The look and feel of the Player is changing! Upcoming changes are identified in this article by providing screenshots labeled "Old UI" and "New UI".

There are multiple ways to open the Universal Capture (UC) interface to create an ad hoc capture. The New Capture or New Software Capture option in the Create button menu allows you to launch the local installation of Universal Capture on the computer you are using. Which option you see depends on your role and some institution settings. Students and Teaching Assistants will always see New Capture. Instructors will see New Software Capture if the New Device Capture also appears in the Create button menu.

The first section below has procedures for launching the local installation of Universal Capture. The second section below provides instructions for using the UC interface, regardless of how you got there. All Universal Capture interfaces work similarly.

For a quick start guide along with a video showing how to use the Universal Capture recording interface, see Start a Recording with Universal Capture. Otherwise, see the below procedures.

Keep in mind there may be certain limitations and configuration options you should be aware of. See the Additional things to know section of the Creating an Ad Hoc Capture article if needed.

Launching the Local Universal Capture Installation

If you are using the local computer to do the ad hoc recording, use the below instructions to launch Universal Capture.

To launch a local Universal Capture installation for ad hoc capture

1. Log into EchoVideo.
2. Click the Create button in the top navigation bar.
3. Select New Capture or New Software Capture, whichever is available to you.
   
   

   A new tab opens that allows you to Launch Universal Capture or install Universal Capture if it is not already installed on the computer. See Installing the Universal Capture Desktop Application if necessary.

4. Click Launch Universal Capture.
   
5. If a popup box appears, click Open Echo360 Capture to confirm the application you are using. This may only be necessary the first time.
   

The Universal Capture window appears and you may be prompted to log in to your account. See the next section for configuring and launching your ad hoc capture. You may also want to refer to Start a Recording with Universal Capture.

Starting an Ad Hoc Capture using Universal Capture

No matter how you get to a Universal Capture window, the UC interface is the same. The below instructions guide you through each step.

Using the Universal Capture interface for an ad hoc capture

1. When the Universal Capture window appears, notice that the default inputs are showing in each of the panels, along with an audio (VU) meter in the center.
2. Use the Input drop-down lists to select different inputs for each panel - selecting None if you don't want one or either of them (e.g., display only, video only, or audio only - for audio, select Mute only if you are capturing System Audio with a Display input).

   Old UI
   New UI

3. Click the capture title in the top left corner or capture type below the Record button, identified in the figure below to open the Capture Details page.

   Old UI
   New UI

   The Capture Details page appears, containing fields and configuration options as described below the figure.

4. Enter a Title for the capture. This name will be the name of the recording. If you select to publish the capture to a new class, it will also be the name of the class.
5. Description and Tags are optional fields. Complete them if desired.
6. If applicable, enter a Capture Duration for the capture. The default is 60 minutes (1 hour). You can edit this to be more or less. Also, note that the date / time of the next scheduled capture appears below the Duration box.
   

   The Duration field is NOT available when using UC: Personal. UC: Personal does not take a set duration and count down; it will record for as long as you let it. Click Stop when finished to end a UC: Personal recording and upload it to EchoVideo.

7. Select a recording Quality for the capture. The default quality selection depends on the type of device being used (Pro, Pod, UC: Classroom, or UC: Personal) and the type of capture being created (Live or VOD). For detailed information on quality options, see Universal Capture Recording Quality.
   

   BEST PRACTICE: A / D / V, A / V / V, and A / D / D recordings can be processor-intensive. Do test captures to be sure your computer and input devices output a quality that meets your standards.

8. Select a Publish To location, identifying where you want the ad hoc capture to be published when it is finished. The drop-down list will include your Library and any currently active sections you are enrolled in.
9. If applicable, select a Class option. If you have selected an active course / section to publish to, you will then be able to choose to either create a new class or publish to a pre-existing class. If publishing to a NEW class, the class name will match the title given for the capture.
10. Select the Live Stream checkbox to stream the capture live (in real-time) to students. YOU MUST publish to a course to perform a Live stream. The class in the course provides the means for students to view the stream.
11. When finished, click SAVE.
    

    You are returned to the main preview page. Take this opportunity to confirm or change your input selections if needed.

    Old UI
    New UI

     

12. When you are ready to launch the capture, click the red Record button in the center of the screen, identified in the above figure.

IMPORTANT: Users are not limited in any way to specific quality options. If you are planning to stream the capture Live, we do NOT recommend selecting Highest Quality; live streaming performance is likely to suffer, particularly for users with lower or shared bandwidth.

You will see a short countdown. When it finishes, your recording will start.

The capture will continue for the duration you set until you click the Stop button, OR until the next scheduled capture for that room / device is set to begin. If you attempt to set the duration of your ad hoc capture beyond the start time of the next scheduled capture, you will receive a warning notifying you of the conflict. You are given the option of generating the ad hoc capture for the truncated duration instead, or canceling and selecting a different room.