Mr. Kimmel’s Pod

I have just made three screencast tutorials about how to download, extract, and install the necessary .dll file to make Audacity work when exporting (through LAME) to MP3 format.

I just found out that the Windows Media Video (.wmv) format is not suported on this site. That means I will have to find a format converter to make compatible file types such as .avi or .mov. Be back in a while!

 OK! I found a program called MMconvert from the sourceforge network. It seems easy to install and use. I have converted my tutorials to AVI files and uploaded them to this page. Let’s see if they work!

The reason you see no video link is that they did not work properly. Something about QuickTime not recognizing the commpression of the file.

Now let’s try a .flv file conversion to see if it takes. Last try before I resort to PowerPoint!

It works! I had to install the Riva FLV Encoder 2.0 from Download.com to do the final conversion. Final conversion? Yeah, by the time I uploaded the final working file, I had converted the original 5 times trying to find something that works. What a hassle! I hope our instructor has an easier way to do this. I may be restricting myself by trying to remain with PodBean. Other sites on the web might accept .wmv files for upload.

Any way, here is what I had to do to make this work.

1. Record screencast with Windows Media Encoder 9

2. Convert .wmv (version 9) to .wmv (v7 or v8) with SC Video Converter {next encoder will not accept v9}

3. Convert .wmv (v7 or v8) to .flv with Riva FLV Encoder

4. Upload to PodBean and insert into this page

It is no good for using as a tutorial, the video is too small. You would also have to have a player that recognized .flv files.

Well, here is to a first try at video!

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I have found two new (to me) toys to record audio and encode directly to mp3, and screencast on my own. The first is Audacity - an open source sound recording program with many good tools to create high quality recordings. You do need to download the encoding (.dll) {stored in a .zip file} from winLAME for a one-time load to Audacity. Then it is off to making your own .mp3 recordings. The second is Windows Media Encoder (I know, it’s a Microsoft product){authentication of a genuine version of Microsoft OS is required}. WMEncoder allows you to capture up to 30fps “video” of either the whole screen or a user selected screen. Audio for the screencast is either through a line input, mic, or imported audio file. You can also broadcast a live event, capture audio or video, or convert an audio or video file. The output is always a Windows Media File of some sort. I have yet to really play with the media encoder, but I have given Audacity a try and it is awesome for a newby like me.

OK. I now have a vehicle for getting my voice onto the Web. How do I get more content (real substance, not just me rambling) than just the measly minute that the MS Sound Recorder has to offer? For Free? I want to accomplish this feat with no currency exchanged, no promises made that I can’t keep, and no special effort on my part. I want the average 13-year-old to be able to make their own way, (in a controlled, safe environment) and come out the other side with web-based artifacts to give evidence of their abilities and understanding. I also want them to have fun! Maybe like this…

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24 April 07 - That was hilarious! I recorded and encoded that clip using only the generic MS Sound Recorder on my XP box. Now for #2! This time I am using the sound recorder only for the .wav output, then I am using LAME for the encoding to .mp3. Let’s give it a go!  I like the feel of this site. It is akin to Wordpress.com, I just wish it would offer some of the same functionality without the price tag (modest as that is). If I were king for the day, I would also incorporate an easy-to-use recording device such as the one on podcastpeople.com. I prefer this type of page editor though. It is easy to use, and that is what I want for my students - even though some of them probably have more technical savvy than I. But, for the average person, this is an easy-to-use site. So, let’s see how the new .mp3 took. 

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23 April 07 - Learning another venue for promoting education through available technologies.

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