GoCast vs Opencast

GoCast is a self-hosted platform for streaming and recording lectures. Organizations can run it on their own servers, keeping streaming data processing and storage under their control. It can automatically stream auditorium lectures according to schedules, while lecturers can also stream using OBS, Zoom, or other software. Lecturers manage videos through a self-service interface, and course and student enrollment information can be imported from CAMPUSonline. Live streams are recorded automatically, and video-on-demand uploads are supported. Post-processing can detect silence, create searchable transcripts, and generate thumbnails. Live chat lets listeners ask questions and upvote them; lecturers can run polls and mark or hide questions. Course access can be public, limited to enrolled or invited users, or restricted to users logged in with an LRZ ID. GoCast is open source under the MIT license and listed as free. Deployment requires worker or runner servers and shared storage. Its self-streaming guide warns that streams may be unreliable and recordings may be corrupted, and recommends keeping a local copy.

Opencast is a free, open-source video management system for academic institutions, designed to capture and distribute video at scale. Administrators can schedule recordings and live streams, with classroom recording also possible depending on hardware. Opencast Studio captures video in a browser without requiring an Opencast installation. Configurable workflows can generate captions, add branding and thumbnails, and deliver media at chosen resolutions and bitrates. The integrated editor handles multiple streams, subtitles, and cover thumbnails. Fine-grained permissions control viewing and editing; learning platform integrations can provide single sign-on and video delivery. Opencast uses the Paella Player by default, while the separate Tobira portal can keep videos online during Opencast maintenance. Integrations include Brightspace, Canvas, ILIAS, Moodle, Sakai, Stud.IP, BigBlueButton, Zoom recording, Matomo, WordPress, Whisper, and YouTube. It runs on one Linux server or can scale across distributed Linux servers. Demo instances are available to explore the administrative interface and portal.