Panopto: Getting Started

This service is for faculty, staff, and students.

What is Panopto? 

Panopto is St. Thomas' video recording and streaming service. Panopto helps you to record, upload, manage, share and embed video content. This article explains how to get started with Panopto: 

If you plan to use Panopto in your Canvas course, please follow the directions in this article about how to integrate Panopto-hosted videos with Canvas courses. 

 

How to Upload Video Files to Panopto 

Step 1: Open Panopto

Step 2: Upload Files

  1. At the top center, click the Create button next to the search bar.

    • There will be a drop-down menu that allows you to Upload media, Record a new session, or create a New Folder. Select Upload Media. 

  2.  Next, select the Panopto folder that you would like the media uploaded to. 

  3. Click the box titled "Choose video or audio files" and your computer browser will open up. Select one or more of your media files and drag them into the box.
    Upload Videos to Panopto
     

  4. The video(s) will begin uploading

  5. Once the video finishes uploading and begins processing you can exit the upload screen.

  • Note: The video will show the processing status within the Panopto folder and will become active for all viewers once complete.

Video Tutorial

Recording in Panopto

Step 1: Open Panopto

Step 2: Choose Creation Type 

  • Choose Panopto for Windows or Mac to record from the Panopto application. This method involves downloading and installing the Panopto app first, but gives you the most control over options.
  • Choose Panopto Capture to record inside your browser. This is the recommended method for basic needs. See recording information below. 

Choose Creation Type

Step 3: Capture and Record 

  • These instructions show the Panopto Capture method and brings up the green, web-based recorder. Note: If you want to use full-featured Panopto, you should use the Panopto application (for Windows or Mac). Review the legacy option below to learn how to download and install Panopto. 
     
  • Set the options for your recording following Steps A-D below. 

  

Recording Steps:

  1. Select your microphone.
  2. Select your camera.
  3. Select which screen or specific application window to capture.
  4. Adjust the Settings for your video by clicking on the gear and making choices. 
  5. Click the red Record button in the center of the window.

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • F8 to record
  • F9 to pause
  • F10 to stop

Step 4: Save Your Video

  • After clicking Stop, Panopto will Save your video in your Panopto "My Folder."
  • You can rename or video, record a new video, or redo the current one.
  • Close the browser window once "It's safe to close your browser window" appears.
  • From the Panopto My Folder, you can edit your video, share your video, and even change the thumbnail (first frame shown to viewers)

Set Access Permissions and Share a Panopto Video

  1. Go to your Panopto video and click the Share button.
    Share button in Panopto
     
  2. In the next window, select the permission level you want. See the access levels below.Who can access this video
     
    1. If your intended audience is strictly limited to St. Thomas accounts, use "Your Organization (unlisted)." Anyone at your organization with whom you've shared the link will be able to view that video. Even if that link is posted in a Canvas course. 
       
    2. If your intended audience includes anyone external to St. Thomas (without a St. Thomas account), use "Public (unlisted)."  Anyone who has the link will be able to view that video. 
       
    3. If you want to restrict access to 1 or 2 individuals or a group, use "Restricted." Only people that you name above in the People and groups section will have access to that video. 

       
  3. Note: Videos added through the Panopto Recordings menu inside a Canvas course, will show the enrolled students in that course as members of the Canvas/Panopto group and therefore will automatically have permission to view that video. 
     

Find your archived Panopto Videos

  1. Log in to Panopto and navigate to where your videos are normally stored.
  2. At the top of every Panopto folder you will see a set of tabs allowing you to view the active videos and those that are archived.
    1. To unarchive a video, review the related KB article to the right titled "Panopto: What is an Archived video and how do I make it active?"

 

 

Copy Link or Embed Code for a Panopto Video

Linking to a Panopto video is pretty straight forward.  Once you've set the access permissions, you can copy the link displayed at the bottom of the Share menu. That link can be posted in an email, a discussion forum, a Canvas module, or anywhere else you want viewers to access it from. 

For accessibility reasons, it's best-practices, to display meaningful text and hyperlink the URL inside the text. 

For instance, don't do this: https://stthomas.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=b9058b2f-6d6c-4375-890c-aab200d9f084 

Rather, do this: Watch this video on How to Import a Canvas Template from the Commons

Both hyperlinks get you to the same video, but the second is much better because it looks cleaner and is able to be accessed by all people, even those using a screen reader. 

Embedding a Panopto video is a little more involved, but is the preferred method for displaying a video in Canvas. 

  1. Once you've set the access permissions, click the Embed icon displayed at the bottom of the Share menu. 
  2. Make any changes to the options such as video size, starting frame for playback, and display options. 
  3. Select the embed code, if necessary, and click Copy Embed Code. The embed code is stored in your computer's invisible clipboard. 

For more information on embedding a Panopto video, see How to Embed a Video into a Webpage

(Optional) Install Panopto application

If Panopto Capture does not meet your needs follow these instructions which involves downloading and installing the Panopto app first, but gives you the most control over options.

Install Panopto on a St. Thomas Computer

All St. Thomas computers have this software already installed. If you do not find it, you can follow these instructions to add it to your St. Thomas computer. 

Install Panopto on a personal computer

If you are using a non-St. Thomas computer, the first time you use Panopto, you will need to download and install the Panopto recorder application. This process takes less than a minute to complete and needs to be done only once on an individual computer. 

  1. Login to Panopto online. You can access this through the Apps and Tools menu in OneStThomas.
  2. In the upper right corner you'll see the the Download Panopto link that appears under your profile name. Click this and choose to download the software.
  3. Then, open and run the installation file that is downloaded to your computer.
  4. Follow the prompts to complete the setup. 

Record a video in Panopto (Legacy)

 Before you can record a video using Panopto, you need to ensure you have the software on your computer. Follow the installation instructions above if you need to download and install Panopto before proceeding. 

Once you've completed the steps above, make a recording!

  1. Open the Panopto software on your computer
  2. Click "Create New Recording"
    Example of what the "create new recording" button looks like
  3. Choose your video sources, microphone, and more. Check out ITS recommendations below.
  4. Be sure to minimize the Panopto window before you Start recording.

Screen capture settings in panopto

  1. Name your video. Please make sure to include your name in the title.
  2. Choose your video source. You are not required to include a webcam video. If you do not want to include one, choose none as your video source.
  3. Choose your audio source. Speak into your microphone and adjust the volume using the slider bar to the right of the webcam. Ideally, the volume would be near the top of the green range as you speak.
  4. Choose Capture Main Screen to record your screen.
  5. Optionally, click Enable screen capture preview to see a preview of your recording. This is really only useful if you have more than one screen as you need to minimize the recorder while recording.
  6. Click Record.
  7. Minimize Panopto so that you are only recording the screen. If you don't minimize the Panopto recorder, you will also record the recorder.
  8. When finished, press F10 to automatically stop the recording OR press Esc, then click the Stop button. Panopto will prompt you to either delete and record again, or upload your video.
  9. Close out of the recording while it processes. Refresh the page so you can verify your video did record and is in Panopto.

For more step-by-step instructions on this process, visit Panopto's support page on:

Additional Training

To report a problem or receive additional troubleshooting, please contact the Tech Desk.
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Closed Captioning Standards: What, Why and How To
This article reviews the closed captioning standard for all videos shared via University channels
Panopto: Record A Classroom Session
When to use Panopto vs. Zoom for classroom lecture capture and the steps to use the Windows desktop Panopto application to record an in-person class session.
Panopto: What is an Archived video and how do I make it active?
If you encounter an archived Panopto video, you can follow the directions in this Panopto knowledge base article to initiate restoring that video.  Note, restoration can take up to 48 hours to complete. This article also contains examples demonstrating how archive videos are presented to content owner as well as viewers.

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