What type of video file should I export and how do I submit it?

There are a number of guides and tips available on our website under the drop-down menu item "How To."  The two file types that you can use for upload into the SCM system are MPEG-2 and MP4.  If you have a DVD of your video, you can easily pull an MPEG-2 out of it following the steps listed in this tutorial... http://seattlecommunitymedia.org/books/creating-mpeg-2. 

When you export either an MPEG-2 or MP4, your files size should be roughly 2-3GBs for a half hour show, 3-4GB for an hour long show.  You can change bitrates and things to maximize your video quality, but you should keep you finished files to those sizes. 

Keep in mind downloading on your computer at home is much faster than uploading.  You already know this if you upload video to YouTube, etc.  Uploading a show will likely take several hours.  Many people start an upload just before going to sleep at night.                  

The video submission process is essentially a two step process.  First, you need to get your video to the SCM server.  This is done by using the FTP for remote upload, or by coming into the SCM Community Room and loading it directly onto the server.  The reason for the FTP is the large size of these video files.   The second step is when you use the SCM website to create a new episode for your series.  Always starting with a new "New Episode" page, you fill out all the data pertaining to your video, then link to your video file and submit.  Be sure to change your video file extension if needed by following the directions on the page. 

If you realize you made a mistake after submitting, do not delete the old file!  Change the video file's title by at least one character, then make a new "New Episode' page with a slightly different title from the title of the first attempt.  Fill out the data, link to the video file and submit.  If you want something deleted, let us know and we will delete it.  But keep in mind, no two "items" can have the same title.  The system cannot make a choice between to same-named items.  Even when things are deleted there are little references to the files that were added that remain.