New Video Player Options in OneDrive & SharePoint
We now have a bunch of new features we can use to make videos more interesting in Microsoft 365
All the options can be seen on the top right of the play if you are the owner of the file or have edit access to the file.
How they work is a little unusual and could do with a bit of clarification
Video Settings
Under video settings you can set assorted options to set option on or off. It is more of a top-level menu to setting features on or off
In there under the About Video drop down you can set a thumbnail image for your video. Either through uploading a separate image file or by selecting a still from the video itself.
Transcriptions and captions
You can set these on or off.
If no transcription file exists currently, you can generate the file (only in English for the moment more languages to come).
This is a useful feature, if there is no transcription file for the meeting and you are the meeting note taker. Generate the file download it to use as a basis of your notes. Delete it afterwards or leave the feature switched off for those consuming you video.
You can also upload transcriptions from other languages. To help accessibility for those of different languages.
The transcription files are just .VTT files that can be opened in a text editor and amended, as necessary. They are simple files with time stamps and words. As we know transcriptions are not yet perfect.
About Video
Clicking the About video on the top right menu displays options to name the file, add a description and see the location of the file.
Chapters
These are markers you can set to different points in your video. To help your audience jump to the specific points of interest in your video. For example, when topics change in a meeting or a change of speakers.
These are set on / Off in the video setting part.
To set chapters click on the chapters option on the right-hand side.
You set chapters by clicking New chapter at the top or clicking on an existing chapter.
You add a description and the time at which your section is to start playing.
To set the time use the playback slider to go through the video to find the right time. The time in the settings will change to match where you are in the video.
You will note in the playback slider that there are breaks in the line to indicate chapter points.
Click the click to accept the chapter or X to cancel it. You can edit existing chapters by hovering over them.
Clicking on the chapter's icon on the right-hand side brings up a side panel to also select the relevant chapter.
Comments
Comments obviously allow people to leave comments on your video and can be set on or off.
When set on people can leave on the menu options for the video appear again on the top right-hand side when the video is played. Note they do not need edit access to the file to leave comments
Comments work the same as commenting on a word file. Emails re sent back and forth as notifications regarding new comments.
Noise Suppression on Playback
If there is a lot of background noise in the video, you can switch on a filter. At the bottom right of the player. Next to the settings cog.
Conclusion
All together a significant improvement and another step toward feature parity with Microsoft Stream Classic.
Note: As of time of writing these features are rolling out so may not yet appear in your Microsoft 365 apps just yet.
