Adding Video to a Blog - Converting Video to Run Off Your Computer

This is the humorous Web 2.0/Blogging video I showed at the in-service. Now, as long as YouTube is unblocked or you are reading this away from school, the above video should play. However, as we all know, the filter is alive and working quite well, and we've had some technical issues with the server, as well. Having said all that, I want to show you how to embed a video in your blog at home so it can be played independent of the server. Believe it or not, YouTube does have some good material worth using.

If YouTube was unblocked, then all you would need to do is copy the 'embed' code from the upper right side of the YouTube screen and place that in the post like I did above, and the video would play in your blog. Don't alter any of the code, just cut and paste. However, since the the video runs off YouTube when you embed the code, if YouTube is blocked on the server, the video won't play. Follow me?

So here's a great alternative to this problem. I shared several video conversion sites with Adam, and we experienced problems with several of them. He did a bit of research, and kindly showed me this:

vixy.net

All you do is paste the URL address from the YouTube video in the box at the top of the screen and choose MOV for Mac (MPEG + MP3) (I've only done this on a Mac) and click Start. As long as there are no server issues, the movie will convert to a format that can be run directly off your computer and not YouTube. Then, click on the video icon on the post board (the top right icon), click Choose (to browse your computer for the file), enter the title, agree to the terms, and presto... the video will be uploaded to your blog and is not dependent on YouTube. As well, you can simply run that video from your computer in class (if you're not posting to a blog).

There are multiple benefits of this. The most obvious is that you don't have to worry about the filter. The next is that it allows students access ONLY to that movie and not all the peripheral ads and potentially inappropriate videos that can be displayed on any given YouTube page.

The downside? Well, you'll have to do this when the filter is off or at home.

If you use vixy, I suggest you do it at home with broadband or high speed. The server here doesn't seem to like vixy that much. But when I tried this at home, it happened quite quickly until my Internet died - go figure.

I like vixy. It has it's quirks, like all technology does. When I initally tried it, I got an error message saying the server was too busy. After about 5 tries - 1 a minute - I got the video converted. Before my Internet died at home (we live on top of a hill and the Internet is subject to the quirks of the weather), the conversion was happening quickly. In short, video conversion can be quick. It is simple. I like that! :)