Kaltura Basics

How to Make Video Chapters – Part 1

Kaltura is the video platform used in eLearning@UNG (D2L) to store and server media files (audio and video). The software also automatically creates closed-captions, which require editing by a person to correct errors.

If you have ever uploaded a video to eLearning@UNG (My Media), you have used Kaltura.

If you are not familiar with Kaltura, you will probably want to read some of our previous stories before learning about video chapters.

(myUNG login required) How to Access and use Kaltura

(myUNG login required) How to Closed-Caption Videos with Kaltura

Three Smart ways to use Kaltura

Part 1: Kaltura Video Editing Tool

Add Hotspots to Kaltura Videos


Why Create Video Chapters?

Use video chapters to create an audio slideshow, provide navigation links to sections of a long video or highlight an important section of the media.

This month I’ll show you how to add chapters to your videos without slides (text-only) and with slides (images or PowerPoint slides).

Note: Chapters can only be added to videos uploaded to My Media. They cannot be added to YouTube videos.

Chapters Without Slides

Image of top-left corner of video player showing Navigation Panel.
Open and close the video chapters window by clicking the Navigation Panel icon.

Text-only chapters provide a quick way for students to locate a particular section of a media (audio or video).

Open the chapter window, click a chapter, close the chapter window, and play the media. It will not automatically stop at the next chapter. The media will play until stopped.

Text-only video chapters will not appear on the media when played.

Create Text-Only Chapters

1) Select a media file in your My Media section of eLearning@UNG (D2L).

Screenshot of My Media section of D2L, showing edit (pencil) icon at right of title
Click the edit (pencil) icon.

2) Click the edit (pencil) icon to the right of the media’s title.

3) Click the Timeline link below the media player.

4) Advance the video to the place you would like to create a chapter.

Screenshot of the Chapters interface showing the video player at top, timeline below it, and the Chapter Information below the timeline.
The arrow points to the chapter icon used to create chapters. The circle highlights the chapter being edited. Type a chapter title and description in the Chapter Information box and click Save. Click View in Player to see the changes.

5) Click the chapter icon (top left of the timeline). This will place a chapter (bookmark) icon on the timeline and open the Chapter Information box.

6) Type a chapter Title and a brief Description. Click the blue Save button (right side of Chapter Information box).

7) Click the View in Player button (below the Save button) to update the media player with the saved chapter. Click the chapter Navigation Panel icon (three platters, top left of media player). The Title and Description will be displayed on the media player.

8) To delete a chapter saved to the timeline, click a chapter icon you would like to remove. Click the Delete Chapter link (bottom right) on the Chapter Information box.

The navigation panel (three platters) is located at the top-left of the video panel. Image shows the chapters closed and open.
The Navigation Panel icon (top left corner) of the video player opens and closes the video chapters window.

9) Click the Navigation Panel (top left corner of video player) to open or close the chapters window on the video player. Use the search box to locate a chapter, or simply scroll through the list of chapters.

10) Click a chapter to jump to that section of the media. Click the Navigation Panel icon to close the chapters window. Click the media player image to play the video from the start of the chapter you selected.

Embed the Media

Video Chapters will be visible only when the media is added to a module using the embed code. Using the Insert Stuff icon will load the video without the chapters.

11) In My Media, click the media’s title, click the Details button (below the media player). Click Share.

Image of the My Media video player showing embed code and player size.
Use the embed code when placing Video Chapters in a module.

12) Select an embed code size of about 400 px wide. This will allow students to watch the media on a variety of devices – from cellphones to desktop computers. The media can be viewed larger by using the expand view icon in the media player.

13) Copy the embed code to use the video in an eLearning@UNG (D2L) module.

iPad Bugs

Image of X covering the Navigation Panel
iPad’s Safari browser covers the Navigation Panel (three-platters) icon.

The expand video icon (two arrows, bottom right on the video player) does not work with a Firefox browser on an iPad.

Safari browser users should select a chapter and then close the Navigation Panel before expanding the video to full screen. An X (close window icon) covers the Navigation Panel when expanded.

iPad users can enlarge the page (two-fingers spread apart) to zoom in on the small video player.


Chapters With Slides

Images shows slide images and Navigation Panel icon in the top-left corner of the Video Player.
Click the three-platter icon open the video chapters window.

Add slides to an audio file to create an audio slideshow. Unlike a text-only chapter, a chapter slide will appear on screen when the media is played.

Thumbnails of chapters are visible by clicking the Navigation Panel (three-platters) on the top left corner of the video player. Click a chapter thumbnail to jump to the beginning of that chapter. Close the panel and play the video.

Create a Slideshow with an Audio File and Slides

1) Upload an audio file (MP3, WAV, QuickTime, and other audio formats) to your My Media section of eLearning@UNG (D2L).

Image shows a Goose and her golden egg, with text Chapter 1 of the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs
The slide should contain the chapter number and title.

2) Create individual slides (JPEG, PNG, PDF) with the same dimension. Widescreen sizes (an aspect ratio of 16:9) such as 1920px X 1080px or 1280px X 720px are recommended.

When creating a a “Full Deck” (see step 6) of slides (a multi-slide PowerPoint or multi-page PDF), slides must be either widescreen 1366px X 768px (14.23 in X 8 in), an aspect ratio of 16:9, or standard TV monitor size 1024px X 768px (10.67 in X 8 in), an aspect ratio of 4:3.

Kaltura Video Chapters slides are displayed as small thumbnail images, so make the slide text large.

Add a searchable title, description, and tags to a slide to make it easier to locate. Unlike text-only chapters, only the information on the slide will be visible.

Select the Audio File

Click the pencil (edit) icon.

3) Select the audio file in your My Media section of eLearning@UNG (D2L).

4) Click the edit (pencil) icon to the right of the audio file’s title.

5) Click the Timeline link under the multimedia player located below the Launch Editor button.

Timeline image under the video, on right side. Arrow points to slide upload toggle on bottom-left of timeline.
Click the Timeline link (circled) to open the media’s timeline. An arrow points to the slide icon on the bottom portion of the timeline.

Upload Full Deck

6) Click the down arrow below the slide icon (bottom left of timeline) and choose either a Full Deck (a PowerPoint document with multiple sides or a multi-page PDF) or a Single Slide (one JPEG, PNG or a single PDF image).

When Full Decks are imported, the slides are evenly spaced along the timeline. You can click and drag a slide to a different location on the timeline.

Click on a slide on the timeline to add searchable information, swap out or delete a slide in the Side Information box (see below).

Upload Single Slide

7) Click the down arrow below the slide icon (bottom left of timeline) and select Single Slide (one JPEG, PNG, or a single PDF image) to the timeline at the cursor (red line) location. This opens the Slide Information box.

Note: If you would like to use a single page from a PowerPoint, export the page as a JPEG and import as a single slide.

Slide Information Box

The single slide display contains slide upload (top left), Time and Tags (top right), Slide Information (bottom left) and Save, View in Player and Delete Slide buttons (bottom right).
Upload a slide, add tags, provide a title and caption, and save or delete the information. This information is only used to search for a slide. It does not appear in the slideshow.

8) You can add, edit, swap out or delete a slide using this box. It contains the following:

Screenshot of upload icon on left and picture icon on right
The upload icon on the left and replace a slide icon on right.

Upload Slide – Click the upload icon (left side, with the up arrow) or the picture icon (to replace a slide). Drag an image to the picture icon or click the upload link and navigate to the slide on your computer.

Time and Tags – Change the time and hit Return key to move the slide on the timeline. Click the up or down arrows to move the slide a small amount for exact placement on the timeline. Add tags, separated by commas, to create searchable keywords. Tags do not appear on the slide.

Slide Title and Description – Type the slide title and a brief description. This information is searchable but not visible in Video Chapters slides. Only the slide image and any text on the slide is visible.

Save – Click the Save button and then the View in Player button to update the media slide.

Delete Slide – Click a slide on the timeline and then click the Delete Slide link to remove it from the timeline.

Always use the embed code to add a video with chapters to a module. Video Chapters will not be displayed when placed on a page using Insert Stuff. The video will play without chapters.

Embed the Video

9) In My Media, click the media’s title; then click the Details button (below the media player). Click Share.

Select an embed code size of about 400 px wide. This will allow students to watch the media on a variety of devices.

Screenshot of title page of the Kaltura Video Chapters demo video, showing a sailboat on water at sunset.
Screenshot of a video created with an audio file and slides using Kaltura Video Chapters.

Watch the Videos

Learn More About Kaltura Video Chapters

(on Kaltura.com) The Kaltura Player- Editing/Deleting Chapters and Slides


Next Month in the DETI Digest

How to Make Video Chapters – Part 2: Create a lecture with chapters, slides, and video.