I've had a lot of difficulty with two uploaded projects getting the longer videos to ever load. All of the shorter ones embedded work fine, but the longer ones (20 minutes + in length) have the wheel spin forever without ever loading. I've never had this problem with Storyline 1, but it's shown up twice now with 2. I don't think it's my server or broadband speed because the ones under 20 minutes load as they should. http://solutionsunlimited.co.nz/Melbourne/story.html Dattilio video is the latest problem. Help will be much appreciated!
I just tried that on my end - and that slide took a bit longer to access (maybe 7 seconds vs the other 1 or 2 seconds?) but the video loaded and played fine for me. I have a fairly fast internet speed right now - download speed of around 50 mbps. You may want to test this from a few different browsers and wireless networks.
Good news that it's working for you, Ashley. Any idea what might be a factor rather than download speed? Ours isn't too bad right now, but my browser definitely won't open it. Are there browser settings I might need to tell people if they experience issues?
We're using IE, and given that all the other videos play, I'm not sure it's the browser setting. Wheel just spins and spins. On the subject of the loading wheel, is there a way to configure it as a different color?
What version of IE are you using? I am happy to test in a few different IE browsers as well to see how it behaves. There isn't a way to change that color within Storyline player colors. It may be something you're able to do with the Storyline SDK though.
I just tested it in IE11 as well, and yes it still took a bit to load - but then it played normally. You're unable to get it to load at all? You may want to look into the few other reasons why a video wouldn't play here, and if you haven't yet tried to post it on a different web server, I'd suggest trying that to see if that is playing into your loading time as well. There are a few free ones here.
Hi, Ashley. OK, I've uploaded one of the videos I was struggling with the Dropbox and it will play. Then I got to thinking--the video that's in the link I gave you is also in another project we have online, and it always plays fine. I just checked it and it loads right away and plays on my computer while the other one will not. Now the most recent project was published in Storyline 2, and the first one was published in Storyline 1. Is there something I need to know about the video publishing of the respective versions that might affect them after uploading?
Storyline 2 allows you to publish MP4s that don't include the normal video compression - which could cause longer loading times if you didn't compress the video. Storyline 1 always compressed the videos in the published output.
If the Compression property is grayed out in Storyline, it means your video was created with a different profile.
And therefore you won't be able to change the compression setting to no compression - and Storyline will still utilize the automatic settings. You mentioned it also worked when you place the video in Dropbox? Could you share a bit more about that? Were you hosting the video in Dropbox or hosting the entire course there?
Thanks for working this through with me, Ashley. I uploaded the video to Dropbox, https://www.dropbox.com/s/szp6may60pnj33t/substitution.m4v?dl=0 It plays fine on my computer (with a small amount of buffering). I won't be able to put the whole course there because it will be on a secured page (using Sitelok).
Thanks for the link about profiles--what profile do I need to have my video in to make the compression button activated with Storyline 2--I know I should be able to figure that out with what you sent, but remember I'm basically a SME in course developer's clothing! ;-)
No worries - Storyline 2 supports uncompressed MP4 videos in published output. This applies to the three most common MP4 profiles: baseline, main, and high. How you ensure a video meets that - a bit outside my expertise as well. :)
In regards to hosting the video, could you host the video itself in Dropbox and link to it within your course to see if that helps with overall loading times on your end? Again, playing it here didn't cause me to experience any real delays and it played - so it seems to be an overall speed issue where it's being hosted/viewed.
I'd really prefer it to compress like in Storyline 1 because the link to the Dropbox means it buffers when it plays, while when it's loaded like in S1, it just plays without buffering.
It seems the automatic function in Storyline 2 is not compressed. Will try to play with video formats on Storyline 2 until I reach one that will allow me to compress it--unless someone might know how to achieve this without trial and error?
The options within Storyline 2 don't involve anything that will help you change the video's profile, you'd need to do that in an outside video editing software. In regards to the compression options, you'll only see "automatic" or "none" and then you'll still have the options within the Publish quality settings to adjust overall quality of videos, images and audio:
I have lots of video editing software and can change the video to whatever it needs to be, but I haven't been able to discover the correct setting. I also always have our video quality set on high because they are important to the piece.
It's actually a problem that Storyline 2 supports videos as uncompressed, because it's clear that they need to be compressed, and I can't get them to where it will give me that option in Storyline 2. One of our reviewers had the same problem and I don't want it to be an issue for any of the potential users.
I have tried to insert mp4 video files of every setting imaginable, mpeg, wmv, flv, swf, and nothing will get that setting to activate instead of greying out!
Hi Frances. Try loading a different video the same size as the one you're having problems with to your project. You say you have had the problem twice, it is possible both the videos you used have the same potential encoding issue that SL (or the browser) isn't liking. Make sure you try a 20 min video from a completely different source.
If it uploads and plays, the problem is in your video, not Storyline. Another idea would be to shorten the video you are trying to upload so the file size is less, for testing. Good luck.
Hello, Steve. Thanks for your thoughts, but it's happened with two different videos, and they both are part of another project that I published in Storyline 1 and play perfectly.
Interestingly, I just published one of the videos as part of a Storyline 2 project in its mpeg form. It does load but plays with buffering, while the mp4 version doesn't even load. Although, if I hit the previous button, and then next, it goes back to the spinning wheel and won't re-load.
If you see the "compression" settings greyed out - it means that Storyline will automatically compress it upon publish. That's a built in feature of Storyline as described here.
I'll admit I don't know a lot about video editing or how to change the profiles, but here is a video that you can add into Storyline to see that the option to leave the video uncompressed is not greyed out.
Hello, Steve. Thanks for your thoughts, but it's happened with two different videos, and they both are part of another project that I published in Storyline 1 and play perfectly.
Interestingly, I just published one of the videos as part of a Storyline 2 project in its mpeg form. It does load but plays with buffering, while the mp4 version doesn't even load. Although, if I hit the previous button, and then next, it goes back to the spinning wheel and won't re-load.
Would just love to know how to resolve this!
Are you uploading to the same server/LMS as the "previous" Storyline project? Perhaps it is an internet speed issue related to server location. Try uploading to the same server as the previous project.
OK, the video you sent did give me the non-greyed out options. I noticed it had an mp4 suffix, when all of my mp4 versions had an m4v suffix, so I can figure that out. In thinking about it overnight (I dream my projects all night long--it's pitiful, I know) it occurred to me that you're saying that S2 should have compressed my file automatically if I didn't alter the setting which is what S1 does. I would think that compression would be my goal, then, and S2 should be doing that automatically (and isn't that what S1 does?) but the fact remains that the video plays wonderfully in S1 projects but not in the S2 project.
I did create a short project http://solutionsunlimited.co.nz/Sub2/story.html in S2 with the other video I am having problems with after I changed it to m4v. Amazingly it does load fairly reasonably the first time, but if I hit the previous button and then the next button, it won't reload. (perhaps I need to adjust the revisiting slide setting?).
If the goal is not to compress the video, I'm sure I can figure it out, but it seems that a non-compressed video will take longer to load than a compressed one? Cheers,
47 Replies
Hi Frances,
I just tried that on my end - and that slide took a bit longer to access (maybe 7 seconds vs the other 1 or 2 seconds?) but the video loaded and played fine for me. I have a fairly fast internet speed right now - download speed of around 50 mbps. You may want to test this from a few different browsers and wireless networks.
Good news that it's working for you, Ashley. Any idea what might be a factor rather than download speed? Ours isn't too bad right now, but my browser definitely won't open it. Are there browser settings I might need to tell people if they experience issues?
Hi Frances,
It may be a browser security setting, but I wouldn't know specifically what one. What browser(s) are you viewing it in? I tested it in Chrome.
We're using IE, and given that all the other videos play, I'm not sure it's the browser setting. Wheel just spins and spins. On the subject of the loading wheel, is there a way to configure it as a different color?
Hi Frances,
What version of IE are you using? I am happy to test in a few different IE browsers as well to see how it behaves. There isn't a way to change that color within Storyline player colors. It may be something you're able to do with the Storyline SDK though.
Hi, Ashley. I'm using IE 11. As to SDK--might be a step too far for me!
Hi Frances,
I just tested it in IE11 as well, and yes it still took a bit to load - but then it played normally. You're unable to get it to load at all? You may want to look into the few other reasons why a video wouldn't play here, and if you haven't yet tried to post it on a different web server, I'd suggest trying that to see if that is playing into your loading time as well. There are a few free ones here.
Hi, Ashley. OK, I've uploaded one of the videos I was struggling with the Dropbox and it will play. Then I got to thinking--the video that's in the link I gave you is also in another project we have online, and it always plays fine. I just checked it and it loads right away and plays on my computer while the other one will not. Now the most recent project was published in Storyline 2, and the first one was published in Storyline 1. Is there something I need to know about the video publishing of the respective versions that might affect them after uploading?
Storyline 2 allows you to publish MP4s that don't include the normal video compression - which could cause longer loading times if you didn't compress the video. Storyline 1 always compressed the videos in the published output.
So that's the answer. How do I set Storyline 2 to compress the video or do I do that externally?
Hi Frances,
You'll see the video compression options when looking at the video properties.
Yes, I see the setting, but it doesn't let me adjust it. It says compression and the setting is there, but it's not lit and won't let me click on it.
Hi Frances,
If the Compression property is grayed out in Storyline, it means your video was created with a different profile.
And therefore you won't be able to change the compression setting to no compression - and Storyline will still utilize the automatic settings. You mentioned it also worked when you place the video in Dropbox? Could you share a bit more about that? Were you hosting the video in Dropbox or hosting the entire course there?
Thanks for working this through with me, Ashley. I uploaded the video to Dropbox, https://www.dropbox.com/s/szp6may60pnj33t/substitution.m4v?dl=0 It plays fine on my computer (with a small amount of buffering). I won't be able to put the whole course there because it will be on a secured page (using Sitelok).
Thanks for the link about profiles--what profile do I need to have my video in to make the compression button activated with Storyline 2--I know I should be able to figure that out with what you sent, but remember I'm basically a SME in course developer's clothing! ;-)
Hi Frances,
No worries - Storyline 2 supports uncompressed MP4 videos in published output. This applies to the three most common MP4 profiles: baseline, main, and high. How you ensure a video meets that - a bit outside my expertise as well. :)
In regards to hosting the video, could you host the video itself in Dropbox and link to it within your course to see if that helps with overall loading times on your end? Again, playing it here didn't cause me to experience any real delays and it played - so it seems to be an overall speed issue where it's being hosted/viewed.
I'd really prefer it to compress like in Storyline 1 because the link to the Dropbox means it buffers when it plays, while when it's loaded like in S1, it just plays without buffering.
It seems the automatic function in Storyline 2 is not compressed. Will try to play with video formats on Storyline 2 until I reach one that will allow me to compress it--unless someone might know how to achieve this without trial and error?
Hi Frances,
The options within Storyline 2 don't involve anything that will help you change the video's profile, you'd need to do that in an outside video editing software. In regards to the compression options, you'll only see "automatic" or "none" and then you'll still have the options within the Publish quality settings to adjust overall quality of videos, images and audio:
I have lots of video editing software and can change the video to whatever it needs to be, but I haven't been able to discover the correct setting. I also always have our video quality set on high because they are important to the piece.
It's actually a problem that Storyline 2 supports videos as uncompressed, because it's clear that they need to be compressed, and I can't get them to where it will give me that option in Storyline 2. One of our reviewers had the same problem and I don't want it to be an issue for any of the potential users.
I have tried to insert mp4 video files of every setting imaginable, mpeg, wmv, flv, swf, and nothing will get that setting to activate instead of greying out!
Hi Frances. Try loading a different video the same size as the one you're having problems with to your project. You say you have had the problem twice, it is possible both the videos you used have the same potential encoding issue that SL (or the browser) isn't liking. Make sure you try a 20 min video from a completely different source.
If it uploads and plays, the problem is in your video, not Storyline. Another idea would be to shorten the video you are trying to upload so the file size is less, for testing. Good luck.
Hello, Steve. Thanks for your thoughts, but it's happened with two different videos, and they both are part of another project that I published in Storyline 1 and play perfectly.
Interestingly, I just published one of the videos as part of a Storyline 2 project in its mpeg form. It does load but plays with buffering, while the mp4 version doesn't even load. Although, if I hit the previous button, and then next, it goes back to the spinning wheel and won't re-load.
Would just love to know how to resolve this!
Hi Frances,
If you see the "compression" settings greyed out - it means that Storyline will automatically compress it upon publish. That's a built in feature of Storyline as described here.
I'll admit I don't know a lot about video editing or how to change the profiles, but here is a video that you can add into Storyline to see that the option to leave the video uncompressed is not greyed out.
Are you uploading to the same server/LMS as the "previous" Storyline project? Perhaps it is an internet speed issue related to server location. Try uploading to the same server as the previous project.
OK, the video you sent did give me the non-greyed out options. I noticed it had an mp4 suffix, when all of my mp4 versions had an m4v suffix, so I can figure that out. In thinking about it overnight (I dream my projects all night long--it's pitiful, I know) it occurred to me that you're saying that S2 should have compressed my file automatically if I didn't alter the setting which is what S1 does. I would think that compression would be my goal, then, and S2 should be doing that automatically (and isn't that what S1 does?) but the fact remains that the video plays wonderfully in S1 projects but not in the S2 project.
I did create a short project http://solutionsunlimited.co.nz/Sub2/story.html in S2 with the other video I am having problems with after I changed it to m4v. Amazingly it does load fairly reasonably the first time, but if I hit the previous button and then the next button, it won't reload. (perhaps I need to adjust the revisiting slide setting?).
If the goal is not to compress the video, I'm sure I can figure it out, but it seems that a non-compressed video will take longer to load than a compressed one? Cheers,
Frances
Yes, it's the same server for both of them currently, unfortunately that's not the issue!
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