About Opencast recording

The Pearl supports scheduled events, recurring events, and unscheduled ad hoc recordings. Scheduled events start and end automatically. No manual intervention is required. After the event ends, recorded files automatically upload to Opencast. Backup recordings are also saved locally on Pearl. If the network connection or the CMS goes down during an event, Pearl continues to record locally and uploads the recording when network connectivity resumes.

Pearl Mini and Pearl Nano - A large capacity (256 GB or more)  SD card (or a large capacity SATA M.2 2280 SSD on Pearl Nano) must be installed to record events. Do not remove the SD card while files are uploading to Panopto.

Administrators can:

• Set Opencast ad hoc event parameters, Set Opencast ad hoc event parameters.
• Change the extend event button time allotment in 5, 10, and 15 minute intervals, see Set the extend Opencast CMS event interval.

• Create ad hoc events, see Create ad hoc events using the Admin panel.
• View the Events page to see all upcoming scheduled sessions and completed sessions, see View scheduled CMS events and history.
• Download local recordings for a channel, see Recover channel backup recordings.
• Start and stop scheduled events before the scheduled time, see Start/stop scheduled CMS events using the Admin panel.
• Extend and pause scheduled events, see Extend or pause CMS recordings and webcasts.

General Information

• Starting or stopping a scheduled VOD event before the scheduled start or stop time does not change the event into an ad hoc event.
• Pearl Mini must be registered with Opencast to record and stream Opencast events, see Enable CMS and register with Opencast.
• Scheduled events have priority over ad hoc events. If an ad hoc event is still in progress when it's time to start a scheduled event, the ad hoc event is stopped and the scheduled event starts.
• Scheduled VOD events automatically start recording locally on Pearl Mini even If the network is down or Opencast is unavailable. After the session ends, the locally recorded files upload automatically to Opencast when the network link to Opencast is re-established.
• If the network connection is lost during a file upload to Opencast, the transfer automatically restarts when the network connection re-establishes.
• If Pearl Mini loses power while a scheduled event is being recorded, the recording stops. If Pearl Mini is powered back on before the scheduled end time for the event, recording of the scheduled event restarts automatically and a second set of files are created. When the event ends, the files are automatically uploaded to Opencast.
• If Pearl Mini was unavailable on the network or powered down and misses a scheduled event, the status of that event appears as Skipped on the Events page in the Admin panel.
• Do not use AFU or configure recording file size, type and other channel recording settings when CMS is enabled on Pearl Mini.

Pearl-2, Pearl Mini, and Pearl Nexus information

• Each Pearl Mini channel is treated as a separate video source that Opencast users can select when scheduling an event in Opencast.
• Do not use the Single Touch recording control when CMS is enabled.
• You can start and stop events earlier than the scheduled time, as well as pause an event using either the Admin panel or the touch screen on Pearl Mini, as well as create ad hoc events.
• Use multiple Pearl Mini channels to get multiple views for a Opencast event. Each channel is treated as a separate video source. Using the Admin panel, Pearl Mini administrators can configure channels on Pearl Mini for multiple source recordings.
  • Pearl-2 - configure up to six channels
  • Pearl Mini - configure up to three channels
  • Pearl Nexus - configure up to three channels
  • For example, if you have a main camera and a presentation laptop that you want to capture as a multiple source recording, you'd create two channels on Pearl Mini: one for the main camera and another one for the presentation laptop. To learn how to create a channel, see Channel configuration.
• For ad hoc events, the default name of the multi-view file includes the date and start time of the event. For example: 2019-07-15 08:00. A more intuitive name can be entered when the ad hoc event is created.
• For more information on using the touchscreen on Pearl Mini to start, stop, pause, and create events, see CMS event controls using the touch screen.
• To monitor a channel during an event, you can display the Channel view on Pearl Mini's touch screen, see Channel monitoring using the touch screen. You can also monitor channels using the Admin panel. You can even monitor channels directly on the Events screen using the touch screen, see View scheduled CMS events and history.
• For multiple-source Opencast events that are manually stopped or have ended, if you use the Admin panel to delete a locally saved recording for any channel on Pearl Mini that hasn't yet uploaded to Opencast as part of the multiple-source event, that event remains in the In Progress state indefinitely in Opencast.