PE Universe™ Help Center

The PE Universe™ Help Center will continue to expand in an effort to make your online experience as enjoyable as possible. The FAQs below should provide some assistance for common questions asked by users.

Videos

How do I upload a video to share?

You may upload a video to share after you've become a member of PE Universe. Once a member, go to the "Upload" page by clicking on any of the "Upload Video" links found at the top of every page, or in the left navigation pane.

1. Use the "Browse..." button to locate the video file on your computer or network. Select the file and press the "Open" button.
2. Enter a title for your video. This will be the name that accompanies the video when displayed on the site.
3. Provide a brief description that helps site visitors know what your video is about.
4. Enter the keywords that will help categorize your video, and provide easy searching for site visitors.
5. Select the level of access you'd like to allow for your video. Public - All site visitors may see your video. Members - only PE Universe members may see your videos.
6. Click the Upload Video button and then follow any onscreen instructions.

How do I get a video from my camcorder onto my computer and then to PE Universe?

If you already have a digital camcorder (one that captures in Digital8, MiniDV, HDV, or any of the DVD formats), then you're ready to start shooting your masterpiece. Your camcorder will need some kind of direct connection to your computer, either to the USB or FireWire ports or by inserting the DVD you've recorded. Once you've downloaded the video from the camera, you can upload it to PE Universe or bring it into an editing program to play with it some more.

If you have an analog camcorder (one that uses VHS, VHS-C, SVHS-C, 8mm, or Hi8 tape), you can still get your videos onto PE Universe. It will require an extra step and some additional equipment, though, since these camcorders are not usually equipped with computer connections. You'll need to digitize the video with a converter box, which will convert the analog signal from the camcorder to a digital signal that the computer can understand. After the video has been digitized, you can manipulate it further or upload it. When you're finished with the digitizing and are ready to upload it from your computer to the site

How can I edit my video if I want to cut out sections and add titles and/or music?

Most computers come with some sort of video editing application already installed, such as Apple iMovie or Microsoft Movie Maker. Using these programs, you can easily edit your videos, add soundtracks, change the file type, compress the file size, etc.

There are also more advanced editing programs available for purchase or download online. We encourage you to look around and find the editing software that's right for you.

How long should my video clip be?

A single video to be uploaded can be up to 100MB. Each account on PE Universe is allowed 1GB (1,000 MBs) total for all of their media files (video, photos, mp3, PDFs, Word documents, etc.) Videos have to be under the 100MB file size limit. The longer the video is, the more compression will be required to fit it into that size. For that reason, most videos on PE Universe are under five minutes long. You can compress your video using movie editors, like Windows MovieMaker or Apple iMovie. Programs like these allow you to edit your videos, add soundtracks, and compress file sizes.

If I need to compress my video (make the file size smaller) how can I do this?

What are the supported video file types I can upload to PE Universe?

1. Quicktime (.mov, .qt)
2. Windows Media 9 or lower (.wmv)
3. MPEG (.mpeg, .mp4)
4. .avi
5. .flv

Why can't I see my video?

Your video goes through a couple steps before it can be made available for the PE Universe public.
1. You've chosen the video file to upload.
2. The upload has successfully completed (noted by upload progression status bar)
3. Behind the scenes, the PE Universe system converts the video. This may take several minutes depending on the size of your video file and current site activity.
4. Once the conversion is complete, you must select one of three images to associate with your video.
5. You must also select Public as the Access Restriction in order for the entire community to see your video.
6. If you'd like to make comments about your own video, and perhaps include some written narrative, create a blog post and add your video file to it.

Can I include my video and other uploaded files in a blog post?

Yes! In fact, it's encouraged. Blogs are great tools for bringing different types of media together to create a more complete understanding of a topic. Blogs also have a WYSIWYG editor that allow you to format your topic information in a clear and presentable fashion. Here's how.

1. After you are signed in to your member account, click on the "View My Blog" link in the left menu.
2. Click on the "New Post" link along the top of your blog menu.
3. You are provided with your blog post editor. Enter a title for your post (e.g. Parachute Activities).
4. Using the editor, enter the content that supports your topic or activity.
5. Including a video or other uploaded file is easy. Place your cursor at the desired location in the editor and then click on the "Add File" button located just above the editor. A popup file listing will appear.
6. Select the file you would like to include and the file insert code (e.g. {file:350} ) will appear in your blog post. You will not be able to see your actual video or other file while editing your blog post - you will only see the insert code. Once you save your blog post, you can view your blog in its final format from your blog page, the home page, or the Blogs page.

Member Registration

Why should I become a member of PE Universe?

Member benefits include participation in PE discussions, blogs, and video sharing. Members are also able to view member-only content that may have been restricted from general viewers. Each member can choose whether to make their videos, blogs, or discussions available to members only. Members will also be made aware of member-only promotions or exciting new features.

Will my member information be sold or given to others?

Absolutely not. Your information will not be sold to others. Further, you have complete control over which information you would like other PE Universe members to see. If you don't want your email address to be seen, you may choose not to display it in your member profile.

Do I need to register in order to view videos and other content?

No. You can view any content on the site that was marked as .Public. by the author of the content. Feel free to browse and click on any content on the site. Your presence on the site, and the content you choose to view and/or rate will define how others see the content on the site. PE Universe is truly ran by the PE community members who take advantage of this site.

Do I need to register in order to upload videos and other content?

Yes. In order to share the important physical education ideas and activities that you have to offer, you can quickly and easily register to create your own personal space (My Profile) on PE Universe. Once created, you can upload videos, audio files, photos, PDFs, Word documents, and other file formats you'd like to share.

I didn't receive my confirmation email. What happened?

If you have just joined PE Universe, the confirmation link is included in the "Welcome" email you received after signing up. If you were already a member of PE Universe and are now confirming your email, you will receive a separate confirmation email. If you don't receive either the welcome or confirmation email when you expect to, check in your email client's spam folder.some are more aggressive than others about identifying spam. If you still haven't received it after several hours, you can try confirming your email again wih a different email address.

Blogs

What's a blog? How do I use it?

A blog is a collection of posts that you use to write about different topics. Each PE Universe member has their own blog, which can contain an unlimited number of posts. Posts can contain written PE activity ideas, a collection of media (videos, photos, etc.) that you've uploaded into your Files area, or both. Your blog posts are the ultimate way to share your information with others because it gives you great flexibility in presenting your PE activities very clearly.

What kind of information can I include in a blog post?

All kinds! Blogs are great tools for bringing different types of media together to create a more complete understanding of a topic. Blogs also have a WYSIWYG editor that allow you to format your topic information in a clear and presentable fashion. Here's how.

1. After you are signed in to your member account, click on the "View My Blog" link in the left menu.
2. Click on the "New Post" link along the top of your blog menu.
3. You are provided with your blog post editor. Enter a title for your post (e.g. Parachute Activities).
4. Using the editor, enter the content that supports your topic or activity.
5. Including a video or other uploaded file is easy. Place your cursor at the desired location in the editor and then click on the "Add File" button located just above the body editor. A popup file listing will appear. (Note: You will have had to have previously uploaded a file through the "Upload Video" page.)
6. Select the file you would like to include and the file insert code (e.g. {file:350} ) will appear in your blog post. You will not be able to see your actual video or other file while editing your blog post - you will only see the insert code. Once you save your blog post, you can view your blog in its final format from your blog page, the home page, or the Blogs page.

Discussions

How do I start my own discussion?

1. Click on the “Discussions” button in the upper right corner of PEUniverse.com
2. Click on the “Start a new discussion” link at the top of the discussion page.
3. Select your category, provide a discussion title, and then ask your question.
4. Click on the “Start your discussion” button.
5. Check back in a day or two to see what your colleagues provided for feedback.

General Questions

How do I upload photos, mp3s, or other content to my account?

You can upload many types of media files into your account on PE Universe by using exactly the same process you use to upload a video. Once your file is uploaded, you will see it in your account along with your videos.

Who can I call or email to help me with my uploading or editing problems?

We don't currently offer phone or email support. You'll be able to find answers to some of your questions here in our Help Center! You may also find help among your community members. If you have suggestions for help topics, please login and click on the Have Feeback? link in the left menu (near the bottom).

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