Note: For details on how to upload your video to the ePortfolio please refer to the Upload an ePortfolio file or document guide.

Mobile devices and tablets default to a high quality video setting that will produce large file sizes. This significantly increases upload times for videos inside the ePortfolio.  The ePortfolio allows for a maximum file size of 500mb (megabytes). Below you will find recommendations that help address these problems.

Student Video Assessment Showcase

Examples of student videos are available on the Video Assessment Showcase webpage (UQ login required). This webpage shows a range of student video assessment examples from around the University.

Understanding Video File Size

The below table displays the approximate file size for a variety of different video resolutions. As you move down the table the video resolution improves and the size of the file increases.

Video Resolution

Length of Recording

File Size (approximate)

VGA

1 minute

24.1mb

High Definition (HD)

1 minute

88.3mb

1:1

1 minute

110mb

Full High Definition (30FPS)

1 minute

124mb

Full High Definition (60FPS)

1 minute

205mb

Quad High Definition (QHD)

1 minute

182mb

Ultra High Definition (UHD)

1 minute

348mb

Warning: The default video resolution setting on most phones has been set at a minimum of Full High Definition (30FPS) or better. This means that a 10-minute video will produce a file size of just over 1 gigabyte.

Recommended video resolution setting

Recommended resolution: For a standard video submission, we recommend a video resolution setting of VGA. At this setting, a 10-minute video will produce a file size of approximately 240 megabytes.

Maximum resolution: The recommended maximum video resolution is High Definition (HD). At this setting, you can record a maximum of 5 minutes video before the file size becomes too large.

Note: These recommended settings have been chosen as they provide a balance between resolution and file size. The larger the file size the longer the video takes to upload.

How to change your video resolution setting?

In order to change the video resolution setting on your recording device please either refer to the user manual of your device or complete an internet search for instructions.

Example search: “How do I change the video resolution on my iPhone 6?”

Reducing file sizes

Phones

There are a number of free apps available through the Google “Play Store” and the Apple “App Store” that can assist with reducing the size of a recorded video file. Do a search for “Video Compressor” and select one of the free Apps.

Warning: Some of the free Apps only allow you to compress a maximum video length of 10 minutes.

Computers

If you already have your video file on either your PC or MAC there are some free video compression programs available. For MAC users, IMovie can be used to help reduce file sizes. For those using a PC an example of a free program is the open source video transcoder “Handbrake” which will be able to compress your video to provide a smaller file.

Remove excess or unwanted video footage.

You can reduce the overall size of your video file by removing excess or unwanted video footage by using a process called Trimming. For further information on how to trim video footage, refer to the Trim Video Recording guide by Chalk&Wire.

Uploading

The below table gives an indication on approximate upload times for a variety of connection speeds and file sizes.

Warning: The below theoretical upload speeds do not include the processing time required by the ePortfolio to attach the video file. Under test conditions a 200mb video file took approximately 7 minutes to process once uploading was completed.

Video Size (video length)

Upload Speed

Time taken to upload (Approx)

120mb (VGA 5 min)

1 Mbps (home internet)

18 minutes

240mb (VGA 10 min)

1 Mbps (home internet)

35 mins

440mb (HD 5 min)

1 Mbps (home internet)

1 hour 5 mins

880mb (HD 10 min)

1 Mbps (home internet)

2 hours 10 mins

120mb (VGA 5 min)

56 Mbps (eduroam)

20 secs

240mb (VGA 10 min)

56 Mbps (eduroam)

40 secs

440mb (HD 5 min)

56 Mbps (eduroam)

1 mins 15 secs

880mb (HD 10 min)

56 Mbps (eduroam)

2 mins 20 secs

120mb (VGA 5 min)

100 Mbps (uq computer)

10 secs

240mb (VGA 10 min)

100 Mbps (uq computer)

20 secs

440mb (HD 5 min)

100 Mbps (uq computer)

40 secs

880mb (HD 10 min)

100 Mbps (uq computer)

1 min 20 secs

Note:  Upload times are theoretical and are to be used as a guide only. Other factors can influence the upload speeds.

Warning: The above theoretical upload speeds do not include the processing time required by the ePortfolio to attach the video file. Under test conditions a 200mb video file took approximately 7 minutes to process once uploading was completed.

Recommendation:  Students should upload videos to the ePortfolio while they are on Campus and connected to either eduroam or using a UQ computer (fastest option). This will reduce the time it takes to complete the video upload.

Recommendation:  Perform a practice upload prior to uploading your final submission so that you can address any issues that may arise.

Note: For details on how to upload your video to the ePortfolio please refer to the Upload an ePortfolio file or document guide.