Overview
Video files are increasingly becoming one of the most common file types uploaded and shared with Egnyte. With the current Egnyte’s WebUI preview capabilities, users can only preview video formats natively supported for preview in the standard web browser such as MP4 files with H.264 encoding as well as AAC or MP3 encoded audio stream. Video file sizes are often limited to 500MB or less.
Egnyte’s Advanced Video Playback feature supports:
- Additional video formats.
- Previews of video files up to 2GB or 90 minutes replay duration. If the original video exceeds 90 minutes, a banner notifies users when a shortened version of the video is being viewed.
- Video streaming to reduce bandwidth and allow easier content buffering within a video file.
- Video preview on Preview-Only file and Folder links.
Features
Video Streaming
Videos will be available to the user via HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), providing just enough of the video for viewing. The user can click on a different section of the video and the player will skip to the selection as well as buffer the remaining content.
In order to enable video streaming retroactively (for files uploaded before activation of Advance Video Playback), transcoding of video files is triggered at the first preview request for each given file. After transcoding completion, the transcoded video remains immediately available for all subsequent preview requests.
Supported Video Formats
The following video formats are currently supported:
- mov
- avi
- wmv
- mp4
- mpeg
- m4v
Video Resolution
Transcoded videos will be generated at a 720p resolution. Higher-resolution videos will be downscaled, while smaller videos will be kept at their original size.
Maximum Video Size/Length
The maximum size for videos that will be transcoded is 2GB or 90 minutes of video. Files larger than 2GB will not be transcoded.
If the original video exceeds 90 minutes, a banner notifies users when they are viewing a shortened version of the video. Users can choose to download the full video onto their device for uninterrupted viewing.
Video Preview on Preview-Only File and Folder Links
With Advanced Video Playback, video preview is also available for Preview-Only file and folder links (files and folders shared via links with the 'Allow downloads?' settings option set to 'No').
Known Limitations
- Transcoding Speed
The transcoding speed of videos can vary based on factors such as file size and resolution, sometimes taking several minutes. While Egnyte is constantly enhancing transcoding performance, certain video files may temporarily be delivered directly (as full file downloads) to the browser cache, utilizing the browser's built-in video player. This approach aims to enable quicker preview initiation for users, specifically for videos undergoing transcoding.
If the transcoded video is not yet accessible and a native preview is not available, an error message will be displayed. -
Preview Delay
Transcoding videos to another format may take some time to complete and the preview may not be available immediately for video files. Typically, videos can be previewed a few minutes after uploading; however, larger or longer videos will take more time to transcode. -
WebUI Only and Android App
Support for Advanced Video Preview is currently limited to the WebUI. The support of this feature has been added to the Android App (Egnyte 8.12 or higher). iOS support is not available yet.