{"id":654,"date":"2025-03-12T14:01:09","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/?p=654"},"modified":"2025-03-12T14:04:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:04:45","slug":"estream-2025-update-whats-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/2025\/03\/12\/estream-2025-update-whats-new\/","title":{"rendered":"eStream 2025 update: What\u2019s new?"},"content":{"rendered":"

An update to Planet eStream will be launched across Lancaster University on 23rd<\/sup> April 2025. It is quite a big change and users will be automatically moved to the new version on this date.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you aren\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

This new update doesn\u2019t just provide a new look; there are great improvements to a user\u2019s experience through a more streamlined navigation and recording is now available across all browsers without the need for additional plugins.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this post, I\u2019m going to introduce you to some of the key changes and a couple of features you may not have noticed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new look<\/span><\/h2>\n

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 \u2018X\u2019 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 \u201cfavourites\u201d 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating new media<\/span><\/h2>\n

To create or record media in eStream go to the cloud icon at the top of the page and this will open the \u201cCreate Media Options\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 \u2013 this no longer applies in the updated version.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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 \u201cedit item\u201d icon, the pencil in a square, which has changed position (see screenshot below). From the menu that pops up, select \u2018edit thumbnail\u2019. As before, you can select a still from the video or you can upload a file to be your thumbnail.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Edit<\/span><\/p>\n

Captioning\/Transcription services<\/span><\/h2>\n

The layout of the video player has changed in eStream so to add captions or to edit captions on your videos go to the \u201cmanage item\u201d option within the video player.<\/span><\/p>\n

A pop up will then appear with the \u201ctranscription services\u201d option. Once clicked, you can select the language you would like to transcribe the video into and the submit the video to Planet eStream\u2019s free transcription service.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 \u201ccc\u201d icon has appeared.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"eStream<\/span><\/p>\n

Adding videos to Moodle<\/span><\/h2>\n

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 \u2018Page\u2019 activity or a \u2018Text and Media Area\u2019. You can find the icon via the 3 dots menu in the text editor.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/span><\/p>\n

Students can still submit video submissions using the eStream plugin in the assignment activity in the same way as before.<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The following are not new features of the 2025 update but they are useful so I thought I would highlight them here:<\/span><\/p>\n

Dark mode<\/span><\/h3>\n

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 \u2018dark mode\u2019 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 \u2018enable dark mode\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"eStream<\/span><\/p>\n

eStream Certified Courses<\/span><\/h3>\n

Planet eStream offers short online courses on how to get the most out of the platform. I have completed the \u201ceStream Educator\u201d course but there are also ones available for eStream Administrators and those staff involved in \u201cDigital Signage\u201d. For the majority of staff at Lancaster University, the \u201ceStream Educator\u201d 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can access eStream\u2019s courses via the \u201ctools and options\u201d icon at the top of the page (the 4 circles that make a square), and select \u201ceStream Certification\u201d. From this same area, you can also access eStream\u2019s own training videos and resources via the \u201ceStream Academy\u201d option.<\/span><\/p>\n

ISS will be sharing more details and helpful guides soon to help you make the most of the update!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have any questions in the meantime, please don\u2019t hesitate to get in touch.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019t already familiar with the platform, Planet eStream is the recommended method of embedding on-demand videos into Moodle courses. … Continue reading eStream 2025 update: What\u2019s new?<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1661,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[40,19,6,38],"class_list":["post-654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pedagogy","tag-estream","tag-teaching-tool","tag-upgrade","tag-video"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":528,"url":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/2024\/04\/18\/getting-frustrated-recording-videos\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":0},"title":"Getting frustrated recording videos?","author":"Richard Floyd","date":"April 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Written by Liz Walkden - Learning Technologist in the Faculty of Health and Medicine Over the past month, I have received some cries for help when it comes to successfully recording videos and adding subtitles to them. We know that the use of video is a really significant part of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sharing Practice"","block_context":{"text":"Sharing Practice","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/category\/sharing-practice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":648,"url":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/2025\/02\/19\/lent-term-2025-training-offering\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":1},"title":"Lent Term 2025: Training Offering","author":"Elizabeth Walkden","date":"February 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"We will be offering the following lunch-time training sessions to staff in the Faculty of Health and Medicine (FHM) but staff from across the University are very welcome to join: Wednesday 5th March (12-12:30): Making Resources Digitally Accessible in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint In this session, we will look at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/category\/event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":108,"url":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/2023\/06\/19\/new-features-in-moodle\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":2},"title":"New Features in Moodle","author":"Elizabeth Walkden","date":"June 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Moodle upgrade is fast approaching and I thought now would be a good time to highlight a few of the new features that you can expect. Collapsible course index and 'block drawer' Moving activities and resources just got easier! Starred modules option Main menu for easier navigation New layout\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Moodle"","block_context":{"text":"Moodle","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/category\/moodle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Example course on Moodle 4.1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/files\/2023\/06\/Hotspot-Moodle-Page-for-Students-300x134.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":795,"url":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/2026\/03\/17\/digital-learning-training-sessions-in-fhm\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":3},"title":"Digital Learning Training Sessions in FHM","author":"Elizabeth Walkden","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Faculty of Health and Medicine (FHM) Learning Technologists will be offering the following lunch-time training sessions to staff in the Faculty of Health and Medicine (FHM) but staff from across the University are very welcome to join: Wednesday 15th April, 13:00-13:30 - Importing a video into eStream This 30-minute online\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/category\/event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":371,"url":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/2023\/10\/18\/moodle-support\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":4},"title":"Moodle Support","author":"Elizabeth Walkden","date":"October 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"DLT have created a series of short videos on how to use Moodle. These are in answer to many of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) that we get. You can find out how to manage materials, how to enrol participants and how to access reports and logs. The Moodle Walkthroughs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Moodle"","block_context":{"text":"Moodle","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/category\/moodle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":642,"url":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/2025\/02\/06\/using-peer-assessment-to-support-mbchb-students-in-their-coursework\/","url_meta":{"origin":654,"position":5},"title":"Using Peer Assessment to support MBChB students in their coursework","author":"Elizabeth Walkden","date":"February 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Context There are many benefits for students getting together to produce a poster, presentation or some other output to demonstrate their learning. However, peer assessment isn\u2019t something I see very often. There could be a range of reasons for this from concern over cohort dynamics, workload, biased student feedback or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Pedagogy"","block_context":{"text":"Pedagogy","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/category\/pedagogy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1661"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":665,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions\/665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lu-digitaldigest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}