FAQ for Supporting New Youth Curriculum Digital Media

Forwarded from FMG this week... A Very Consistent Theme to me. If you have all new stuff, good for you, congratulations - if you have old stuff... well make do.... STS can determine local needs, but there is NO funding of anything. To me this message indicates that while the FMG has had their budgets slashed in an effort to make up for an unknown issue due to the change in Missionary ages, now LUBA is being offered up to FIX the FMG problem that has existed for years. Gary, does the below seem to indicate that LUBA be used to supplement the difference? You make the call!

Nothing about the future. If Local units go out and spend their own money will it be compatibile with what the Church does in the near future? Not only are we now using Local Funds to make up for FMG, but our decisions may actually end up costing us more in the long run.


--------------------------Forwarded Message Begins--------------------------
(Proposed full-length article to be added to clerksupport.lds.org and linked to in the newsletter – still requires technical editing.)

Supporting New Youth Curriculum Digital Media FAQs

On January 1, 2013, leaders and teachers involved in teaching Young Women and Young Men will be using a new online curriculum called Come, Follow Me (learn more here). An integral part of this new curriculum is the use of digital media, such as videos, as a resource for teachers during lessons.

Technology specialists are likely to get questions about supporting digital media during youth lessons, such as how to acquire videos, whether or not to use the Internet in the meetinghouse to stream videos, and what equipment is necessary and available.

What is the most important recommendation on how to play videos in the meetinghouse?

We strongly recommend that teachers download videos prior to using them in a lesson, either on a personal portable device (such as a laptop or tablet), or onto a USB flash drive for playback on a USB player or a TV with USB video playback capabilities (more to follow on these topics).

Should teachers use the Internet in meetinghouses to stream videos live from the youth curriculum website?

While this is a tempting option, we do not recommend that teachers rely on Meetinghouse Internet to play videos live while in a lesson. Many buildings do not have adequate bandwidth to support live video playback; in addition, with the potential of multiple teachers attempting to stream videos at the same time during youth lessons, it is highly likely that live video streaming will not be successful but will result in pausing and freezing, which will detract from the spirit of the lesson.

What about videos that are not downloadable due to copyright restrictions?

If a video is not downloadable (a small number are not, because of copyright restrictions), it may be streamed wirelessly, but this is highly susceptible to problems. Available bandwidth varies drastically based on location, time of day, and how many people are connected.

Two things that can improve chances of streaming success:
1. Use a wired network connection instead of wireless whenever possible.
2. Ensure sufficient IP addresses are available for all devices that may be attempting to connect at a particular building. Critical devices such as a clerk computer or even a teacher’s personal device can be given a static IP address, if needed.

Two additional things we are working on that we believe will help:
1. Improving filtering: We have been asked to improve controls over what can be accessed. Focus is being placed on providing access only to sites that help fulfill the mission of the Church. As people have access to less sites, less bandwidth will be taken up on things that are not Church-related.
2. Allowing local units to control who has access during important Internet-based events and when bandwidth is scarce.

Care should be taken to test media before it is actually attempted in a class in exactly the same way it will be used. It is recommended that streaming tests be conducted in meetinghouses during peak usage times.

Please keep in mind that YouTube is blocked by the standard Church firewall used in meetinghouses, so teachers should not rely on streaming YouTube videos live in the meetinghouse.

What is the expectation of the technology specialist’s role in supporting video playback within the new youth curriculum?

• Determine what audio/visual equipment currently exists in meetinghouses for use by teachers
• Ensure equipment is in working order
• Help determine wants and expectations of youth curriculum teachers – strategize on feasibility of meeting those expectations, or reset expectations to what is practical
• Train people on how to use equipment

Ecclesiastical leaders may assign others to assist you in this effort. Even the youth themselves may be able to assist instructors with using digital media.

Is the use of videos within the youth curriculum considered a requirement or a nice addition?

Though official Church media can be an excellent addition to any Church class, including those based on the new youth curriculum, please keep in mind that it is not a requirement for a successful, Spirit-filled lesson. When technology does not work in the way it is intended, it can distract from a lesson more than it helps. It is true, however, that the general direction of Church curriculum is trending toward the use of more multimedia content.

How can teachers make use of their own personal portable devices (such as laptops and tablets) to present videos?

One of the simplest solutions for showing video content in class is to download the media to a personal device such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. For small classes (1-4 students), the video can be played directly from a laptop or tablet (smartphones are too small to be practical for group playback). For larger classes, these devices can be connected to TVs or projectors. Audio should also be provided (more to follow on these topics). In most cases teachers would be expected to provide the audio and video cables to connect their personal device to the available display and sound equipment.

If a teacher does not own a personal portable device, what other options are available?

Our strongest recommendation is to download youth curriculum videos to a USB flash drive. These drives are inexpensive – for example, a Sony 16GB USB flash drive is available from amazon.com (click here) for $12.62 USD, and that size can likely hold the entire years’ worth of youth curriculum videos. Once the videos are downloaded onto the USB flash drive, two options are available for playback:

1. Plug the USB flash drive into a USB player, such as the Western Digital WD TV Live media player (click here). Connect the Western Digital device to a display device (TV or projector), using either the composite or HDMI output.
2. Plug the USB flash drive into a flat-panel TV with a USB port that is capable of video playback. The likely new meetinghouse standard for flat-panel TV’s is the LG series of LED screens that allow for direct video playback from a USB flash drive plugged into the back.

Is there a website from which to download all of the youth curriculum videos at once?

This website is currently being constructed and should be available soon. This will be a great resource for teachers, allowing for all videos to be downloaded at once and stored either on a personal device or a USB flash drive.

Is there a way to utilize existing older audio/visual equipment, or do Church units need to purchase all new equipment?

Many meetinghouses still have older CRT (tube) TVs, which only offer either coax or composite inputs. While it is possible to purchase scan converter devices that could convert a VGA signal from a laptop to allow connection to the CRT TV, the easiest solution may be the Western Digital Live TV USB player (click here for more details), which provides a composite output (as well as HDMI). Most projectors in meetinghouses should offer a VGA input.

At this time, there is no formal initiative in place to upgrade existing meetinghouse audio/visual equipment on a Church-wide basis. Local units, however, may consider their own needs and determine the appropriate course of action.

What are the recommended audio solutions?

Special attention should be paid to providing adequate audio output when playing back videos. If students are unable to properly hear the audio portion of the playback, the effectiveness of the video will be greatly reduced. Recommended solutions include:

• Speakers on a personal device (laptop or tablet) – only for small classes with 1-4 students
• Speakers on TVs (CRTs or flat panels)
• Personal computer speakers connected to the headset jack of the personal device
• EJ-8 or EJ-10 (commonly called the “crab box”) connected to the room sound systems often available to the Relief Society, Primary, Priesthood, cultural hall, and chapel

A new audio device will soon become available for meetinghouses that will basically be a simplified crab box the size of a standard wall plate that will offer a 3.5mm headset input jack, which will be installed directly on the wall in rooms with built-in audio systems, such as the Relief Society room. This will make it very simple for teachers to connect from the audio output of their personal device into the wall plate using a common 3.5mm audio cable for immediate and simple audio output.

What newer audio/visual equipment is recommended?

A new list of recommended standard meetinghouse audio and visual equipment is currently being finalized, along with purchasing guidelines and methods.

How many display devices (TVs or projectors) will be needed per meetinghouse?

Technology specialists are encouraged to work with local leaders to determine a reasonable number, based on the expected simultaneous use of video playback in youth and other classes, tempered by what is reasonable and practical.

One thing to note with the LG series of TVs is that some of the models out-of-the-box won't play videos from a USB stick.

We have the 32LK455C and the 32LD450 - and the LD450 didn't support video, until I applied a remote hack using a universal remote to unlock a service menu to enable video support.

dannykos,

I just reviewed some youtube hacks and will try this on our TV's... that was my biggest complaint that even our new LCD tv's weren't going to support these files. In my stake I have an LG 32DL450 I suspect we purchase that one in my FMG because of cost.

It's pretty easy to be honest - just need to get the correct codes & password. If you get stuck let me know, and I'll send you the instructions I found.

JohnShaw wrote:Gary, does the below seem to indicate that LUBA be used to supplement the difference? You make the call!

It does seem to be that way. Especially under this question.

JohnShaw wrote:Is there a way to utilize existing older audio/visual equipment, or do Church units need to purchase all new equipment?

Many meetinghouses still have older CRT (tube) TVs, which only offer either coax or composite inputs. While it is possible to purchase scan converter devices that could convert a VGA signal from a laptop to allow connection to the CRT TV, the easiest solution may be the Western Digital Live TV USB player (click here for more details), which provides a composite output (as well as HDMI). Most projectors in meetinghouses should offer a VGA input.

At this time, there is no formal initiative in place to upgrade existing meetinghouse audio/visual equipment on a Church-wide basis. Local units, however, may consider their own needs and determine the appropriate course of action.

However, this seems to indicate that there is additional guidance coming forward. Hopefully it will address the funding issue as well.

JohnShaw wrote:What newer audio/visual equipment is recommended?

A new list of recommended standard meetinghouse audio and visual equipment is currently being finalized, along with purchasing guidelines and methods.

JohnShaw wrote:Nothing about the future. If Local units go out and spend their own money will it be compatible with what the Church does in the near future? Not only are we now using Local Funds to make up for FMG, but our decisions may actually end up costing us more in the long run.

I think the guidelines alluded to in the above question will solve the issue of comparability as long as units stay with the recommended standard equipment.

JohnShaw wrote:How many display devices (TVs or projectors) will be needed per meetinghouse?

Technology specialists are encouraged to work with local leaders to determine a reasonable number, based on the expected simultaneous use of video playback in youth and other classes, tempered by what is reasonable and practical.

This will be the key making sure we meet needs without going over board.

It very well may end up that activities in wards and stakes will end up being reduced in order to purchase AV equipment for the new curriculum. The worst thing about using LUBF will be where the portion of the LUBA the funds come from. The only place to take it from is the YM, YWs and primary allowance as that's where the bulk of the allowance goes and is also the areas where leaders have some flexibility, funding long term camps.

Gary_Miller wrote:The worst thing about using LUBF will be where the portion of the LUBA the funds come from. The only place to take it from is the YM, YWs and primary allowance as that's where the bulk of the allowance goes and is also the areas where leaders have some flexibility, funding long term camps.

I don't see how taking funds from youth is the only possibility. You can tighten the budget in any area -- reduce the ward Christmas party, the RS birthday dinner, the printed ward directories, etc. There are certainly some areas that are difficult to cut, but by no means are the youth budgets the only areas that could be cut.

dannykos wrote:We have the 32LK455C and the 32LD450 - and the LD450 didn't support video, until I applied a remote hack using a universal remote to unlock a service menu to enable video support.

The question becomes why was it locked? I suspect it was so the manufacturer didn't have to pay for a codec needed to play the videos. If so, one has to question how honest this would be. The unit would not be properly licensed for what we're using it for.

But the codec must be there in order to play the files as I did? Anyhow, unless someone can show that this is prohibited we'll carry on using it this way.

dannykos wrote:But the codec must be there in order to play the files as I did? Anyhow, unless someone can show that this is prohibited we'll carry on using it this way.

Yes, the codec must be there. But why it was disabled is the question - was it licensing or was the manufacturer trying to control the features of a lesser model?

aebrown wrote:I don't see how taking funds from youth is the only possibility. You can tighten the budget in any area -- reduce the ward Christmas party, the RS birthday dinner, the printed ward directories, etc. There are certainly some areas that are difficult to cut, but by no means are the youth budgets the only areas that could be cut.

I don't disagree the could be other areas to take from as well. I used the term "only youth" do to the fact the youth programs are the largest percent of the budget and have the flexibility of doing other things to raise funds for camps which could free up LUBA funds for other things. I can think of many other areas where I would cut first, starting at the stake level, I just don't think the response would be very favorable.

I noted elsewhere that as far as those that cannot be downloaded due to copyright issues, chances are at least some of those are on other DVD sets that were produced some time ago and may still be available. An example I think is 'Those Who are Wise', for the December unit of the youth curriculum, it is found on the CES New Testament Media DVDs I think.

It is possible a couple of Mormon Messages may not be downloadable either, if that proves to be the case a good and reasonable substitute is to find the original Conference talk that was used and cue up the portion that was used for the video the talk segment was used for, most meetinghouses have a set of the Conference DVDs for the last few years at least, they started printing those in April 2001. All recent Conferences are also online at generalconference.lds.org so those are all downloadable as well.

It's great to see the proposed content that needs to be published about digital media. I'm working on a help file that will hopefully clear up a few things, such as how to put media on a smartphone or tablet, how to burn a DVD, and so forth. I'll refer to the content you wrote here to make sure all of these topics are addressed.

Right now the main solution is to bring the media into the meetinghouse through existing devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets) that members may already have rather than have any FM group purchase equipment or recommend to members that they purchase equipment. A group will be adding some basic information to the Youth Curriculum page about playing media, but it probably won't be as up front and detailed as your proposal is.

When I have a draft of the help material for review, I'll push it out to this group.

johnsonth wrote:...how to burn a DVD...

That part's easy, *IF* the church can provide us with all the needed files, or better yet, a couple of ISO's all ready to go. IMO, DVD's are the simplest way to play AV files on the vast majority of equipment already in place in the meetinghouses, without having to burden the church or local budgets with large upgrade expenses.

johnsonth wrote:It's great to see the proposed content that needs to be published about digital media. I'm working on a help file that will hopefully clear up a few things, such as how to put media on a smartphone or tablet, how to burn a DVD, and so forth. I'll refer to the content you wrote here to make sure all of these topics are addressed.

Right now the main solution is to bring the media into the meetinghouse through existing devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets) that members may already have rather than have any FM group purchase equipment or recommend to members that they purchase equipment. A group will be adding some basic information to the Youth Curriculum page about playing media, but it probably won't be as up front and detailed as your proposal is.

When I have a draft of the help material for review, I'll push it out to this group.

johnsmith,

Please understand, my original post came from the FMG to all Stake Presidents and Stake PFR's (no STS were included) - the indication was that this was officially from the Church, or soon would be. This is not my own invention... just wanted to be sure that was clarified.

Is anyone else having trouble downloading the .zip files of the collected videos?
I have attempted from home, the chapel and my job and the aaronic priesthood .zip file fails.
Does anyone have a list of the .zip contents?
Thanks,

mervson wrote:Is anyone else having trouble downloading the .zip files of the collected videos?
I have attempted from home, the chapel and my job and the aaronic priesthood .zip file fails.

It took a while, but I was able to download it.

mervson wrote:Does anyone have a list of the .zip contents?

Here's the contents:

JohnShaw wrote:Please understand, my original post came from the FMG to all Stake Presidents and Stake PFR's (no STS were included) - the indication was that this was officially from the Church, or soon would be. This is not my own invention... just wanted to be sure that was clarified.

I've been looking for an official publication or release of the article quoted in the OP. Is anyone aware if this has been done?

danpass wrote:I've been looking for an official publication or release of the article quoted in the OP. Is anyone aware if this has been done?

If what was quoted in the OP was sent to our FMG, the FMG chose not to forward it on to the stake presidents in our area.

I am trying to remember if I saw it anywhere else except in that post.

danpass wrote:I've been looking for an official publication or release of the article quoted in the OP. Is anyone aware if this has been done?

Our local FMG director is a very good communicator, and I've not heard from him anything like the message in the OP.

My FM sent the following message to all stake presidents, bishops, and branch presidents in his service area.

Date: January 2, 2013, 11:15:26 AM CST
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Church AV equipment supporting new youth curriculum

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

Regarding available audio visual equipment in our meetinghouses and how is can support the new youth curriculum. We recently received some information from the IT Department of the church, regarding use of digital media in supporting the new youth curriculum. Below are important points to consider in how digital media and associated existing audio visual equipment can be used:

- Though official Church digital media can be an excellent addition to any Church class, including those based on the new youth curriculum, please keep in mind that it is not a requirement for a successful, Spirit-filled lesson. When technology does not work in the way it is intended, it can distract from a lesson more than it helps. It is true, however, that the general direction of Church curriculum is trending toward the use of more multimedia content.

- Regarding the use of internet to teach a lesson: While this is a tempting option, we do not recommend that teachers rely on Meetinghouse Internet to play videos live while in a lesson. Many buildings do not have wireless internet throughout building, and others may not have adequate bandwidth to support live video playback; in addition, with the potential of multiple teachers attempting to stream videos at the same time during youth lessons, it is highly likely that live video streaming will not be successful but will result in pausing and freezing, which will detract from the spirit of the lesson. Showing live internet media is susceptible to many variables such as location, time of day, how many people are connected to both the wireless internet and the church servers (Sunday can be a busy day on the internet).

- If digital media is going to be used we strongly recommend that teachers download videos prior to using them in a lesson, either on a DVD, a personal portable device (such as a laptop or tablet), or onto a USB flash drive for playback on a USB player or a TV with USB video playback capabilities, or a video projector. You might consider having someone in the ward/branch download available videos to a series of DVD’s that can be available for checkout in the meetinghouse materials center.

- Though AV equipment is standardized, meetinghouse televisions vary in age and capability. All meetinghouses have televisions with DVD players that can play a downloaded video on a DVD. Many meetinghouses have a newer flat screen television(s) that has a USB player that can read a downloaded video from a USB flash drive. Many meetinghouses have a video projector and screen that will support a personal device such as a laptop to show a downloaded video. We have recently purchased a new device that will connect to older televisions that has a USB player that can read a downloaded video from a USB flash drive (generally these devices will be distributed in the month of January for those locations without a flats screen television(s), and may supplement older televisions at locations where a flat screen television(s) already exists, on a needs basis).

- If a video is not downloadable (a small number are not, because of copyright restrictions), it may be streamed wirelessly if wireless internet is available, but this is highly susceptible to problems. Not all meetinghouses have wireless coverage throughout the entire building.

- Downloading media to a personal device such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. For small classes (1-4 students), the video can be played directly from a personal laptop or tablet (smartphones are too small to be practical for group playback). For larger classes, these personal devices can be connected to TVs or projectors. Teachers would be expected to provide the audio and video cables (and speakers if needed) to connect their personal device to the available display and sound equipment.

- At this time, there is no formal initiative in place to upgrade existing meetinghouse audio/visual equipment on a Church-wide basis. However, we have tried to provide means for displaying digital media in a classroom setting in our meetinghouses.


I foresee that there could be many questions regarding this (as there was in my ward) and thought some initial guidance on what equipment is available and how it can be used would be helpful to you.

Thank you,

Sr. Facilities Manager

To the people in charge of curriculum:

Please print a full teacher's manual and make DVDs available which include all of the recommended media content. We have many members who do not know how to use the Internet. Some are older, some have little formal education, and some are from less-developed nations. The new curriculum requires understanding of and access to technology. This creates a large and sometimes insurmountable barrier for many current and potential teachers, especially those who are elderly. If they are told that the answer is for them to learn, the spiritual will get lost in the technical as an 80 year old teacher with a lifetime of wisdom to share instead struggles to even find the lessons she is supposed to teach, much less download videos to a flash drive and find a way to play them at her local meetinghouse. I'm told that the lesson outlines, themselves, are excellent. Please make them more accessible. In its current form, "Come, Follow Me" is hidden under a technological bushel.

ulupoi wrote:To the people in charge of curriculum:

Please print a full teacher's manual and make DVDs available which include all of the recommended media content. We have many members who do not know how to use the Internet. Some are older, some have little formal education, and some are from less-developed nations. The new curriculum requires understanding of and access to technology. This creates a large and sometimes insurmountable barrier for many current and potential teachers, especially those who are elderly. If they are told that the answer is for them to learn, the spiritual will get lost in the technical as an 80 year old teacher with a lifetime of wisdom to share instead struggles to even find the lessons she is supposed to teach, much less download videos to a flash drive and find a way to play them at her local meetinghouse. I'm told that the lesson outlines, themselves, are excellent. Please make them more accessible. In its current form, "Come, Follow Me" is hidden under a technological bushel.

Well we were sent 1 printed copy of each 'manual' (collection of lesson outlines) - so there are obviously some available. I would suggest speaking with your bishop who may have a copy.

dannykos wrote:
Well we were sent 1 printed copy of each 'manual' (collection of lesson outlines) - so there are obviously some available. I would suggest speaking with your bishop who may have a copy.

You can print your own right from the lesson page, the link is at the bottom of the main page.

rolandc wrote:

dannykos wrote:
Well we were sent 1 printed copy of each 'manual' (collection of lesson outlines) - so there are obviously some available. I would suggest speaking with your bishop who may have a copy.

You can print your own right from the lesson page, the link is at the bottom of the main page.

Yes - but the question was about for people who are less technically able. I've placed the 3 printed manuals that were received in the library for people to photocopy or borrow as they feel the need.

Ideally, the teacher's manual would include teacher-training materials, lesson outlines, and the recommended videos on DVD, and it would be made available through the usual distribution channels. You want something that you can hand to an 80 year old member saying, "Read this first section and you will know everything you need to know about how to teach this new curriculum. This second section contains all of the lesson outlines. These pockets contain DVDs with all of the videos recommended in the lesson outlines. This manual has everything you need except the holy scriptures, your experiences and those of your students, and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost."

I would never want people to photocopy a printed manual, especially if it contains color and photos. I hate it when people photocopy pages from the Ensign for their TFOT lessons. It just dumps toner, which I suspect costs 10 or 20 cents per page.

We do have a few teachers of youth classes in our stake who refuse to touch a computer. They are struggling.

Your clerks could print the Manuals off using the clerks printer for those who may not have the capabilities themselves. This is what we are doing for the teachers so they don't have to burn up their own paper and ink.

When I joined the Church at 16 in 1986, if we wanted to watch a video in our classrooms, the teacher would roll in a TV and put in a VHS video tape and we would watch the video.
This would happen infrequently regardless of the fact that there were lots of videos available.
Do I feel "any worse for wear" because I didn't watch more Church videos in Sunday School and Priesthood as I was in Young Mens? Doubtful. I don't think I needed to have watched more videos than I did when I was a youth. I would say that it was certainly a nice change. Regular lessons could certainly be considered occasionally "boring" by the youth but the messages would typically have a positive outcome in all cases regardless of the interest level of the content.
Fast forward 30ish years. What has changed? From a distribution method, we certainly have more ways to distribute content. But let's break this new youth curriculum down a bit.
At the end of the day, we have a lesson and video that's used to teach the lesson. The difference is that it's available online - the purpose of which is to encourage youth to review the messages outside of Church.
While at Church, if the lesson calls for video, does it have to be shown from a tablet or a phone? After reading this thread, give me a DVD and a Television (reliable technology that everyone knows how to use) and I'm all set. What's better, having youth huddle around a 7 inch table or watch the video on the 10 year old CRT? Give me the reliable method.
I do not want my grandpas and grandmas who are teaching lessons to the youth to even think about USB drives and plugging them into the television.
On the other hand, if the youth were given the assignment to download videos and burn them to DVD or come up with a way to show the lesson in class, I'm all over that because that means that the youth are spending hours online at LDS.org and spending time converting the videos to a playable format.
However, the problem with having anyone convert online videos to a DVD format is that the quality may be in question. I have seen many converted media where the voice and video is out of sync. This really distracts from the lesson.
As much as I think the people in the curriculum department have a great idea, I think they still need to put the content on professionally produced DVDs.
There was this great concept: Let's use the technology that the youth are using to distribute content and lessons. But the technology gaps that exist from an execution perspective appear to not have been taken into consideration. The more I think about it, the more I want DVDs of the content (or ISOs to be burned if speed of distribution is an issue) to use in class.
Rather than spending thousands of dollars per building, let's use a solution we already have available and have been using for 20 years.
(Sidebar) Do we REALLY want to support Western Digital Live TV devices? That seems like a lot of overhead for a Stake. I think about Firmware updates, for example. And how long is that device really going to be usable? Interestingly, with the Roku, you can watch byutv and general conference. It also plays files from USB sticks and plugs into regular TVs. It also has a Mormon channel app that probably has all the youth content already available. Hook up the Roku's to the TVs and stream directly from the Mormon Channel app. It seems strange/interesting that the Roku device wasn't recommended.
(Sidebar ends)
It comes back to grandpa and grandma. Is it worth the overhead so we can show stuff with new technology? What's wrong with the old technology?

Why hold back those that wish to use the new technology? In my mind we make both available, then those of us who think it's a huge hassle to haggle and fight over the single allocated TV to a unit to play that very simple DVD... or trade around the tv between classes disrupting the flow of a class, etc.. I'd rather that we do both and make both available methods.

Today, I had the Branch Clerk, Branch Secretary, & Youth Leader ask me - What's the password to the wireless? (Since from early on as FHC director I had the knowledge of our internet set-up, how to reboot, etc.) The Youth Leader was trying to stream a video over wireless.

We have extremely slow internet (through Sprint broadband card that keeps dropping connection) at present. I have tried to explain to them that the wireless (for anything) isn't a option at present, wireless has messed up Cisco 881W in some cases, and that the Church prefers that they download the videos to other media.

Luckily, when I got home I found on the LDS Tech forum the link to "Showing Videos in Meetinghouses Guide" PDF and forwarded a copy to them. I offered to help them if they needed the help to download the videos.

Some leaders have laptops, others I Pad's, and some might just need to do teaching via the old verbal method. Our meetinghouse has old CRT TV's, and I agree with JohnShaw about the haggling & fighting over the TV's. When I was teaching a Sunday School Family History Class, someone came & got the TV & DVD player I had all set up & ready to go. I just taught the class verbally. From then on I just used my laptop.

I'm trying to decide if we need to do some training on downloading videos. My husband was recently called as Sunday School president, so we may consult with all involved and see if they need any training.

I know from personal experience, sometimes even with fast broadband at home, the buffering slows the download with church videos, so agree that downloading the videos to other media is a better idea. I have had to do that with some of the FHC videos.

Let us use the technology wisely. Some may or may not be able to deal with the technology. I happen to be a "Grandma" that does know the newer technology, but there are others young & old who are either afraid or intimidated by the technology. Give them the tools to use whatever format they feel comfortable with.

Great discussion. I find so much useful & helpful information on the forum. Thank you, all.

Thank you, everyone, for your excellent comments. Is there a way to get the relevant curriculum people to look at this thread?

If you have a specific issue you can always use the "Do You Have Feedback on This Page?" link on the LDS.org home page. We are told feedback from that source will get routed to the people who need to see it. Other than that, we have no special communication to the curriculum people.

If our building set up a media server, would it be possible to receive permission and have the ability to load the copyright videos onto this server? Streaming copyright videos over the internet is just not a realistic option for us because of low bandwidth.

kc7qwh wrote:If our building set up a media server, would it be possible to receive permission and have the ability to load the copyright videos onto this server? Streaming copyright videos over the internet is just not a realistic option for us because of low bandwidth.

You might try calling around to the different departments... you will not get a good answer here because we are under rules to follow the legal policies and not to encourage going around them. If we want to get a rule changed, or figure out whether the rule applies to a meetinghouse, you really need to talk to the owners of the media.

kc7qwh wrote:If our building set up a media server, would it be possible to receive permission and have the ability to load the copyright videos onto this server?

As far as I know, there are no issues for what you propose - as long as you stick to church-owned content. As long as the media server is located in the building and only accessible inside the building. I don't see this is much different then downloading and burning a DVD or USB stick for the library. I can't say as I remember anyone worrying about copyright on those activities.

Where most plans run into trouble is the potential for public (re)distribution.

OR maybe I'm not understanding you. What do you mean by "copyright videos"? Are you talking about the ones that do NOT have the download option? The answer might be different.

You may need to check with the Intellectual Property Office at:

Phone: 801-240-3959 or 1-800-453-3860, ext. 2-3959
Fax: 801-240-1187
E-Mail: cor-intellectualproperty@ldschurch.org.

or by writing to:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Intellectual Property Office
50 E. North Temple
18th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3012

I am talking about the videos which do not have the download button because of copyright issues. I am also not trying to go around legal policies, I am only trying to understand what the policies are. I appreciate the responses and the email address and will follow up with them. If anyone has ideas of how to deliver the media which is not available for download, without violating copyright, it would be helpful. Streaming from the web is just not realistic in our building.

kc7qwh wrote:If anyone has ideas of how to deliver the media which is not available for download, without violating copyright, it would be helpful.

Hard to know without knowing what the original restrictions are. My best guess is some kind of caching proxy server that verifies the content is available, but then serves up a cached copy instead of downloading each time.

I suspect many people are simply having to do without for videos that can't be downloaded. I'm hoping that the church will resolve those problems going forward so in future iterations this won't be an issue. My guess is that the videos were created before this whole program fell into place so the copyrights secured didn't match the new use.

I sent the following question to Intellectual Property:
From: Southam, Glade
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 2:35 PM
To: COR-IntellectualProperty
Subject: New Youth Curriculum & Videos not available for download.
It is my understanding that up to 20% of the videos with the new youth curriculum are not available for download because of copyright restrictions. Is there any way to make these available in the meetinghouse without having to stream them from the internet? Streaming from the internet is not a realistic option at our building because of bandwidth issues. If a media server were set up in the building, could we place these copyrighted videos on this server as long as the media was to be used within the building only?

And their reply:
Brother Southam,
You are free to use the videos for the purpose and method you’re purposing.
Thank you for contacting our office.
Correlation Intellectual Property
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
50 E. North Temple Street, COB 18
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0018
Phone: 801-240-3959
Fax: 801-240-1187
E-mail: cor-intellectualproperty@ldschurch.org

Does anyone know how to obtain these videos? Also any suggestions on a media server?

You can 'get' them all from various different sources. It took me a while - but I have all the videos for the year now.

I looked through a few months of videos for young women and they all had a download link. Has the church made all videos for the rest of the year available for download?

kc7qwh wrote:I looked through a few months of videos for young women and they all had a download link. Has the church made all videos for the rest of the year available for download?

At this point, the bulk downloads are available only through June. You can download any of the videos one by one (except for those that cannot be downloaded because of licensing restrictions), but that is clearly rather tedious.

dannykos wrote:You can 'get' them all from various different sources. It took me a while - but I have all the videos for the year now.

I wasn't sure if you meant that you have all the videos for the whole year, including July through December, or if you simply menat you have all of the videos for the year so far. I'm only aware of the videos that have been identified for January through June. If the other months' videos are available I'd like to know so that I can download them as soon as possible.

mrrad wrote:

dannykos wrote:You can 'get' them all from various different sources. It took me a while - but I have all the videos for the year now.

I wasn't sure if you meant that you have all the videos for the whole year, including July through December, or if you simply menat you have all of the videos for the year so far. I'm only aware of the videos that have been identified for January through June. If the other months' videos are available I'd like to know so that I can download them as soon as possible.

I have all the videos for the whole year, although that was as the resource material stood a few months ago. I haven't checked recently - but I'm sure that some of the years' content has been updated by now - which probably means my collection isn't quite 100%.

mrrad wrote:I'm only aware of the videos that have been identified for January through June. If the other months' videos are available I'd like to know so that I can download them as soon as possible.

I guess I wasn't clear enough. The bulk downloads are only available for January through June. But the individual downloads are available for the entire year.

To find the other videos, follow this example:

1. Go to the Young Women page.
2. Click on the August: Marriage and Family link on the left
3. Click on the Why is family important topic
4. Scroll down to the Videos section and note that there are two videos there.
5. Click on the Families Can Be Together Forever video link
6. Click on the download link for the video that pops up.

Repeat for each video in a topic, for each topic in the month, for each month in the year, and for Aaronic Priesthood and Sunday School. Note that some of the videos are duplicated between the three curricula, and that some of the videos can't be downloaded (but those videos won't be part of the bulk downloads, either).

Well, that is a cumbersome process. I was waiting for them to show up on this page of video downloads where all of the months are listed. Silly me.

mrrad wrote:Well, that is a cumbersome process. I was waiting for them to show up on this page of video downloads where all of the months are listed. Silly me.

You're not silly -- just insufficiently patient. The last two quarters the bulk downloads for the upcoming quarter have been made available right around the beginning of the quarter. It would be nice to have them sooner than that, but that seems to be the pattern so far.

So if you continue to wait for the bulk downloads to show up there, your patience will be rewarded eventually. If you want them sooner, you can go through the cumbersome process. It's your choice.

Do the bulk downloads include the videos which are not available for download because of copyright. I assume the answer is no, but I want to be sure. Second, is there a way to get the videos which are not available for download because of copyright?

kc7qwh wrote:Do the bulk downloads include the videos which are not available for download because of copyright. I assume the answer is no, but I want to be sure.

That's correct; the answer is no. The bulk downloads contain only those videos which can be legally downloaded (which is the vast majority of the videos, but not all).

kc7qwh wrote:Second, is there a way to get the videos which are not available for download because of copyright?

There is no legal way to download videos which have licensing agreements that prohibit downloading. The Church is anxious to make any content available for download that it can. But there are cases where legal restrictions are in place because of the actors involved in a particular video, or for other reasons. In these cases, the Church can only provide the videos via streaming. Anyone who attempts to capture these streams is violating these legal restrictions and thus is breaking the law.

aebrown wrote:Anyone who attempts to capture these streams is violating these legal restrictions and thus is breaking the law.

That's a strong statement. So maybe the moderators need to delete instructions about how to "break the law" from this thread here as well as this other one.

Of course, to the average viewer, the experience of watching a streamed video during a Sunday School lesson as opposed to one that was previously downloaded seems exactly the same. But if one is illegal and the other is perfectly okay then, well, it's going to be hard to convince the average viewer (and the average instructor) that they need to take the distinction that seriously.

Also, we've been told not to rely on streaming when presenting these videos on Sundays. So why do the people who are publishing these lessons tempt us to do something illegal when we dream up reliable ways to show the very videos they are recommending (which are not recommended to stream but are not legally available offline)? Very frustrating. If the videos can't be legally played without steaming then they should never be recommended to use in Sunday lessons.

aebrown wrote:You're not silly -- just insufficiently patient.

....aaaaand Presto! The Youth Curriculum - Come Follow Me page now lists all 12 months of 2013.