Planet eStream Complete Product Overview

Planet eStream is an innovative browser based media content management and delivery system enabling organisations to create and manage their own secure ‘YouTube’ style media archive and distribute that content on demand, via VLEs, websites, PCs, mobile devices, smart TVs and digital signage displays.

Planet eStream includes branding and customization tools to enable you to add your logos and colour schemes and determine your own theme and layout to deliver your own unique user experience.

The archive would typically be populated via a variety of sources such as web upload of file based media, digitisation of existing DVD libraries, upload from mobile devices such as smart phones or tablets, recording of radio and TV channels and live capture of events.

Planet eStream features customisable metadata fields enabling an organisation to determine their own strategy for archiving their media. Limitless drop-down menus, text fields and check boxes can be added to customise the product to exact requirements.

Content can be managed by using the ‘Categories’ and ‘Sub Categories’ features which facilitate the structuring of subject specific areas and sub areas. In addition to this, users can create Photosets, Chapters, Playlists and Lesson Plans and content can be edited using our intuitive online edit tool.

You can tailor your user experience across desktop and mobile devices with Planet eStream’s fully responsive interface.

Planet eStream’s intuitive Digital Signage tool, Planet eSign enables you to get your messages across clearly and professionally via your signage displays.

Planet eStream video content can also be integrated with your other learning resources and has specific plugins for a number of leading VLEs, Library Management Systems and Management Information Systems.

Planet eStream also offers live video streaming, lecture capture and lesson observation, IPTV and a fully featured digital signage interface.

Planet eStream is designed to be installed on your own physical or virtual server ensuring that you have full control and ownership of your content and minimum impact on your bandwidth.

Key features at a glance…

  • Video on Demand
  • Live Streaming
  • TV and radio recording
  • IPTV
  • Access to Planet eStream Connect and the BBC Digital and Shakespeare Archives*
  • Digital Signage
  • Mobile Device Support
  • Photo and Video Archiving
  • Lecture/Classroom Capture
  • Lesson Observation
  • Video Assessment Tools
  • Seamless Integration with Leading VLES, Library Management Systems and Management Information Systems
  • Specific Plug ins for Moodle, Firefly, Blackboard, Canvas and Frog VLES
  • Specific Plug ins for Eclipse, Softlink, Sirsi Dynix and Heritage
  • Specific Plugin for iSAMS
  • Branding and Customisation Tools
  • Responsive Web Interface
  • Sophisticated Control Over your Content Via an Advanced Administration Console.
  • Active Directory/LDAP support
  • Full multi-platform support

*Please note that this feature is only available to Planet eStream customers who have a perpetual or a subscription licence to include the Planet eStream Freeview Scheduler

Focus on the Key Individual Features

Video On demand

Planet eStream enables an organisation to create, brand and control a secure ‘YouTube’ style video on demand archive and make this available via LAN and the internet for access 24/7 by authorised staff and students. Authorised users are determined by administrator configurable permissions, enabling sites to restrict access as required.

The Planet eStream interface offers the following methods of populating the archive:

  • Live capture i.e. cameras
  • Web upload of file based media
  • Upload via mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets
  • Recording of radio and TV channels
  • Digitisation of physical media libraries - DVD/VHS etc
  • Web upload of photo sets
  • Web upload of other assets i.e. PowerPoint etc

Planet eStream features customisable metadata fields enabling an organisation to determine their own strategy for archiving their media. Limitless drop-down menus, text fields and check boxes can be added to customise the product to exact requirements.

Content can be managed by using the ‘Categories’ and ‘Sub Categories’ features which facilitate the structuring of subject specific areas and sub areas. In addition to this, users can create Photosets, Chapters, Playlists and Lesson Plans and content can be edited using our intuitive online edit tool.

You can tailor your user experience across desktop and mobile devices with Planet eStream’s fully responsive interface.

Planet eStream video content can also be integrated with your other learning resources and has specific plugins for a number of leading VLEs, Library Management Systems and Management Information Systems.

Live Streaming and Archiving

You can stream your live events to audiences anywhere using Planet eStream’s live encoder application accessible by any authorised user. This feature is often used to connect staff, students and parents who cannot all be present at a live event so that they can watch the video live as it is being streamed or later on demand at a suitable time.

Live streaming can be used for any of the following sample scenarios

  • Sporting Events
  • Live Productions
  • Guest Presenters
  • VIP Visits
  • Assemblies
  • In-house news productions

Lecture Capture

Planet eStream enables you to capture lectures effectively, stream them live and record and archive them for on demand access 24/7.

Any authorised teacher or lecturer can use the Encoder Application to record and/or stream live quickly and easily. They can select from a wide range of sources including;

  • Webcams
  • Video cameras
  • Presenter’s desktop
  • High quality capture cards
  • USB devices
  • Network video sources

Once the presentation is complete the Planet eStream encoder application would automatically archive a video to the central Planet eStream media archive, which would include both the lecturer’s slideshow presentation and the camera feed of their delivery of the lecture as a ‘Picture-in-Picture’. This would enable students to view this on demand and experience the lecture as though they were physically in attendance. Lecture capture can be particularly effective in creating a flipped learning environment.

Mobile video delivery and upload via iOS and Android smart phones and tablets

Mobile devices are increasingly popular in a teaching and learning environment and with Planet eStream users are able to view their video on demand media transparently, via a standard HTML 5 web page like Safari or Chrome, on any mobile device.

The system also supports transparent viewing of Planet eStream embedded clips via their VLE on a mobile device.

Authorised users also have the capacity to capture video with their mobile devices and upload it with meta data directly to the eStream server. This is achieved using the free eStream mobile apps available for iOS and Android.

Mobile device video upload is particularly useful for the following scenarios:

  • Video based assessment requirements
  • Teachers filming students’ practical skills
  • Video blogs
  • Live events
  • Spontaneous events and activities
  • News style interviews
  • Field trips

Lesson Observation

Lesson observation is achieved very easily by using the Planet eStream Encoder Application. The teacher can simply pick up the feed from a wireless camera such as an IP camera, USB camera or webcamand press start on their interface. The user can decide to broadcast this recording live to a target audience who can add comments to the recording via the comments tab. After the lesson has ended the teacher can view the recording and comments. The comments are linked to the time in the video when they were added; enabling the user to click on the comment and view the scene at the time the comment was added. This is a very useful tool for CPD and sharing best practise.

Example uses include;

  • Classroom security purposes
  • Recording of practical and vocational skills
  • CPD
  • Sharing best practise
  • External examinations
  • Ofsted inspections

Off Air TV Recording

With the Planet eStream Freeview Scheduler, authorised staff can record any number of concurrent Freeview (DVB-T) channels. The user can schedule recordings of single programmes or a complete series from these channels via the simple web based EPG. This can be done in advance or retrospectively for up to two weeks so that they never have to miss a programme. The recordings are then automatically archived to their Planet eStream media archive with meta data for on demand access.

Key features…

  • Recording of any Freeview TV channels 24/7 and concurrently
  • EPG compatible with iOS/Android
  • Retrospective recording of programmes already aired
  • Creation and management of series links

Planet eStream Connect

Planet eStream solution also offers access to the NEW Planet eStream Connect Service. Connect is a brand new content sharing resource for educators which enables users to share and request content with our user base of over 1800 organisations in the UK, PLUS provides access to the entire BBC Digital Archive of over 1,000,000 TV and radio programmes and to the BBC Shakespeare archive. This is a free service for Planet eStream Licence holders who have the Freeview Scheduler as part of their perpetual or subscription licence.

Digital Signage

The Planet eStream digital signage interface, Planet eSign is an intuitive multi zone signage system enabling authorised users to design their own layouts and templates which can be displayed on signage screens around the estate. The signage is HTML based and users can add their design to a schedule which is then applied to a signage screen or group of screens. The system can be configured so individual Active Directory members can control their own screen or just a single element within the screen, such as key messages. The Planet eSign client software is available to all eStream users free of charge.

Types of content that can be used are extensive and include for example the following types of feeds; live video, live TV, RSS, Twitter, weather and time, web pages, Flash, PowerPoint, YouTube, QR codes etc.

Sample uses….

Advertising trips

Advertising clubs and events

Displaying canteen menus

Displaying video streams from live events

Up to date information RSS Feeds, Twitter Feeds etc

IPTV

The Planet eStream Freeview Scheduler will also broadcast live TV across a multicast network as required and examples of how this application could be useful are as follows;

  • Broadcasting news of national importance
  • Broadcasting major sporting events such as the Olympics
  • Broadcasting live TV to student recreational areas such as a sixth form common room or boarding houses
  • Live news feeds displayed on digital signage screens for the benefit of staff, students and visitors

Photosets

With Planet eStream, you can add photos to a central media archive using the simple web interface. Authorised users can simply upload their image files to be viewed on demand or embedded into learning resources. This functionality also enables the photoset to be played as a slideshow making it ideal for integration with digital signage systems.