Video editor supports transcripts (minimal version)

[jmakowski1123]

This ticket is for bare-minimum transcript support in video components:

• If a video component with an uploaded .srt transcript file is pasted from a course into a library, the transcript should remain attached to the component and continue to work. (This does not need to support .sjson or other formats)
  • If that same component is then linked into a course, the transcript should continue to work as it did in the original course.
• Support fetching transcripts from YouTube for video components in a content library
• Remove the messaging from Bug: Change video transcript text #1453

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Note what this excludes: if you create a non-Youtube video in a library, it may not be possible to upload a transcript manually via the editor. Though if that's easy to implement it would be a nice improvement to include.

[bradenmacdonald]

@jmakowski1123 @ormsbee What's the priority of this relative to the list of bugs we have?

Should we do a minimal version of this as a bugfix? e.g. "ensure transcripts continue working when a video component is pasted into a library".

[ormsbee]

My take on it is that we leave Video transcripts in its not-so-great state for Sumac and focus on other bugs. I'd like to take some more time to examine how to take a (backwards compatible) flamethrower through a lot of the existing transcripts code rather than trying to stuff 1:1-ish parity into Sumac.

[bradenmacdonald]

Taking a flamethrower to the transcripts code sounds like a great plan to me.

[jmakowski1123]

Does the flamethrower approach mean transcripts won't work in pasted content?

[ormsbee]

@jmakowski1123: I believe there are three or four different ways to specify transcripts today, they get auto-converted between three internal formats, and there are hard-coded, VideoBlock-level assumptions about where those transcripts live. Some of those work today (two where transcripts are listed explicitly via edxval or in the block itself, but using only the SRT file format). I think this is the most common way to specify transcripts now. But the oldest convention that assumes SRT files are in the root files and uploads directory probably won't work, srt.json files won't work. etc. Even describing the compatibility matrix is complex because this code is that crazy.

I think we'll want to do some sort of data transformation to convert this into the most modern format rather than supporting the matrix of previous formats. We might even use this chance to switchover to VTT, which we've wanted to do for years. But that needs time and planning to work out.

[jmakowski1123]

Got it. We can get away with no transcript support for Sumac, as long as we message it. I created a ticket to change the text (or remove the field entirely) for now. #1453

[bradenmacdonald]

@jmakowski1123 I edited the requirements for this ticket. Can you please review it? ^

[ChrisChV]

@jmakowski1123 @sdaitzman @edschema This is ready for AC testing on the sandbox. Also, we identified this issues: #1688 You can also check them.

[sdaitzman]

Thanks @ChrisChV, taking a look at this. Is there a test file or test video component already added that I should test with? (Happy to generate a video and .srt transcript if needed too)

[ChrisChV]

@sdaitzman Yes, you can test it from the creation of the video using this video link to add it in the Video URL field: https://www.sample-videos.com/video321/mp4/720/big_buck_bunny_720p_2mb.mp4

You can add new transcripts. You can use this str files.

You can test the download transcript from YouTube using this video link to add it in the Video URL field: https://youtu.be/dGby9BH9bMc

[edschema]

I'm able to add a video in a course, attach the transcript, and then paste the video with transcript into the library as expected. In the library, the video shows the transcript attached as expected. When I then add the video into a course again, the transcript no longer appears alongside the video. The video does appear to still have the transcript attached, but it does not show in the course in the Studio Unit page. It also does not appear when viewing live or previewing.

Video created in course:

Video in library:

Video added to course from library:

I'm also not seeing the transcript being pulled from youtube. Am I understanding correctly: if I add a video from youtube that has a transcript, the transcript should be automatically fetched and associated with the video?

[edschema]

One additional note: the transcript does appear alongside the video when copy and pasting from the library into a unit, but not when adding the video via the "Library Content" button.