Nextcloud is very helpful, do SC volunteers have need of a free, hosted account?

The Watercooler
21

In most instances perhaps it isn’t relevant, but just to note:

File and repository size limitations

We recommend repositories be kept under 1GB each. This limit is easy to stay within if large files are kept out of the repository. If your repository exceeds 1GB, you might receive a polite email from GitHub Support requesting that you reduce the size of the repository to bring it back down.

In addition, we place a strict limit of files exceeding 100 MB in size.

(GitHub Help)

22

I also did a little testing to see if Nextcloud could act like a replacement for Youtube. The answer is “pretty much, yes”.

I used “Open Broadcaster Software” to shoot a test video, using 1080p, 30fps. It plays at a bitrate of about 1000 kbps (or 125KB/sec, which the slowest sort of home broadband internet in Canada can narrowly accommodate). I saved the video in .mp4 format (and uploaded it to Nextcloud, through my File Browser), which can then be “streamed” on the internet. This means, you need not entirely download an .mp4 file from the internet before you can start viewing it. The web browser will play the video for you, right within the web-browser, with basic Youtube-like functionality (like skip-ahead-and-back-on-a-timeline, and fullscreen), as it downloads, granted you have the bandwidth available to continuously support that 125 KB/sec needed.

You lose several goodies that Youtube provides, most notably:

  • the ability to switch to lower resolutions (good for low-bandwidth internet), but with Nextcloud you can easily download the .mp4 file in its entirety, before playing it, in, say, VLC. That is to say, it can be downloaded, not streamed, if need be.
  • User comments. Maybe that’s actually a feature, not a bug!

…but then again you gain:

If someone wants to see an example of a video streamed/downloadable from Nextcloud in action, then ask.

PS: when in Malaysia, 3G internet could also support 125 KB/sec, but only at off-peak times of the day (early morning being best). Business hours and the prime-time evening hours would not come anywhere close to supporting that (and there was little hope of Youtube working either, during those times, even at low-resoution).