An update to Planet eStream will be launched across Lancaster University on 23rd April 2025. It is quite a big change and users will be automatically moved to the new version on this date.
If you aren’t already familiar with the platform, Planet eStream is the recommended method of embedding on-demand videos into Moodle courses. You can also use it for multimedia student submissions without file type or size limits. Another feature is Planet eStream Connect which makes it easy to record upcoming TV and radio programmes, with access to an extensive archive of pre-recorded shows that can also be embedded directly into Moodle. The TV and radio archive currently goes back to 2007 and eStream are aiming to backfill the archive to 1987.
This new update doesn’t just provide a new look; there are great improvements to a user’s experience through a more streamlined navigation and recording is now available across all browsers without the need for additional plugins.
In this post, I’m going to introduce you to some of the key changes and a couple of features you may not have noticed.
The new look
Your area in eStream is now a side bar that can be opened and closed and appears on the right hand side of the screen. It automatically pops up when you enter the site and can be closed via the ‘X’ sign. To reopen the sidebar click on your profile/initials icon in the top right hand corner. The default section of your area is the “favourites” tab but you can also access other tabs relevant to you such as your watch history, your media area, quizzes, video edits and conversions. You might remember that your personal eStream area used to default to the quizzes tab so the default to the favourites tab is a small change.
The Lancaster University eStream homepage also looks quite different and in my opinion, more attractive. The most popular videos for eStream users at Lancaster University are displayed on this page for easy access.
The icons to search categories, create new media or open tools are slightly different but can still be found at the top of the page to the right of the search bar.
Creating new media
To create or record media in eStream go to the cloud icon at the top of the page and this will open the “Create Media Options”.
From here you can access the web recorder as well as other ways to add content to eStream such as the options to create a playlist, upload media, add external links and access the TV and radio archive (eStream Connect). eStream also has a separate option where you can import Microsoft Teams Meetings from your OneDrive which is useful for captioning and sharing online lectures or events with students and other staff.
The web recorder no longer needs additional browser plugins to work and can work on any browser. For example, when using Chrome as your browser, to use the web recorder you had to enable a Planet eStream extension – this no longer applies in the updated version.
Once you have created or uploaded your content, you can edit the content in the same ways as before. One small change though is that to edit the video thumbnail, you will need to go into the video player and click the “edit item” icon, the pencil in a square, which has changed position (see screenshot below). From the menu that pops up, select ‘edit thumbnail’. As before, you can select a still from the video or you can upload a file to be your thumbnail.
Captioning/Transcription services
The layout of the video player has changed in eStream so to add captions or to edit captions on your videos go to the “manage item” option within the video player.
A pop up will then appear with the “transcription services” option. Once clicked, you can select the language you would like to transcribe the video into and the submit the video to Planet eStream’s free transcription service.
The creation of captions still takes a little while depending on the size of the video. I usually aim to go back in a hour and check if the captions have appeared. A quick way to check is to go into the video player and see if the “cc” icon has appeared.
Adding videos to Moodle
Although the eStream plugin menu looks slightly different in Moodle, the process of adding videos to your Moodle space remains the same. Just find the green Planet eStream icon on your chosen activity in Moodle such as the ‘Page’ activity or a ‘Text and Media Area’. You can find the icon via the 3 dots menu in the text editor.
You can use the search function to find video content in the same way as before. There are also quick action buttons available as shown in the screenshot below.
Students can still submit video submissions using the eStream plugin in the assignment activity in the same way as before.
Did you know?
The following are not new features of the 2025 update but they are useful so I thought I would highlight them here:
Dark mode
The new default interface colour scheme is a mix of bright white and light grey. This does not suit all users and so I thought I would mention that you can change the interface to ‘dark mode’ should you wish. To do this, open up the side bar by clicking on your profile image/initials. Then click on the settings cog. In the top right. Select the new dark colour scheme by ticking the box to ‘enable dark mode’.
eStream Certified Courses
Planet eStream offers short online courses on how to get the most out of the platform. I have completed the “eStream Educator” course but there are also ones available for eStream Administrators and those staff involved in “Digital Signage”. For the majority of staff at Lancaster University, the “eStream Educator” course is the most relevant. Throughout the hour long video course, you complete short multiple-choice questions and on completion, you receive a digital badge.
You can access eStream’s courses via the “tools and options” icon at the top of the page (the 4 circles that make a square), and select “eStream Certification”. From this same area, you can also access eStream’s own training videos and resources via the “eStream Academy” option.
ISS will be sharing more details and helpful guides soon to help you make the most of the update!
If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.