How to use IsumaTV - English

 

Sign in / Join   ↑  

Join – create an account & channel

Having an account on IsumaTV gives you a channel (your own website) on which to upload your media. Click “Join/Upload” on the top of the page and fill in all the sections. When complete, click “Create Your Account.”

Note: When creating a channel for an organization use the name of your organization for your username.

Sign In

If you’re already a member of IsumaTV click “Sign in” on the top of the page. Write in your username and password. If you can’t remember your password, click the “Forgot your password?” link and fill in your username or email address, as well as the spam protection characters so we can send a new password to your email account.

Upload   ↑  

Upload video

On your channel, click “Video” in the upload section of the Dashboard (on the right side of the page). Select the video file you want to upload and write in its title. The video will start uploading right away. While the video uploads, fill in the rest of the page.

Under “Tag Your Video,” select keywords, language, areas of interest and location so that others can find your video when using “Search.”

Under “Advanced Options,” you can make your video available for download, share it on other websites through an embedding code and have it fill in the player (to avoid black bars).

The video files must be mp4

Audio must be in mono or stereo (surround sound is not supported).

Video settings:

1. Standard good quality streaming video:
- video: h264 codec
- size: 640 x 360 (assuming the original video is 16:9)
- bitrate: 1000kbs
- audio: mpeg4 aac
- audio bitrate: 64kbs
- a 15 minute video will be about 115MB

2. 720 HD streaming:
- video: h264 codec
- size: 1280 x 720 (assuming the original video is 16:9)
- bitrate: 3000kbs
- audio: mpeg4 aac
- audio bitrate: 128kbs
- A 15 minute video will be about 336MB

3. 1080 HD streaming:
- video: h264 codec
- size: 1920 x 1080 (assuming the original video is 16:9)
- bitrate: 4000kbs
- audio: mpeg4 aac
- audio bitrate: 128kbs
- A 15 minute video will be about 429MB

Upload audio files

On your channel, click “Audio” in the upload section of the Dashboard (on the right side of the page). Fill in the information and select the audio files you want to upload. If you want to upload more than two files, click the “Add another audio file” button. To avoid waiting, we recommend clicking the button before you select your files to upload. If you’re uploading a large number of files, click “Save” for every 10 files and return to upload more.

Under “Tag Your Audio,” select keywords, language, areas of interest and location so that others can find your audio files when using “Search.”

Under “Advanced Options,” you can make your audio files available for download and share them on other websites through an embedding code.

Audio Settings:

Your audio files must be: mp3, m4a, wav, wma, aac, ac3, aif, or ogg

The maximum file size is: 20 GB

Upload images

On your channel, click “Images” in the upload section of the Dashboard (on the right side of the page). Fill in the information and select the images you want to upload. If you want to upload more than two files, click the “Add another image” button. To avoid waiting, we recommend clicking the button before you select your files to upload. If you’re uploading a large number of files, click “Save” for every 10 files and return to upload more.

Under “Tag Your Images,” select keywords, language, areas of interest and location so that others can find your images when using “Search.”

Image settings:

Your images must be: JPG, PNG or GIF

The maximum file size is: 500 Mb

Upload text

On your channel, click “Text” in the upload section of the Dashboard (on the right side of the page). Write in your text and attach any files you want to make available for download (for example, PDF files or images).

Under “Tag Your Text,” select keywords, language, areas of interest and location so that others can find your text post when using “Search.”

Upload an event

Promote events that you or your community are organizing by uploading an event. On your channel, click “Event” in the upload section of the Dashboard (on the right side of the page). Fill in the information.

Under “Tag Your Event,” select keywords, language, areas of interest and location so that others can find your event when using “Search.”

Upload an announcement

Share news about your work, organization or community by uploading an announcement. On your channel, click “Announcement” in the upload section of the Dashboard (on the right side of the page). Fill in the information and attach any files you want to make available for download (for example, PDF files or images).

Under “Tag Your Announcement,” select keywords, language, areas of interest and location so that others can find your announcement when using “Search.”

Edit your media

Select the media you want to edit and click the “Edit” link (for example, “Edit Your Video”) on the Dashboard (on the right side of the page).

Search   ↑  

General search

Use the “Search” bar at the top of any page to find what you’re looking for. Enter in keywords, a phrase or a name and click “All” right below the “Search” bar.

If you want to browse through all of IsumaTV’s media and channels by most recently uploaded, click “All” without entering any words in the “Search” bar.

Search VIDEO

Find the “Search” bar at the top of any page and enter in the keywords, phrase or name you’re looking for. Then click “Videos” right below the “Search” bar.

If you want to browse through all of IsumaTV’s videos by most recently uploaded, click “Videos” without entering any words in the “Search” bar.

Search AUDIO FILES

Find the “Search” bar at the top of any page and enter in the keywords, phrase or name you’re looking for. Then click “Audio” right below the “Search” bar.

If you want to browse through all of IsumaTV’s audio files by most recently uploaded, click “Audio” without entering any words in the “Search” bar.

Search CHANNELS

Find the “Search” bar at the top of any page and enter in the keywords, phrase or name you’re looking for. Then click “Channels” right below the “Search” bar.

If you want to browse through all of IsumaTV’s channels by most recently created, click “Channels” without entering any words in the “Search” bar.

Search IMAGES

Find the “Search” bar at the top of any page and enter in the keywords, phrase or name you’re looking for. Then click “Images” right below the “Search” bar.

If you want to browse through all of IsumaTV’s image albums by most recently uploaded, click “Images” without entering any words in the “Search” bar.

Search TEXT

Find the “Search” bar at the top of any page and enter in the keywords, phrase or name you’re looking for. Then click “Text” right below the “Search” bar.

If you want to browse through all of IsumaTV’s text posts by most recently uploaded, click “Text” without entering any words in the “Search” bar.

Search LANGUAGES

Find the “Search” bar at the top of any page and enter in the keywords, phrase or name you’re looking for. Then click  “Languages” right below the "Search" bar.

If you want to browse through the languages, click “Languages” without entering any words in the “Search” bar.

Search AREAS OF INTEREST

Find the “Search” bar at the top of any page and enter in the keywords, phrase or name you’re looking for. Then click “Areas of Interest” right below the "Search" bar.

If you want to browse through the areas of interest, click “Areas of Interest” without entering any words in the “Search” bar.

View Videos   ↑  

Get best quality video for your bandwidth

If you’re watching a video using a low-speed Internet connection, you can switch to low bandwidth in order to prevent the video from downloading too slowly. Just click the “Switch to low bandwidth” below the video.

If you’re on a low bandwidth setting and want to switch to high bandwidth, click the “Switch to high bandwidth” below the video.

Download   ↑  

Download a video

Many IsumaTV users choose to make their videos available for download through the website. To download a file, either go to the Video Downloads page www.isuma.tv/vod or find the specific video you want and click the “Download This Video” link (if available).

Depending on the users’ settings, videos can be downloaded as podcasts (small, iPod-compatible files), as the original files (the files that were uploaded) and/or as Video on Demand (best quality and on a pay-what-you-can basis).

Download audio files

Many IsumaTV users choose to make their audio files available for download through the website. To download audio files, either go to the Downloads page www.isuma.tv/vod or find the specific audio album you want, and click the “Download This Audio Album” link (if available).

Depending on the users’ settings, audio albums can be downloaded as podcasts (small, iPod-compatible files), as the original files (the files that were uploaded) and/or as Audio on Demand (best quality and on a pay-what-you-can basis).

Download attached files

Some IsumaTV users attach downloadable files to their text posts (such as PDFs, images, etc.). If files are available, they’ll be listed under the heading “Attached Files” on the left side of the text post’s page. Click on the title of the file you want to download and follow the instructions for saving it to your computer

Make your media downloadable   ↑  

Make your video downloadable as the original file

Allow others to download your video as the original file (the file you uploaded). Select the video you want to share, click “Edit This Video” on the Dashboard and go to “Advanced Options.” Below “Yes – check one or both,” select the “Download original file (same as you uploaded)” option.

Make your video downloadable as a podcast

Allow others to download your video as a podcast (compressed for iPods). Select the video you want to share, click “Edit This Video” on the Dashboard and go to “Advanced Options.” Below “Yes – check one or both,” select the “Download as podcast (compressed for iPods)” option.

Make your video downloadable at the highest quality (VOD)

High quality versions of your video can be distributed as VOD on a pay‐what‐you-can basis. Your video page can be designed according to your needs. Contact us at info@isuma.tv

Make your audio files downloadable as original files

Allow others to download your audio files as the original files (the files you uploaded). Select the audio album you want to share, click “Edit This Audio Album” on the Dashboard and go to “Advanced Options.” Below “Yes – check one or both,” select the “Download original file (same as you uploaded)” option.

Make your audio files downloadable as a podcast

Allow others to download your audio files as a podcast (compressed for iPods). Select the audio album you want to share, click “Edit This Audio Album” on the Dashboard and go to “Advanced Options.” Below “Yes – check one or both,” select the “Download as podcast (compressed for iPods)” option.

Make your audio files downloadable at the highest quality (AOD)

High quality versions of your audio files can be distributed as AOD on a pay‐what‐you-can basis. Your video page can be designed according to your needs. Contact us at info@isuma.tv

Your Profile   ↑  

Use your profile

Your profile area is where you can introduce yourself or your organization, stay in touch with other users and follow the activity of the channels you’ve created and joined.

Upload an image, give your location and use the text area to tell people who you are (your interests, your personal website, your organization’s mission). Include your contact information where other people can reach you.

On the Dashboard, find a list of links to the channels you’ve created and joined, as well as links to edit your profile and create new channels. In the bottom area, keep track of the latest uploads on the channels you’ve created and joined. To other users, this area will display your latest uploads throughout the site.

Edit your profile and account

Click “Edit My Profile” at the top of the Dashboard on your profile page to make changes. In the “Advanced Options,” you can change your username, your first and last name, your email address, your password, your time zone setting and the language in which you would like to view IsumaTV when you’re signed-in.

Channels   ↑  

Customize your channel – basics

On your channel, click “Edit This Channel” at the top of the Dashboard (on the right of the page) to change the way your channel looks and works.

You can change your channel’s name, upload a new image and add more text describing your channel. You can also tag your channel with keywords, language, areas of interest and location to make it easier to find through “Search.” Under “Advanced Options,” select a different display for your channel, pick other channels to appear in the “Related Channels” section, and control how easily other users can join your channel and what types of media they can upload when they become members.

Customize your channel – advanced

Make your channel look and work exactly the way you want it to. IsumaTV offers a low-cost customizing service for organizations, businesses and all users wanting a more highly-designed and advanced channel to suit their particular needs. Contact info@isuma.tv for more details.

Select the display of your channel – Multimedia or Blog

All IsumaTV users can choose between two basic display types for their channel: Multimedia or Blog.

The Multimedia display is useful for those wanting to show their different media and encourage others to browse through them, not necessarily in a particular order.

The Blog display is better for those wanting to share text posts, news items or other media that are best seen in the order in which they’re uploaded.

To select a display type for your channel, click “Edit This Channel” on your channel and go to “Advanced Options.” Here, you’ll be able to check the box next to the display type you want. Your choice of display only changes the way your channel looks, not the kind of media you’re allowed to upload. You can switch between display types at any time.

Related Channels

You can select other channels (either your own or other users’) to appear in a special “Related Channels” section at the bottom of your channel’s page. These channels might include company partners, channels with similar topics to yours or channels you support.

Click “Edit This Channel” on the Dashboard of your channel’s page and go to “Advanced Options.” Select the desired channels from the list in the “Related Channels” section.

Add more channels

IsumaTV users are allowed to have as many channels as they want. Click “Create a New Channel” at the bottom of the Dashboard on your profile page to create a new channel.

Join other channels

Joining other users’ channels allows you to follow their activity from your profile page and upload certain kinds of media (depending on the channel’s settings). On the channel, click “Join This Channel” to become a member of that channel.

Please note that there are some channels that you cannot join automatically and require the approval of the creators. In these cases, when you click “Join This Channel,” a request will be sent.

Manage members of your channel


You can remove the membership or administrative role of members of your channel at any time. On your channel, click “View and Manage Members of This Channel” and select “Remove membership” or “Remove role as administrator” next to the person whose role you would like to change. When you’re finished, click “Back to Channel.”

Invite people to join a channel

Invite other people to join a channel (become members of that channel). Members of a channel will be able to follow the channel’s activity from their profile pages and upload certain kinds of media.

On the channel, click “Invite People to Join this Channel.” Enter in the usernames or email addresses of the people you would like to invite. You can also include a personal message. When you’re ready, click “Send Invitations.”

You can send email invitations to people who are not yet IsumaTV users. Please note, however, that these people will need to join IsumaTV before they can become members of your channel. Your email invitation will include information on how to do so.

Make a member of your channel an administrator

Administrators of a channel can edit your channel and upload, change and delete all media. To make a member an administrator, click “View and Manage Members of This Channel” on your channel and select “Make an administrator” in the far-right column next to the member’s name. You can add as many administrators as you need.

Networking   ↑  

Embed code – Share your videos and audio files

You can allow other users and viewers to play your videos or audio albums on other websites by sharing your upload’s embed code. When played on other websites, your media will always show that they come from IsumaTV (with an IsumaTV watermark). To make the embed code available, click “Edit Your Video” or “Edit Your Album” and go to “Advanced Options.” Select the box next to “Embed.”

General   ↑  

Choose a language in which to navigate the IsumaTV site

IsumaTV users can choose to view the site in English, Inuktitut (Syllabics or Romans), French or Spanish when signed in. Click on “Edit Your Profile” on your profile page and go to “Advanced Options.” In the “Language” section, select a language from the list of default languages. If your language is missing, contact info@isuma.tv. We’ll send you a list of terminology, which you can translate and we’ll apply to the site.

Uploaded media organized by languages

Explore all of IsumaTV’s videos, audio albums, images and text posts by the languages that users have tagged them in. Click any of the languages in the list and find the available media in that language. Click the dots on the map to see where these languages are located in the world. www.isuma.tv/international-archives

Upload a How To Use IsumaTV in your language

Contribute to the How To area by adding instructional videos in your own language or translating the How To answers. Upload your videos and texts to your personal channel and contact us at info@isuma.tv so that we can add them to this area.

Advanced Features of IsumaTV   ↑  

LiveTV

Occasional LiveTV webcasts can be an effective organizing tool for gathering global partners to meet in real time on issues needing urgent action. Organize a LiveTV webcasts from anywhere in the world. Contact us at info@isuma.tv

Video on demand (VOD)

Distribute top-quality video files through Video on Demand downloads.

Standard Definition videos play at DVD-quality, while videos uploaded in 720p HD or 1080p HD will download in 720p or 1080p.

High-quality VOD is an alternative to conventional TV or theatrical distribution for Inuit and Aboriginal films unable to secure a broadcast license or theatrical distributor, and for web series, web documentaries and other digital media designed for internet flexibility rather than linear TV. IsumaTV’s HD download is equal or superior to the best quality downloads from iTunes or Amazon.

Terminology   ↑  

Viewer

Anyone who browses www.isuma.tv, including visitors and users who have IsumaTV accounts.

User

Anyone who has created an account on IsumaTV.

Channels

Personal websites on which users can upload videos, audio files, images, texts, events and announcements. Every user gets a channel when he or she joins IsumaTV and, later, can add as many additional channels as he or she wants. Users always have control over their uploaded media and can change, remove or add to them at any time. Channels with no uploaded media remain invisible to other viewers.

Media

Videos, audio files, images, texts, events and announcements – all the types of content users can upload to IsumaTV.

Member of a channel

An IsumaTV user who has “joined” another user’s channel. Members of a channel can see that channel’s activity on their profile pages and have the ability to upload certain kinds of media (depending on the channel’s settings).

Administrator of a channel

A member of a channel who can upload, edit and delete all media and has the power to modify the channel’s settings. Only channel creators can give members administrative roles.

Customized channels

Channels that have been specially designed using IsumaTV low-cost customizing service.

Making a Video  ↑  

Development

What are you going to say? Who is your audience? Think of the story that you want to tell. Try to include enough information to be interesting, but not so much as to overwhelm your viewer.

How best to tell this in the most concise way? Possible elements include dramatic sequences, documentary interviews, voice-overs, music, and graphics.

Write a script, but don’t be inflexible about it. Write an outline of the story and scenes. If you're talking to the camera, make sure you have a good story in your head and a short bullet list to fall back to when you’re lost. Writing the story with full sentences always results in a boring mechanical lecture.

Prepare for your shoot. Have a list of shots you want to get. If you want to show a certain idea that benefits from the use of a practical example, then have one handy. It’s much more interesting to see a live demo of a subject than to hear it explained in words.

Short videos work better than long ones. If this is a series, and being recorded in chapters, then consider ten minutes the maximum duration for each chunk. (Five may be even better!)

Production

Get used to operating your camera before you start - whatever it may be, even a camera phone will work. There are tutorials on the web that can help you better understand your device.

Find an existing video that you want to imitate in terms of set up and structure. There is no need to re-invent the wheel.

Record it in batches. Example: do all the documentary interviews first, so you know what points you will need to illustrate. Then record all the dramatic scenes at one time. Lastly, film the graphics and record the narration.

In interviews, do not overlap voices. Leave a couple of seconds of silence in between the question and the answer so that you can make a cut. Ask your subjects to answer your questions in as much detail as possible, and to re-state the question in their answer. This way you can cut your questions out, and make your video more concise.

In the interview shots, it's helpful if your subject’s eye-line is looking at the camera, so have the interviewer sit up close to the lens. But in drama, it's best if no one looks directly at the camera.

Graphic elements need to be filmed in the best possible light. You can do them graphics program and then import them into your editing program… or you can do them on pieces of paper, tape them to a wall and film them like that. Be creative! Use a blackboard or a crayon or an etch-a-sketch or a computer screen if you want to.

Post-Production

Use an easy to learn editing software program like iMovie. You can take tutorials on the web. Check for mistakes or errors in your footage and graphics. Also, you should always remove sections that simply last too long. People don't absorb information if they are bored.

Add music! You can create your own, ask a friend, contact musiciens you like to ask for permission to use their music or find creative commun licensed music on the web. Music helps with the pacing and can better engage your viewer.

Need more images? You can find copyright-free footage at sites such as www.archive.org.

* Be sure to not reproduce copyrighted materials. * You can learn more about copyrights and how to find free music or video here

Voice over: Use a good microphone and a quiet room to record narration if you need it. Viewers often find that good audio more important than good video, so make it as clear as possible.

Add a title, credits, and subtitles (if needed). Doing so will make your work look much more finished and professional. Be sure to include your email or website address – these videos may travel around the world and it’s nice if people can get in touch with the person who made them!