Panopto Manual Recorder guide

How to set up the Panopto Manual Recorder on your personal computer and use it to record "D.I.Y." lectures and presentations

Contents

  1. What is the Panopto Manual Recorder?
  2. Introductory video: Installing Panopto Manual Recorder and recording a Powerpoint presentation
  3. Computer requirements for Panopto Manual Recorder and how to download
  4. Step-by-step (long) guides for installing and using Panopto Manual Recorder with Oxford VLE
    • Using Panopto Manual Recorder with Canvas VLE (PDF format)
    • Using Panopto Manual Recorder with Weblearn VLE (PDF format)
    • Using Panopto Manual Recorder with Canvas or Weblearn VLE (web page)
  5. Additional guides for Canvas, improving quality on Mac, webcasting, Linux
    • Short summary 1-page 'How to move a recording in Canvas or WebLearn VLEs' (PDF format)
    • Short summary 2-page Beginner PDFs
    • Best practices for making videos with Panopto Manual Recorder (PDF format)
    • Panopto-provided guides to recording using its software
    • How to move a video to a specific Canvas course
    • Increasing the video recording quality on Apple Mac
    • How to webcast using the Panopto Manual Recorder
    • Linux recording alternatives
  6. Useful links and contacts for further support

1. What is the Panopto Manual Recorder?

The Panopto Manual Recorder is a computer application that allows you to record mini-lectures or presentations from home or the office. If you wish to record a presentation with just a voiceover then a microphone will suffice. You can also record video if your computer features a camera. PowerPoint or Keynote slide decks can also be included in the presentation. Your recordings will be saved to your private personal folder in Panopto. These recordings can then be edited and shared with others through the Oxford VLE Canvas / Weblearn, or via email. 

Panopto is also used for the University's 'Replay' lecture capture service, for recording traditional venue-based events. For information on this service see https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/replay

2. Introductory video: Installing Panopto Manual Recorder and recording a Powerpoint presentation

Panopto Manual Recorder is primarily used for recording presentations.  A screencast is available on how to install the Manual Recorder and record slides.

Image of installing and recording a presentation with Panopto screencast

3. Computer requirements for Panopto Manual Recorder and how to download

The system requirements for Panopto Manual Recorder are:

  • Windows 7 / Windows 8.1 / Windows 10 (32 and 64 bit) / Windows .NET 4.7.2 or later
  • Apple macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later

Panopto Manual Recorder is not available for Linux computers or tablet devices. Our colleagues at the Mathematical Institute have provided some helpful workarounds on how to record on Linux and Mobile and upload to Panopto. Further guidance is available at Linux recording alternatives.

The recommended route to download Panopto is from University VLE Canvas or Weblearn as detailed below. It is also available from the Replay service support pages at https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/replay/downloads though these versions may not be the latest releases.

 

Internet Browsers

When accessing Panopto via the VLE, it is recommened by Panopto and the Replay team to use Google Chrome. 

Safari often has issues accessing Panopto which can be resolved in this guidance.

 

4. Step-by-step (long) guides for installing and using Panopto Manual Recorder with Oxford VLE

Using Panopto Manual Recorder with Canvas VLE (PDF format)

These PDF-format guides cover downloading, installing, and making an 'audio with slides' recording via Canvas VLE:

The guides should open in your web browser. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac) to save the PDF to your computer.

Using Panopto Manual Recorder with Weblearn VLE (PDF format)

The guides should open in your web browser. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac) to save the PDF to your computer.

5. Additional guides for Canvas, improving quality on Mac, webcasting and Linux

Short summary 1-page beginner guides

Short summary 1 page 'How to move a recording in Canvas or WebLearn VLEs' guide (PDF format)

Clicking the above link should open the guide(s) in your web browser. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac) to save the PDF to your computer.

Short summary 2-page beginner guides

Useful short summary 2-page beginner PDF documents for manual recording and locating recordings - 

Best practices for making videos with Panopto Manual Recorder (PDF format)

Simple tips for getting the best results from Panopto Manual Recorder at home or in the office: Best Practices guide (PDF)

The guide should open in your web browser. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac) to save the PDF to your computer.  

Panopto-provided guides to recording using its software

Panopto also has a series of guides for recording using its software here:

How to Record with Panopto for Windows and How to record with Panopto for Mac

Increasing the video recording quality on Apple Mac

The macOS version of Panopto Manual Recorder defaults to the lowest video quality. To increase the quality, click the Panopto menu, select Preferences, and change the Primary Video Quality to Ultra (motion) and the Secondary Quality to Ultra (resolution).

Image showing Panopto manual recorder quality settings window

How to webcast using the Panopto Manual Recorder

Panopto Manual Recorder can be used to webcast a presentation. Webcasting via Panopto is a one-way live stream of your lecture. A screencast is available on how to do this using the Manual Recorder

Image showing webcast checkbox in Panopto manual recorder

Linux recording alternatives

Unfortunately, the Panopto Manual Recorder application is not available on Linux - however, there is a browser based version of the recorder that can be accessed from the Panopto webpage (logged in via the VLE Canvas or Weblearn). The web recorder allows users to create lecture recordings in the same way as the application whilst providing the same student viewing experience

Guidance available here: https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/replay/capture

Alternatively, there are a handful of non-Panopto recording alternatives which can be used to record slides that can be uploaded to the Panopto server:

The following solutions are not compatible with the Wayland protocol:

Kazam (instructions for Kazam/Panopto via screen recording here)

SimpleScreenRecorder (instructions for SSR/Panopto via screen recording here)

OBS Studio 

A full list of further recommended tools is available on this blog.

Once you have finished recording a screencast on a Linux device, you can upload this by logging into Panopto, clicking Create, then Upload Media. This will allow you to build a new session and also gives the option to upload PowerPoints and PDFs files into the recording.

6. Useful links and contacts for further support

For departmental support we recommend you contact your teaching officer, or review our list of departmental contacts here:
https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/replay/local-support

The help website for the Replay lecture capture service is 
https://help.it.ox.ac.uk/replay/

The Replay support email address is:
replay@it.ox.ac.uk

These pages provide useful information on getting started with Replay and Panopto

Support for using Replay and Panopto with the Oxford VLEs

Get support

Local IT and administration staff provide your first line of Lecture Capture support

LOCAL LECTURE CAPTURE SUPPORT

 

For more complex queries, contact the central Replay Lecture Capture team

CONTACT REPLAY TEAM