When uploading a video to Uscreen, there are a few things to check when you're finding it's taking longer than expected to upload.
Internet Speed
First, check your upload speed. You can test the speed here:
Make sure to click Show more info to get your Upload Speed—that is the key number we're after. The download speed just tells us how fast you can watch online videos.
Your upload speed will determine how fast you can upload videos on Uscreen. You can measure your speed below and compare it to the size of files you're trying to upload:
Let's look at an example: your upload speed is 10 Mbps, and you're trying to upload a 2 GB file. It will take you nearly 30 minutes to upload the file. That seems like a long time, but unfortunately, most ISPs don't offer a very high upload speed.
Of course, even if you have a good upload speed when you run the test, you'll need to make sure your Wi-Fi is stable, so try not to move the computer around while you're uploading, or you might interrupt the upload, making it fail.
We recommend not uploading files larger than 13 GB. While 13+ GB file size uploads are possible, it's not recommended since you may encounter issues.
After uploading the file to Uscreen, it will be transcoded for you. If you've followed the guidelines on file formats, you should be in good shape. You'll see an indicator in the Content section that your video is transcoding after the upload popup disappears, which is completely in our control. If you need to check the file details, you can usually find it by right-clicking the video file in Windows and going to the Properties > Details tab or clicking Get Info on Mac. Here, you'll see dimensions, bitrate, file size, etc. If your file is not in the standard format and you're having trouble uploading it, then we will recommend using the file format guidelines and trying again.
While you're uploading videos, you can open a new tab in your browser to work on other parts of your Uscreen storefront. You don't need to stay on the upload tab as long as you keep it open in your browser.
Transcoding Videos
After a video is successfully uploaded, it must go through a process called Transcoding. Transcoding is necessary for properly formatting and optimizing videos for streaming or playback. It basically involves converting the video to a compatible format. Videos very rarely get stuck transcoding. More often, they just take longer than you're anticipating. Factors like file size, bit rate, and more determine how long it takes to transcode a video.
Below is an estimated timeline of how long it takes to transcode videos based on file sizes. These estimates are industry standard for all platforms including platforms like YouTube.
File Size | Estimated Transcoding Time |
100 MB | 5 minutes |
250 MB | 10 minutes |
500 MB | 20 minutes |
750 MB | 30 minutes |
1 GB | 40 minutes |
2 GB | 80 minutes |
3 GB | 120 minutes |
Please keep in mind that these are only rough estimates, and the actual transcoding time may vary due to several factors other than file size. Please be patient.
Here are recommendations to try to prevent video transcoding issues or delays:
Make sure your video files are compressed per our guidelines.
Make sure your internet connection is strong.
Do not wait until the last minute to upload content before a launch. We recommend uploading videos a minimum of 24 hours in advance.
Please note that in case a video becomes stuck during the transcoding process, we have a system that runs every 24 hours approximately at 12:00 am EST to eliminate the videos that are stuck. We suggest providing enough time for this system to function, particularly if you have a video that is undergoing continuous transcoding.
Should your video still be stuck after 48 hours, kindly reach out to our support team. It is worth mentioning that this is an infrequent occurrence, and our system efficiently eliminates these files 99% of the time.