Website FAQs
Uploading
How do I upload video?
Plug your camcorder/camera into your PC. Usually, you do this with a USB cable that came with the camcorder. Your camcorder will appear as an external drive or just like another hard drive on your computer.
Next, click on the Upload tab in Kincast and then click the "Upload" button. Choose your camcorder's hard drive. Sometimes you need to click through a couple of folders (camcorder name, DCIM) to get to your video files. Your video files will have an extension like MP4, MOV, AVI or MTS. Highlight the files and click "Open" ("Select" on Macs).
How long does it take to upload video?
That depends on the size of your video file and the upload speed of your internet connection. Upload speeds are typically 20% – 30% as fast as your download speed. 384 – 512 kbps is a typical upload speed for DSL internet. Cable internet upload speeds can be twice that. (Also, remember that you share your connection with whoever else is on your network.)
The size of your video file is a function of how long your video is, the pixel resolution (like 720x480, 1280x720, 1920x1080), the frames recorded per second (FPS) and the amount of data your camcorder captures per pixel. Some typical examples are:
10 minutes of 720x480 video (about a 110 MB file) with 512 kbps upload speed can take 29 minutes
10 minutes of 1280x720 video (about a 300 MB file) with 1,024 kbps upload speed can take 39 minutes
Is there a file size limit?
When uploading videos through the website there is a file size lmit of 4GB per video.
What kind of video can I upload?
Pretty much all the popular video formats of the last few years. An easy way to identify the video format is by the extension (or last three letters of the file name). For example, VID002.MP4 is an MP4 file. We generally support the following video formats: MP4, AVI, MTS, FLV, MOD, MOV, OGG. However, we'll attempt to work with any video. If you're unsure, email us at theteam@Kincast.com and we'll test it for you.
Why do we say generally? Because you can think of video files as containers. For example a .MOV video file generally contains video that was recorded in the H.264 codec. However, some video editing programs may encode the video in a non-standard format and still output a .MOV file. Or, the audio may be encoded (fancy way of saying rendered) in a format that isn't standard.
Another thing to watch out for when selecting files from your computer are the project files that video editing programs like MovieMaker or iMove use. These will have extensions like MSWMM, WLMP or RCPROJECT. No program other than the editing program can use these files. We don't support them.
Known file types that Kincast doesn't support include: zip, wlmp, mswmm, aic, rcproject, exe, ppp, docx, pptx, bdmv, ifo, inf, bup. Again, if you're unsure, email us at theteam@Kincast.com and we'll try and figure it out for you.
Does Kincast support AVCHD?
Yes, Kincast supports AVCHD.
What is AVCHD? If you bought a $450+ camcorder in the last couple of years, you're recording videos in AVCHD. AVCHD is a format for the recording and playback of high definition video designed for tapeless camcorders. AVCHD video files typically have an ".MTS" file extension. Industry support for AVCHD is currently spotty, but it is improving. For example, most media players, including QuickTime do not currently play AVCHD. Video editing software like iMovie lets you import AVCHD video, but only directly from the camcorder.
At Kincast we've figured out how to prepare AVCHD video for on-demand streaming and long-term storage. So, connect your AVCHD camcorder to your computer (it will look like an external hard drive to your computer), select the .MTS video files and upload them to Kincast for private sharing and on-demand viewing.
How do I upload MiniDV tapes?
You first need to transfer the video from your tape to a file on your computer. Programs like iMovie on the Mac and Movie Maker or Adobe Premiere Elements on Windows PCs are good for doing this. To reduce upload time you're better off saving your video as an MP4 file. (It's a compressed format that looks great.)
Viewing
What happens after my videos are uploaded?
After your videos are uploaded, we prep them for easy navigation and optimal streaming performance. You'll see thumbnails and of course the videos. Your videos will play in a 432x768 resolution player. It works best with internet download speeds of 1,500 kbps or greater.
Who can see my videos?
You can see all your videos. And we make it easy to privately share the videos you select with the people you select.
What computers can I watch on?
You can use Windows computers running Windows XP or later and the following browsers: IE8, IE9, Firefox, Chrome
Macs should be running OS X and the following browsers: Safari 4.x, Firefox 3.x
You can also use Linux with the Firefox browser.
If your computer and browser can run Adobe Flash Player 9 or 10, then we should work on it.
Can I watch as many times as I want?
Yes. Even better, your family and friends can also watch as many times as they want.
Why does my video stop playing at times?
The most common reason is that your internet connection is struggling. You need a minimum internet connection of 1,500 kbps. Even though you may have bought an internet connection of 1,500 kbps, sometimes the internet company cannot deliver this speed. Or, if you're sharing an internet connection at home, then someone else in the house using the internet, to say download music or play online games, may also affect performance.
Sharing
Can anyone else see my videos?
No, unless of course you share them. All videos start out as private. You decide what you want to share and with whom.
How do my family and friends my see videos?
After you invite them, your family and friends will receive an email with a link to a private web site.
What do my family and friends see?
They see the same screens and tools that you see – but only for the videos you or other Kincast friends share with them.
Do they need a password?
Nope. We don't think they should have to remember yet another password. So, they won't need one.
Can I set up groups?
Yes, you can create as many groups as you like. Friends can belong to more than one group.
Online Storage
What’s Online Storage (also known as, Cloud Storage)?
Kincast stores videos on secure servers that are available through the internet. There are some great benefits to online storage, including:
Sharing – Video files are large. It’s much faster and easier for your friends to watch shared videos through video streaming than by having to download the files to their computers. Your videos need to be online to enable video streaming.
Accessibility – You can securely access your videos from any computer or interent-enabled mobile device. At a friend’s house or on vacation and want to show them a video. It’s easy.
Peace-of-mind – Kincast uses state-of-the-art data servers with the world’s safest and largest provider of web infrastructure services, Amazon, Inc., and keeps multiple copies of each video. This is orders of magnitude more reliable and convenient than having to manage your own back-ups.
How much video can I store online?
As much as you have. The first 30 minutes of video stored online will be free. There are affordable Premium Plans starting at $1/month to store more video.
What happens when I upload more than 30 minutes of video?
When you have more than 30 minutes of video online we'll prompt you with an option to upgrade to a Premium Plan. If you decide to stay on the free plan, and that's ok, we'll remove the oldest videos (by upload date) to get you back under 30 minutes.
Where do you store my videos?
All your videos are stored on state-of-the-art data servers with the world's safest and largest provider of web infrastructure services, Amazon, Inc.
How do I know you won't lose my video?
We take a 3-pronged approach to ensure the safety of your videos. First, we employ a "confirm and commit" software architecture for the handling and processing of your videos. In a nutshell, nothing gets deleted until its transformation is confirmed. Second, we've developed processes to limit access and handling of your videos. Third, multiple copies of your videos are kept in separate geographically-located data centers to guard against physical hard disk failures and regional natural disasters.
Can I ever get my videos back from Kincast?
Yes. You can always download your videos.
Do you save my original files?
Kincast transforms all video to the MP4 format at a pixel resolution of 768x432. Most camcorders/cameras record at higher pixel resolutions and bitrates. So, we're not likely saving your original file. We've transformed your file into an industry-standard format optimized for on-demand streaming and affordable long-term preservation.
What's the quality of the video?
It'll look great. Technically it's 768x432 pixels at a 1,200 kbps bitrate (indicates how much data is stored per second of video). But to relate it to something we all use, it's like the quality of movie DVDs. So, it will look great on your computer and your 55" flat screen.