Opencast vs Planet eStream

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.

Planet eStream is an education platform that brings media management together with lecture and room capture, live streaming, digital signage, TV and radio resources, and photo management. Its room-capture tools can schedule and record lessons or lectures, then stream them using autonomous hardware. The system can capture several audio and video sources at once, including cameras, microphones, whiteboards, and projectors. Automatic transcription can add subtitles, and searchable transcripts are supported. A web scheduler works from any internet-connected device and can publish recordings to Microsoft Office 365 calendars; viewers can ask questions in live-stream chat. Administrators can manage access by user or group. Listed integrations include Microsoft Teams, OneNote, Sway, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, and Google Classroom. Authentication options include Microsoft Azure AD, LDAP, Active Directory, Microsoft ADFS, SAML2/Shibboleth, and Google Login. Planet eStream is offered as a cloud platform or locally hosted option. Pricing is on request and modular; room capture has no per-room licence cost and no limit on rooms.