Video editor supports transcripts (minimal version)

[jmakowski1123]

This ticket is for bare-minimum transcript support in video components:

• If a video component with an uploaded .srt transcript file is pasted from a course into a library, the transcript should remain attached to the component and continue to work. (This does not need to support .sjson or other formats)
  • If that same component is then linked into a course, the transcript should continue to work as it did in the original course.
• Support fetching transcripts from YouTube for video components in a content library
• Remove the messaging from Bug: Change video transcript text #1453

---

Note what this excludes: if you create a non-Youtube video in a library, it may not be possible to upload a transcript manually via the editor. Though if that's easy to implement it would be a nice improvement to include.

[bradenmacdonald]

@jmakowski1123 @ormsbee What's the priority of this relative to the list of bugs we have?

Should we do a minimal version of this as a bugfix? e.g. "ensure transcripts continue working when a video component is pasted into a library".

[ormsbee]

My take on it is that we leave Video transcripts in its not-so-great state for Sumac and focus on other bugs. I'd like to take some more time to examine how to take a (backwards compatible) flamethrower through a lot of the existing transcripts code rather than trying to stuff 1:1-ish parity into Sumac.

[bradenmacdonald]

Taking a flamethrower to the transcripts code sounds like a great plan to me.

[jmakowski1123]

Does the flamethrower approach mean transcripts won't work in pasted content?

[ormsbee]

@jmakowski1123: I believe there are three or four different ways to specify transcripts today, they get auto-converted between three internal formats, and there are hard-coded, VideoBlock-level assumptions about where those transcripts live. Some of those work today (two where transcripts are listed explicitly via edxval or in the block itself, but using only the SRT file format). I think this is the most common way to specify transcripts now. But the oldest convention that assumes SRT files are in the root files and uploads directory probably won't work, srt.json files won't work. etc. Even describing the compatibility matrix is complex because this code is that crazy.

I think we'll want to do some sort of data transformation to convert this into the most modern format rather than supporting the matrix of previous formats. We might even use this chance to switchover to VTT, which we've wanted to do for years. But that needs time and planning to work out.

[jmakowski1123]

Got it. We can get away with no transcript support for Sumac, as long as we message it. I created a ticket to change the text (or remove the field entirely) for now. #1453

[bradenmacdonald]

@jmakowski1123 I edited the requirements for this ticket. Can you please review it? ^

[ChrisChV]

@jmakowski1123 @sdaitzman @edschema This is ready for AC testing on the sandbox. Also, we identified this issues: #1688 You can also check them.

[sdaitzman]

Thanks @ChrisChV, taking a look at this. Is there a test file or test video component already added that I should test with? (Happy to generate a video and .srt transcript if needed too)

[ChrisChV]

@sdaitzman Yes, you can test it from the creation of the video using this video link to add it in the Video URL field: https://www.sample-videos.com/video321/mp4/720/big_buck_bunny_720p_2mb.mp4

You can add new transcripts. You can use this str files.

You can test the download transcript from YouTube using this video link to add it in the Video URL field: https://youtu.be/dGby9BH9bMc

[edschema]

I'm able to add a video in a course, attach the transcript, and then paste the video with transcript into the library as expected. In the library, the video shows the transcript attached as expected. When I then add the video into a course again, the transcript no longer appears alongside the video. The video does appear to still have the transcript attached, but it does not show in the course in the Studio Unit page. It also does not appear when viewing live or previewing.

Video created in course:

Video in library:

Video added to course from library:

I'm also not seeing the transcript being pulled from youtube. Am I understanding correctly: if I add a video from youtube that has a transcript, the transcript should be automatically fetched and associated with the video?

[edschema]

One additional note: the transcript does appear alongside the video when copy and pasting from the library into a unit, but not when adding the video via the "Library Content" button.

[ChrisChV]

These errors occur only in the sandbox. CC @bradenmacdonald

(1) The transcripts are being saved in the static assets, but an error occurs when downloading them, which is why the transcripts are not displayed. @bradenmacdonald Do you have any idea what could be happening?

2025-02-28 21:28:09,441 ERROR 15 [django.request] [user 8] [ip 179.7.180.205] log.py:241 - Internal Server Error: /library_assets/component_versions/89e5e300-fd8d-43c5-97d3-3493af98a617/static/transcript-hy.srt
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/core/handlers/exception.py", line 55, in inner
    response = get_response(request)
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/core/handlers/base.py", line 197, in _get_response
    response = wrapped_callback(request, *callback_args, **callback_kwargs)
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/opt/pyenv/versions/3.11.8/lib/python3.11/contextlib.py", line 81, in inner
    return func(*args, **kwds)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/views/decorators/csrf.py", line 56, in wrapper_view
    return view_func(*args, **kwargs)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/views/generic/base.py", line 104, in view
    return self.dispatch(request, *args, **kwargs)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/rest_framework/views.py", line 509, in dispatch
    response = self.handle_exception(exc)
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/rest_framework/views.py", line 469, in handle_exception
    self.raise_uncaught_exception(exc)
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/rest_framework/views.py", line 480, in raise_uncaught_exception
    raise exc
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/rest_framework/views.py", line 506, in dispatch
    response = handler(request, *args, **kwargs)
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/edx-platform/openedx/core/djangoapps/content_libraries/views.py", line 148, in wrapped_fn
    return fn(*args, **kwargs)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/edx-platform/openedx/core/djangoapps/content_libraries/views.py", line 1298, in get
    return get_component_version_asset(request, component_version_uuid, asset_path)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/edx-platform/openedx/core/djangoapps/content_libraries/views.py", line 1283, in get_component_version_asset
    content.read_file().chunks(),
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/contents/models.py", line 337, in read_file
    return get_storage().open(self.path, 'rb')
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/core/files/storage/base.py", line 22, in open
    return self._open(name, mode)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/openedx/venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/django/core/files/storage/filesystem.py", line 68, in _open
    return File(open(self.path(name), mode))
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/openedx/media-private/openedx-learning/content/d85bd693-18ed-498c-b708-a6b06e37cb15/9f21cfceeb4f405b46351cd7c0cc887ddfc77511

(2) The get_transcript_link_from_youtube function, which obtains the information from the transcripts by requesting YouTube, is failing. The problem is that it looks for it within the response, but it seems that YouTube detects that the request comes from a server and returns a different response without the transcripts (locally it does work well).

[bradenmacdonald]

@ChrisChV It looks like the sandbox might be mis-configured somehow? Because it's trying to load the file from disk, but all the Learning Core static assets should be saved in S3.

Actually, now that I look, all the images we've previously uploaded seem to be missing as well. I think a recent change on our sandbox staging environment has affected the static assets (by removing the S3 config). I will ask the team what's happening.

[bradenmacdonald]

@ChrisChV Yep, an unrelated change to our sandbox deployments is the root cause here. See BB-9336 for details. It should be resolved in a day or so.

[edschema]

Trying to test this one again: Currently, when I add a transcript to a video within a course, it appears alongside the content as expected. The video is then able to be copied into a library as expected. However, when I try to use the library video block with transcript within a course, I'm getting an error. I'll assume the fix on the unrelated issue @bradenmacdonald mentioned is not yet complete. Will loop back on a later day.