Playing media in Zoom

Before following the steps below, you must download and install the Zoom desktop client. See Installing Zoom on your computer and signing in.

This article provides a remote teaching alternative for instructors who show a film in class as a required component of a lesson. The instructions provided are for a Fair Use exception to showing a copyrighted film.

Schedule the Zoom Meeting

Decide on one or more dates and times that you will show the movie in Zoom. Schedule a Zoom meeting for the showing and share it with your students in your Canvas site or another secure channel. You must set up this meeting and distribute it as a private showing.

Show the Film in Zoom

  1. Launch the Zoom desktop client and find the Zoom meeting.
  2. Select Start (See Fig. 1).
    red arrow pointing to the zoom meeting start button
    Figure 1: Zoom meeting options
  3. Select off of the Zoom window and cue the movie that you want to watch.
    If you are watching a movie on a streaming service, open your web browser and navigate to the movie. If you have it downloaded on your computer or on a DVD, launch your media player and open the movie in it.
  4. Switch back to Zoom and select the Screen Share button at the bottom of your Zoom meeting screen (See Fig. 2).
    red arrow pointing to the Share screen button in the zoom menu
    Figure 2: Select the Share Screen icon.
  5. A pop-up window will show the active applications on your computer. 
  6. Select the window that is playing the movie.
  7. Check the box to Share computer sound.
  8. Optionally, if you are concerned about a slow internet connection for you or your students, check the box to Optimize Screen Share for Video Clip (See Fig. 3).
    image shows screen share options
    Figure 3: Select the window that is playing your movie.
  9. Select the Share button in the bottom-right corner of the window.
  10. Toggle back to the media player and start the film. Maximize the player window.
  11. You and your students can view the film in Zoom.
  12. We do not recommend that you record the meeting. Instead, show the film again only to your students.

Zoom campus and vendor resources

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Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing tool you can use to virtually meet with others - either by video or audio-only or both, all while conducting live chats, and sharing your screen. It lets you record the meetings to watch later or share with others.