Recording Video Replies in Discussions on macOS

[christophermj1]

I'm an IT analyst trying to assist a student with recording video replies in Canvas discussions. When replying, there is an option to upload or record media. On macOS in both Safari and Chrome the student is able to pull up the window to begin recording media but as soon as they begin recording the window disappears - this is after clicking "allow" on popups requesting access to the camera and mic. No video is recorded.

They have checked and made sure that the browsers and the OS allow for the camera and mic to be used by Canvas. I was able to replicate the problem but got it working in Chrome by adjusting the security settings for the camera and mic. The student took the same steps but it is still not working. They are able to upload media successfully but it would be nice to figure out why this feature, in particular, does not seem to be working well with macOS.

Has anyone experienced anything similar or have recommendations on what to try next?

[jboehly]

When the student is recording a video to reply to a discussion, are they using Canvas Studio, or are they using the options directly on their MacOS? Would you also make sure the browsers being tested are up to date using the guide below?

What are the browser and computer requirements for Canvas? 

[christophermj1]

It's the Rich Content Editor in the discussion section of Canvas - which I believe is a Canvas Studio integration.

[hesspe]

I think Safari - not the MacOS per se - is the problem.  For reasons that I'm not clear on,  in Canvas, Safari doesn't support HTML5 video, and Flash video which worked at one time, met its timely demise a while back.

[NicoletteStaley · Accepted solution]

First, if the student is attempting to record using the webcam and they are using Safari, they will have issues because Canvas doesn't support recording with a webcam in Safari currently.

If the student is experiencing the issue in Chrome as well, I suspect that the settings on the computer or network are the issue.  If the student logs on to Canvas from another device, are they able to record?  If that is the case, most likely there is some setting on the computer that needs changed (possibly the Privacy settings for Camera under the System Preferences).  If the student is able to record when they connect to a different network, then I suspect the network configuration is preventing the recording functionality (common in school and other institutions).