Overview

All videos added to Kaltura ("My Media" in Canvas or MediaSpace) after 13 June 2020 automatically have machine captions added to the entry. Kaltura entries resulting from the integration with Zoom bring Zoom's machine-generated captions with them.

If the conditions are right (see the Critical Concepts section below), Kaltura media owners and co-editors can request machine captions for Kaltura entries.

These instructions apply to all UCSD Kaltura users with active directory credentials (instructors, students, staff, etc.). Users can request machine captions in both Canvas and MediaSpace.

Critical Concepts

• Machine captions can be requested from a couple of different places. We're only discussing one method below.
• To request new machine captions, certain conditions must be met. If they aren't, you'll see an error message indicating that machine captions were already requested (pictured). You can only request new machine captions if:
  • The entry has no captions
  • You've used the video editor to trim the video (clicking either Save or Save a Copy)
  • The entry is a Zoom integration entry and only has Zoom's captions
• You'll receive an email alert when the machine captions are complete. We've set it up so that you only get an alert like this when you manually request them.
• Zoom's captions identify the speaker based on their active directory login. Zoom and Kaltura use different machine captioning systems. Though the accuracy between them is comparable, Zoom is able to leverage users' active directory logins to identify who is speaking in the captions. This can be handy if you have multiple speakers, but keep it in mind if you intend to share your material more widely and students are identified in the recording.
• All captions can be edited. You can use Kaltura's web-based closed caption editor or download, edit, and upload them yourself. Click on either of the two tutorials below if you're interested in learning how:
  • Edit Captions on the Web for a Kaltura Video
  • Edit Captions on Your Computer for a Kaltura Video
• The content of the "default" captions will show up in the transcript. Most Kaltura players are configured to display a transcript within the player. When captions are added to an entry, Kaltura generates a text-only version of the captions (i.e., without timecodes) as the transcript. If you want the transcript to change, you have to edit the captions. (Alternatively, you can edit the transcript and use the machine alignment feature to create new captions. This might be a preferable option since transcripts don't have timecodes and are easier to edit.)

Steps to Take

Watch the tutorial below on how to request machine captions within Canvas, or follow the text instructions further down to do so in either Canvas or MediaSpace.

For the first four steps, choose the column below that aligns with where you want to perform the action. All the steps afterwards are the same.

5. Information should populate lower down on the screen (Canvas) or appear in a pop-up window (MediaSpace). Ensure that the following settings are selected:
   • Service: Machine
   • Source Media Language: English
   • Feature: Captions
6. Click Submit (Canvas) or Order (MediaSpace).

Once your captions have been added to the entry, you'll receive an email alert.