Triggered for video quizzes.

FAQ

1. When is it happening?

  • Release Date: The update will be applied to all Kaltura Players on SLATE after 9 PM on December 2nd, 2024.
  • Phase 1: The V7 player will be launched with functionality similar to our current V2 Player. We are holding on to some additional features as they need further testing.
  • Phase 2: Additional features requiring further testing will be rolled out in Summer 2025. Announcements and rollout plans will be shared.

2. Why this update?

Starting December 31, 2024, Kaltura will end support for our current V2 Player, although it will continue to function for an unspecified period afterward.

Following the announcement, the predictive end-of-life for V2 is based on industry standard practices. We thoroughly reviewed our current workflow and anticipated this upgrade would be a low risk upgrade item. Hence, we decided to update our players and have support available in the event of an issue.

In addition, the Kaltura V7 Player update has several key improvements that enhance the viewer’s experience, improve performance, and increase compatibility with more devices and browsers on the market.

Key Features of Kaltura V7:

Enhanced User Experience:

  • The V7 Player features a more intuitive and sleek design for creators and viewers. It supports new and existing plugins and offers improved controls for easier navigation and interaction.

Improved Accessibility:

  • The V7 Player has enhanced accessibility features such as easier closed captioning, transcript customization, and keyboard navigation. For more accessibility information, visit the Kaltura Accessibility page.

Better Compatibility:

  • The V7 Player ensures smoother playback across various devices, browsers, and screen sizes, offering a consistent platform experience.

Faster Loading and Playback:

  • With the new preload option, viewers will experience faster loading times and smoother playback, particularly on mobile devices and in low-bandwidth environments.

3. Will this update affect my existing media?  

No, your existing media content will remain unaffected. Please note that the player is a playback tool, not the actual media. The update focuses on the player interface and functionality, not on altering or changing the video files themselves.

4. What happens to my embedded media? Other institutions were told users needed to re-embed with the V7 upgrade.

The embedded media will remain unaffected by the recent changes. As per Sheridan’s current V2 workflow, the Share button, which allows users to copy the iframe code, was never activated by the SLATE administrators. Therefore, any media inserted by Sheridan users through standard embedding methods—either from “My Media” or the “Course Media Gallery”—will not be impacted.

However, if users have been utilizing alternative methods to obtain and embed the code, they need to reembed the media. Since this was never part of our intended workflow, the Sheridan Kaltura user base remains unaffected by these changes.

5. What is the difference between Kaltura V2 and V7 Player?

The Kaltura V7 Player offers the same core functionality as V2, but with a better user interface and additional features that make it easier to use. Please refer to the Kaltura comparison tool  for further details. Note that some features in the article might not be available as not deployed yet and is summarized in the FAQ section.

Here is an image depicting side to side comparison of the look and feel of V2 and V7 Player:

Figure 1.1: Kaltura V2 vs V7 Player

6. Are there any guidelines for distinguishing between players and available features?

Please see the chart below and visit the Kaltura Player page to take deep dive into each functionality.

Warning for V2: If anyone used the non-recommended method at that time for V2, embedding the code will break a direct link.

https://knowledge.kaltura.com/help/sharing-and-embedding-media

FunctionalitySheridan Browse. Search and embedSheridan Main PlayerSheridan Quiz Player
1. Play/PauseYesYesYes
2. Seek forward and backward 10sYesYesYes
3. Time ScrubberYesYesYes
4. VolumeYesYesYes
5. Captions on/offYesYes,Yes
6. Settings: captions, speed and video qualityYesYesYes
7. Dual ScreenYesYesYes
8. FullscreenYesYesYes
9. Side-by-side screenYesYesYes
10. Switch primary and secondary screensYesYesYes
11. PreloadYesYesYes
12. Share and Embed button in the playerNoYes, share clip and start at, or share link onlyNo
13. InformationYesYesYes
14. TranscriptYes, but there is no download or printing of the transcript.Yes, creators can download and print the transcript if they want.Yes, but there is no download or printing of the transcript.
15. Floating PlayerYesYesNo
16. Ad blocker detectionNoNoNo
17. 360 and VRyesYesyes
18. NavigationYesYesNo
19. Download Yes- captions and attachmentsYesNo
19. QuizYesyesYes
20. Dual ScreenYesYesYes
21. Player ratio528×327560×395528×327

7. What Kaltura services will be impacted?

The V7 Player will replace the player shown in several areas on the SLATE site: 

  • My Media entry page
  • Media Gallery
  • Course Media Gallery
  • The Brightspace editor (Discussions, Assignments, Quizzes)
  • New Kaltura embeds will use the V7 player. 

8. Will there be any downtime during the update?

There will be minimal disruption. We’ll make every effort to ensure your videos continue to work smoothly during the transition.

9. Do I need to take any action to update to Kaltura V7?

For most users, the update will be automatically applied.

10. What should I do if I encounter issues after the update?

If you experience any issues, please get in touch with our support team at slatehelp@sheridancollege.ca for assistance.

11. Can I still use the previous version of the Kaltura Player?

After the update rollout is complete, the previous version will no longer be available. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the new features of the Kaltura V7 Player.

12. Will the Kaltura v7 Player work on all devices?

Yes! The Kaltura V7 Player is designed to be fully responsive, meaning it will work seamlessly on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. For a complete list of supported devices, please visit the Kaltura Compatibility page.

12. How do I get support for inquiries related to V7 player?

We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition to the V7 Player. If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact our support team at slatehelp@sheridancollege.ca.

We will be adding more knowledge articles about the Kaltura V7 player. Please stay tuned for more updates and enjoy the new Kaltura V7 Player!