Kaltura vs. Mediasite — Which Video Management Platform Should You Choose?

Kaltura vs. Mediasite—Both platforms are recognized as leading enterprise video management platforms designed for educational institutions and enterprises. Kaltura is known for its flexibility and extensive customization options, making it a popular choice for organizations with diverse video needs. On the other hand, Mediasite excels in video capture, especially for live events and large-scale content management. Its ability to seamlessly integrate with hardware and automate workflows makes it the ideal choice for organizations seeking robust solutions for corporate training and education.

Given their distinct strengths, choosing between these two platforms can seem overwhelming. To simplify the process, we’ve provided a detailed comparison of Kaltura and Mediasite, outlining their key features, strengths, and weaknesses to give you a clear understanding of what each solution offers. We’ll also explore why Mediasite is a reliable, adaptable solution for diverse video needs. 

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Kaltura Vs. Mediasite: A Side-by-Side Comparison

An Overview of Kaltura 

Founded in 2006, Kaltura has established itself as a major player in the enterprise video landscape, recognized for its flexibility and wide range of robust features. It caters to various sectors, including education, where its smooth LMS integrations and interactive tools contribute to enriched learning experiences.

In addition to education, Kaltura also supports businesses and media companies with internal communication, marketing, and large-scale video distribution. Its extensive customization, scalable solutions, and advanced analytics make Kaltura a go-to platform for organizations seeking to engage audiences effectively.

Features 

Kaltura offers a comprehensive range of educational and media solutions, including virtual classrooms, cloud TV, and a flexible streaming platform. The key features of Kaltura include:

1. Centralized Video Hub: A single platform for organizing, storing, and managing video content, ensuring easy access and control.
2. Interactive Video Tools: Includes options like polls, quizzes, and real-time analytics to increase viewer engagement and gather actionable insights.
3. Scalability: Handles both small-scale implementations and enterprise-level deployments, adapting to diverse requirements.
4. Customization: Offers extensive branding and functional customization options, allowing users to tailor the platform to their specific needs.
5. Advanced Analytics: Provides detailed performance metrics, including viewer behavior and engagement insights, to optimize content strategy and measure ROI.
6. Live and On-Demand Streaming: Supports live streaming and on-demand video playback, serving diverse streaming needs.
7. AI-Powered Features: Leverages artificial intelligence for personalized content, automated management, and enhanced viewer experiences.

Why Do Customers Love Kaltura?

Customers praise Kaltura for its:

• Ease of use, particularly in educational environments
• Responsive and supportive customer service
• Videos that are easy to navigate, offering adjustable playback speed, and organized by topic for quick access.
• Ease and flexibility of creating educational content clearly
• Integrates well with popular learning management systems (LMS)

Why Might Kaltura not be the Right Choice?

Kaltura may not suit everyone for concerns like:

• Inability to allow multiple users to record simultaneously.
• Occasional glitches in analytics and video quiz data lead to inaccuracies. 
• There are issues with LMS integration, like Canvas, where past embeds might not work, and the new video player is not yet ADA-compliant.
• Playback interruptions, with videos pausing at the start.
• Complications with embed code usability.
• Confusing and outdated documentation, including challenges with access permission settings.
• Hiccups in integrations across different devices and browsers.
• Limited editing features.  

Pricing  

Kaltura offers a range of pricing options depending on the video solution chosen. Its video content management platform includes a 30-day free trial with limited features. The enterprise plan, designed for businesses with more advanced needs, offers a comprehensive set of features, including analytics. For more information, you can visit Kaltura’s Pricing Page.

While Kaltura is widely used by enterprises, its occasional glitches and integration issues with popular LMS platforms can leave educational institutions and businesses searching for more reliable alternatives. For organizations seeking a robust, streamlined platform for corporate training and learning needs, Mediasite is a compelling option. Let’s explore how Mediasite stands out.

Mediasite – A Compelling Alternative to Kaltura

Mediasite stands out as one of the top platforms offering comprehensive video capture, management, and webcasting solutions. For years, its patented video platform has served sectors such as education, corporate environments, healthcare, and government, helping enhance communication, training, and event management.

In February 2024, Mediasite became part of Enghouse Video, expanding Enghouse’s reach into both the education and enterprise event markets while integrating complementary video solutions. 

Since its acquisition, Mediasite has benefited from increased investment and access to specialized teams, including AI experts and a global customer support team.

Even after joining Enghouse, Mediasite continues to deliver cutting-edge video solutions with robust recording, streaming, and secure video management tools, positioning itself for continued innovation and growth across various industries worldwide.

Key Features and Capabilities 

Mediasite empowers organizations with a comprehensive video management solution, supporting content creation, distribution, and engagement at scale. Its integrated platform is ideal for education, healthcare, and enterprise settings, offering seamless workflows for live and on-demand video content.

Mediasite stands out for its following features and capabilities:

1. Video Capture and Streaming: Capture video from any device with support for HD live-streaming and on-demand content. Mediasite’s adaptive bitrate streaming ensures smooth playback across devices and varying bandwidths.
2. Comprehensive Video Management: Mediasite Showcase lets users create secure, branded video portals that centralize, organize, and deliver content. 
3. Search functionality: Mediasite’s AI-powered search allows users to easily find content within videos, slides, and annotations using automated speech-to-text. This feature makes all text instantly searchable across individual videos, channels, or system-wide and embeds this functionality into websites, LMS, or CMS platforms for greater accessibility.
4. Interactive Learning and Engagement: Features like quizzes, in-video annotations, and real-time polling transform passive viewing into interactive experiences, making it perfect for education and corporate training.
5. Advanced Video Capabilities: Offers immersive 360-degree videos, VR headset playback, and interactive elements, enhancing user engagement. It also supports guided playback sessions, providing structured, interactive viewing experiences for training and educational purposes.
6. Accessibility: Beyond standard features like captions and transcripts, Mediasite offers unique options to enhance accessibility, such as dyslexia-friendly fonts, high-contrast UI themes, and keyboard-centered workflows.
7. Security: Advanced security features, including integration with Active Directory, LDAP, Single Sign-On (SSO), and role-based authentication and permissions, ensure secure content access for authorized users.
8. Advanced Analytics: Real-time analytics provide insights into viewer engagement, tracking interaction hotspots to user behavior through heat maps. This enables organizations to make data-driven decisions to optimize video strategies.
9. Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with popular LMS platforms (Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle, etc.) and video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Vidyo, and Lifesize and fits effortlessly into your existing workflows. Mediasite also supports open architecture and offers APIs for advanced integration needs, enabling further customization.
10. Customizable Video Experiences: Built-in customizable player templates and the ability to modify background elements create engaging viewer experiences.
11. Collaboration and Editing: Collaborative editing tools allow teams to refine content before publishing. Users can trim videos, add chapters and transitions, and apply advanced audio editing features like Audio Normalization.
12. Content Retention and Management Automation: Tools for automating video availability, managing storage, and applying actions over time to streamline content management.
13. Flexible Deployment Options: Mediasite offers on-premises, cloud, and hybrid deployment models to fit organizational needs, ensuring scalable and reliable performance.
14. Comprehensive Recording and Hardware Integration: Mediasite offers robust hardware integrations, making video capture in any environment effortless and automated. Its range of hardware recorders—from Pro Recorders for large lecture halls to portable options for smaller spaces—ensures reliable and high-quality recording and streaming. 
15. Comprehensive Recording and Hardware Integration: From Pro Recorders for lecture halls to portable devices, Mediasite integrates hardware for high-quality recording. But Mediasite isn’t just about hardware! It allows easy recording across personal devices, from smartphones to desktops, allowing users to create content from anywhere — while meeting their diverse video needs. 

This flexibility and the features make Mediasite the right fit for institutions and organizations seeking a dynamic and adaptable video solution. Now, let’s explore what customers love about Mediasite.

Why Do Customers Love Enghouse Mediasite?

Customers appreciate Mediasite for its:

• E-learning features: Users can collaborate and share content in real-time, creating an interactive learning experience. Tools like polls and Q&A in the chat/comments section help keep learners engaged and attentive.
• Ease of use: Users find Mediasite easy to use. They also find it straightforward to create and schedule recordings, manage video transmissions, and organize events with ticketed access, thanks to helpful guides and responsive customer service.
• Customizable viewing options: Users value the split-screen viewer feature, which enables presentations to be shown alongside video content, enhancing user engagement. 
• Versatile solution: Mediasite provides a customizable solution adaptable to diverse video needs.
• Comprehensive backend and security: Users appreciate the robust backend, which includes strong security features and integration capabilities. 
• Reliability for live streaming: The platform is reliable for live streaming events, supporting audiences from a few to thousands, with high-quality video capture and distribution. 
• Organization and simplicity: Mediasite keeps all videos neatly organized with a simple interface for easy viewing.
• Consistent experience across on-premise and cloud deployments: Users appreciate the consistent experience Mediasite delivers in both on-prem and cloud versions. This is crucial for regions like Germany and industries such as Military, Private Healthcare, and Enterprises that are cautious about cloud-only solutions.
• Excellent customer support: Mediasite is known for its dedicated support teams, including Tech Support, Solutions Engineering, and Sales Support.
• Ability to deploy on-premises in restricted regions: Customers value Mediasite’s on-premise version, which can be deployed in restricted areas like China, allowing organizations to use their own server infrastructure and bypass the content distribution issues that come with US-based products in areas with strict regulations.

Why Might Customers Consider Alternative Options?

While Mediasite offers a robust platform, some users have noted challenges such as:

• User interface and learning curve: Some users find navigation difficult and experience a learning curve. 
• Limited editing functions: Users find editing options limited, with slow re-encoding times and a cumbersome and time-intensive downloading process. 
• Accessibility for administrative duties: Due to the robust security settings, users report difficulties sharing access to administrative features, which complicates sharing responsibilities.
• Integration challenges with LMS: Users report that integrating with Brightspace requires additional training and frequent reloads with Canvas.
• Pricing concerns: Some users find the service a bit pricey for their company’s budget.  

It ought to be mentioned that Mediasite has either already addressed or is actively working to tackle these pain points, implementing ongoing improvements to enhance its video management solution. For a deeper look at how Mediasite is overcoming these challenges, read more here.

Pricing

Mediasite offers tailored packages based on the unique video needs of each organization. For pricing information, please contact our sales team. 

Enghouse Mediasite’s Winning Edge: Why it Continues to Win Over Customers?

By choosing Mediasite, you’re opting for a future-proof, reliable video platform that offers unparalleled flexibility, security, and support. Mediasite goes beyond managing video content—it’s designed to enhance communication, collaboration, and engagement throughout your organization.

Did you know Mediasite transformed Courtroom Connect’s operations by deploying 16 recorders, enabling the capture and streaming of over 100 high-profile legal cases since 2005? This setup addressed critical challenges, including bandwidth limitations, by allowing local storage when connections were unstable, and ensuring redundancy with dual recorders per trial, preserving service integrity and improving trial preparation.

You can review more Mediasite case studies to understand how it can meet your organization’s video needs. For more information, contact us here.

Disclaimer – The insights presented in this article are sourced exclusively from publicly available information and customer reviews. Feel free to reach out if you require any modifications or updates to the content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Kaltura vs. Mediasite – Which is better?

While both platforms are strong, Mediasite stands out for organizations seeking a comprehensive video management solution. Its automated video capture, seamless hardware integration, and scalability make it ideal for large-scale educational institutions and enterprises with advanced video needs. Mediasite also excels with enhanced security features and reliable workflows, making it a future-proof choice for robust content creation.

Is Mediasite a good alternative to Kaltura?

Yes, Mediasite is a solid alternative to Kaltura, especially for organizations needing advanced video capture, reliable hardware integration, and comprehensive content management. While Kaltura excels in customization and LMS integrations, its limitations with simultaneous recording, occasional integration issues, and basic editing tools can be a challenge. Mediasite addresses these gaps with more robust recording capabilities, automated workflows, and advanced editing features, making it an excellent choice for large-scale video needs in educational and corporate settings.

Which platform is better for live event streaming?

Mediasite is known for its robust capabilities in live event streaming, supporting simultaneous HD content streams and providing reliable video capture. Kaltura also supports live streaming but may be more suitable for on-demand content and diverse video needs.

How do Enghouse Mediasite and Kaltura handle accessibility?

Mediasite offers extensive accessibility features, including automatic captioning, customizable transcripts, dyslexia-friendly fonts, and high-contrast UI themes that enhance readability. Its platform adheres to WCAG standards, providing screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation, ensuring users with various needs can access content easily.

Kaltura also supports accessibility with features like captions and transcripts; however, its offerings may be less comprehensive than Mediasite’s.