VoiceThread (VT) allows you to have conversations around almost any type of file, including images, videos, documents, and presentations; however, there may be times when you run into a file that just doesn’t work the way you expect. Here is an overview of file types that are currently supported by VT and advice about what to do when one of them doesn’t seem to work.
First, always make sure that you are using the latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as your web browser.
File-type basics
- Size. No single file can be larger than 25MB. If your presentation or video is larger than that, try breaking it up into smaller files and uploading them individually.
- Import from a link. If you enter the direct URL of a file, you can import it right into a VoiceThread, but the link must go directly to it. Note that most “links” to videos hosted by online services like Vimeo do not point directly to the video file, so they won’t work with this upload method. Please keep in mind all fair-use and copyright laws when using online content with VoiceThread.
- Files you definitely can’t upload: .swf, .html, and .txt
Images
JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP are all acceptable image types that you can upload into a VoiceThread. Because a VoiceThread can zoom in and out on images and documents, we recommend that your images be at least 1280×960 (which a 2mp or higher camera can produce) so that when you zoom in on an image, it appears crisp and detailed. We also accept a number of less common image formats, including vector graphics like SVG.
Audio
Audio files must be in MP3 or WAV format.
Video
There are a number of “container” formats like QuickTime, WMV, and AVI, that are like an envelope containing the video. A QuickTime movie can be encoded by close to 40 different codecs. We can convert the vast majority of them, but not all, so we can’t say we can accept “all” QuickTime, WMV, or AVI videos, but VT does accept most. Unfortunately a little trial and error is the only way to know for sure. VoiceThread is constantly adding to the list of file types that they support.
VoiceThread’s video doodling feature, which allows you to draw on a video, can only stop on “keyframes.” If the subject of your video requires you to stop precisely in a fast moving video, then you’ll want more frequent keyframes. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, that’s absolutely fine. The default settings will work perfectly 99% of the time.
Documents
DOC, DOCX, PDF, ODT, XLS, XLSX, and ODS are all supported.
If you’re putting a document into your VoiceThread because you want to have a discussion about the text within it, then we suggest changing the format to “landscape” mode (wider and shorter) and making your text much bigger. You should also consider changing the default Playback Option to “Open in Full Screen”. This will make the text much more accessible and readable to the average participant. Take a look at this tutorial for details about formatting documents for VoiceThread.
If you’re dissatisfied with VoiceThread’s conversion of your document, the most reliable format to use is PDF. The PDF format was designed for document portability and precise reproduction, so it’s the best way to get exactly what you want.
Presentations
PPT, PPTX, ODP, and PDF are all supported presentation file types. When you upload a presentation file, VT will store the original and then break it up into individual slides within the VoiceThread. Please note that animations, links, and transitions are not preserved in VoiceThread. SWF files are not supported at this time. If you experience any formatting issues (strange fonts or layout) after you’ve uploaded the presentation, try converting the original presentation to a PDF and then upload it again.
If you’re using a Google Slides presentation, you’ll need to export the presentation, using the Download As… function, as a supported format, such as PPTX or PDF (recommended), in order to import it into a VT.
While a VoiceThread allows you to have a conversation about almost any type of media, there are occasionally times when a file simply won’t work because of an uncommon or undocumented incompatibility with some element within the file. If you cannot convert the file to a format that VoiceThread will accept, reach out to VT, and they’ll follow up to see if they can help.
Content has been adapted from VoiceThread.
