Echo360: Universal Capture

Contents

This article will explain how to download and install Echo 360 Universal Capture (personal).

Universal capture is a cross-platform, simple capture application for recording educational videos. Universal capture is replacing the current personal capture application. Downloads of the current personal capture software will be disabled on 30th August 2019. Echo360 will stop supporting personal capture from January 2020. We recommend all staff using Echo360 personal capture move to the new universal capture application as soon as possible.

Before recording, please ensure you read our ‘top tips for recording content‘ guide. This guide is aimed at tutors and clinicians recording learning & teaching materials using a desktop computer or laptop. It includes some simple tips, such as setting up your equipment and recording environment, to produce the best possible quality for your recordings.

For teaching content delivered via PowerPoint presentations, please use the HYMS template. To ensure content is accessible, please be sure to enter text into the title text boxes on every slide. Click on the link above and enter your HYMS email account details to access the slides. From file choose to download a copy to save your own version on your desktop to edit. Please contact help@hyms.ac.uk if you do not have HYMS log in details and need to be sent the template directly.

Please also note that audio from your device will not be picked up by any recording (such as an embedded video in a PowerPoint).

Downloading Echo360 Universal Capture

IMPORTANT: To download and install Universal Capture on your computer you must have an Echo 360 account and admin rights on the computer you wish to install it on. To create an account firstly navigate to an Echo360 video link for a Blackboard course area (such as a video recording in ‘year 1 foundation of medicine’ in the MBBS Year 1 Blackboard course).

This action will automatically create your Echo360 account (if not already created) and will also mean that that particular section of video recordings for that course area will be visible as an option to you to publish to in Echo360 (otherwise you will not see it as an option to publish to when you set where to publish your recording).

Repeat this step to have other sections of videos for Blackboard course areas appear in your list of options for publishing. Please contact the Learning Enhancement and Support team if you need further guidance.

Log on to the Echo360 Active Learning Platform.
To download Echo360 personal capture, click the gear icon. From the drop-down menu select Downloads.
On the Downloads page, locate Universal Capture: Personal, and select the installer for the type of operating system installed on your computer (Mac/Windows).

Please note universal capture is only available for Windows 10 (64bit)
Your web browser will ask you if you want to open the installer file. Select Run or Save File to get started with the installation process.
Your computer will then ask where you would like to save the installation package. Select a location and click Save to continue.
Open the Echo360 Capture Installer file on your computer, and then open the Install Echo360 Capture (personal) installation package.
The installation wizard will now be open on your Computer. Click Continue to begin the process and follow the prompts as presented.
After completing the installation wizard, the software will be installed. You may now close the installation wizard and launch the Echo360 capture software.

Universal Capture Quick Start Guide

Echo360 universal capture allows users to capture video from both their webcam and desktop simultaneously. Prior to recording, you can select which video inputs you wish to use. The Echo360 Capture software does not have editing, or the ability to save offline copies.

Open Echo360 Capture on your machine and click to login.
You will be prompted to login at which point the default browser launches, requesting your email address (this should look like hy****@hyms.ac.uk). You will then be further prompted to log in with your username (this should look like hy****).
Click SUBMIT and enter your password. Once logged in you’ll be taken back to the Echo360 capture. The graphic below explains the Echo360 capture interface.

Universal Capture Create a Recording

Select the inputs you want to capture. You can select to capture both the computer screen and any video inputs (such as a webcam).

Universal Capture will initially preselect inputs for you based on any available devices and then remember the last inputs chosen.
Preview the inputs on the screen, to be sure they will record properly. Make sure you have sufficient audio quality.
Click the pencil icon (in the top left of the interface). This will open the Capture Details page where you can give your presentation a title and select which course you would like to publish the video to. You can also choose to publish to your own personal library if you are not yet ready to publish to a course. Click Save to confirm any changes. If you don’t, default information will be used.
Click Record. A countdown (5 seconds) appears after which the Universal Capture window minimizes and the capture begins.
When you have finished your recording, click Finish.

Please note that captures are immediately available to students when published from Universal Capture (unless you choose to publish to your personal content area / library from the drop-down menu when setting up the recording session).