Echo360 Universal Capture (UC) is a cross-platform, simple capture interface that is accessible across both hardware and software, creating a consistent user experience across all capture mediums that allows you to create recordings, then publish them to one or more courses.

In addition to the topics in this section, please refer to the following topics as appropriate for further information:

NOTE that the Universal Capture Device interface is only accessible if single sign-on (SSO) for devices has been enabled for your Institution and is configured on the device. Contact Echo360 support for more information on Device SSO.

System Requirements for Desktop Applications

The following are the minimum specifications for a Universal Capture: Personal or Universal Capture: Classroom installation:

10+ Mbps network interface
4+ GB RAM
20 GB free hard drive space for installation
We recommend an additional 50 GB free hard drive space for content storage.
An internal audio device or USB port for audio capture (audio is required to be configured)

Windows requirements

Windows 10 (64-bit) or higher

Universal Capture is only supported for use with the 64-bit version of Windows 10. If you attempt to install Universal Capture on a 32-bit system, you will encounter the following error:
At least 2 physical cores (or at least 4 virtual cores)

In general, the more cores a processor has, the more things it can do at once. This helps improve performance across everything you do and allows multiple programs to run at the same time, ensuring your computer stays responsive. For example, a quad-core processor would perform better (utilize fewer CPU resources) during a Live Capture than a dual-core processor would.
Intel i5 (3rd generation) or equivalent for:
- Single-channel captures (A, A/D or A/V captures, see Capture Options below)
Intel i7 (3rd generation) or equivalent for:
- Dual-channel captures (A/V/V, A/D/D, or A/D/V captures, see Capture Options below)
Windows Paging File must be enabled.

What is an "equivalent" processor?
An equivalent processor may be either an AMD (or alternative brand) processor or a newer generation Intel processor with similar processing capabilities. For example, a 5th or 6th generation Intel i3 processor may have the same (or better) processing capabilities as the 3rd generation Intel i5.

Mac requirements

Echo360 supports the current major version of macOS as well as the previous two. This includes:

macOS 12 (Monterey) - current
macOS 11 (Big Sur)
macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or higher

Universal Capture is now supported on both Mac Intel and Mac Apple Silicon (M1) processors. However, be advised that there are separate installers provided for each. See Installing Universal Capture Classroom or Installing Universal Capture Personal for more information.

Universal Capture is not supported for use on Virtual Machines or when using Boot Camp on a Mac.

IMPORTANT: When running Universal Capture - Classroom on a Mac, note that for scheduled recordings, a user MUST be logged into the computer in order for inputs to be captured. Best practice is for the instructor to log in prior to beginning the class. Even if they do so after the recording has begun (with blank inputs), the inputs set for the schedule will be recorded after the user logs in.

Browser requirements

Universal Capture: Online and Universal Capture: Device are supported on the latest versions of the following browsers:

Chrome
Firefox
Safari
Edge

Capture inputs

As of the release of macOS 10.15 (Catalina), you will be prompted to allow access to the Audio, Video, and Display inputs. As of the release of macOS 11.0 (Big Sur), a System Administrator account is required to allow access to the Display. See Allowing access to inputs in macOS for further details.

Audio MUST be configured. You can use the built-in soundcard input, a 1/8" line-in/mic-in connection, or a USB-attached audio device (including a microphone on an attached video camera if there is one). Audio levels should be configured on the input to be as high as possible without reaching maximum levels during peaks, which can cause audible distortion during recording.

Display is captured from the local VGA screen buffer and requires no external connection or configuration.

Video can be captured using the built-in web-camera on the computer, or via one or more USB-attached video cameras.

If possible, for externally-attached devices, install only the necessary drivers for the device. Do not install the accompanying application software, as these programs can sometimes interfere with Universal Capture.

Capture options

Universal Capture supports the following input combinations:

Audio (A)
Audio/Video (A/V)
Audio/Display (A/D)
Audio/Display/Video (A/D/V)
Audio/Video/Video (A/V/V)
Audio/Display/Display (A/D/D)

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.

Capture products

Universal Capture can generate the following output:

Classroom Player presentation, including audio and up to two visual inputs (any combination of display/video)
Downloadable mp3 audio-only file
Downloadable SD mp4 file, including audio, display, and/or video
Downloadable HD mp4 file, including audio, display, and/or video

Error logs and recording file locations

If you encounter problems using Universal Capture, you (or your System Administrator) may find it useful to inspect the logs. The log files retain information about the product actions, including errors, which can be helpful when debugging malfunctions or when working directly with Echo360 Technical Support.

The default locations for the logs are:

macOS: /Library/Application Support/Echo360/UniversalCapture/data/logs
Windows: C:/ProgramData/Echo360/UniversalCapture/data/logs

The logs are kept separate from the actual recording media. If you require direct access to the recorded media files, they can be found at:

macOS: /Library/Application Support/Echo360/UniversalCapture/data/saved-content
Windows: C:/ProgramData/Echo360/UniversalCapture/data/saved-content

System Imaging for Windows

Why is there only Imaging information for Windows? Universal Capture on the Mac does not allow for custom installation directories, which will conflict with programs like Faronics Deep Freeze. Universal Capture must be installed to the default Macintosh HD.

When using system imaging or configuration management suites such as Faronics Deep Freeze, you must configure the tool so that Universal Capture is allowed access to key directories and files, and must have capture storage directories that are not automatically purged/cleared by other applications. The critical directories are shown in the table below.

Access needed for...	Default Location	When used
Program files	C:\Program Files\Echo360\UniversalCapture\	during upgrades and patches
Content	C:\ProgramData\Echo360\UniversalCapture\task	temporary location during a capture
Content backup	C:\ProgramData\Echo360\UniversalCapture\data\saved-content	after upload
Configuration files	C:\ProgramData\Echo360\UniversalCapture\config	at any time

Two registry entries are created during the installation of the Universal Capture software. These registry entries do not normally change during the use of Universal Capture.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Echo360\UniversalCapture\DataDir
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Echo360\UniversalCapture\ProgramDir

Firewall Requirements

The default port configurations for Universal Capture are outlined in Device Communication in Echo360 Environment.

Antivirus Requirements

Antivirus software may have to be configured to allow for the use of Universal Capture. See Antivirus software and Universal Capture for more information.