Reflections

Error Message

When uploading large video files, you may get the following error message.

Cause

Some phones and video editing software create very large video files that are much larger than they need to be. A five minute MP4 video should only be about 150 MB, yet some phones create five minute videos that are around 1 GB. As a result, these files can take so long to upload they eventually error out.

The file size limit is 1 GB, so with a faster connection, you can upload a file close to 1 GB. But slower connections (such as Comcast, which limits uploads to 40 Mbs or less) will timeout after about 10 minutes of uploading.

Workarounds

If you get this error, please try these workarounds (in this order):

Option #1

If you get this error on your phone, try uploading the video from a desktop computer. If you get this error using a computer, try connecting directly to the network if you are using Wi-Fi, or try a different computer.

Option #2

Use a conversion tool to reduce the file size. The tool described below is free and will reduce a five minute video to about 150 MB without reducing quality. Follow these steps to convert your video:

1. Go to https://cloudconvert.com.

2. Click the red "Select File" button (click the words, don't click the down arrow).
   

3. Select your video file and click Open.

4. In the Convert To field, select MP4, then click the red Convert button.
   

5. When conversion is finished, click the green Download button and save the converted video to your computer.

6. Use the converted video to submit your entry.

Option #3

If the above options do not work, you can submit your entry using a small temporary video file, then attach the correct video file later. To use this option, follow these steps:

1. Download this file: https://www.utahpta.org/test.mp4 (right click, save as).

2. Use this test MP4 file, which is very small, to submit your entry.

3. Share your video file on Google Drive or Dropbox or some other cloud service.

4. Send an email to webmaster@utahpta.org with two links:

   1. a link to your entry

   2. a link to the shared video file

5. Once I receive the two links, I will attach the correct video file to your entry.

There are several reasons one or more entries might not appear on a judge's list of entries. Below is a list of things a Reflections Specialist or Awards Specialist can check:

Make sure the entry has been accepted

Judges can only see entries that have been accepted. If the entry status is New, Pending, or Disqualified, the entry will not appear on the judge's list of entries.

Make sure the entry matches the judges categories and divisions

Judges can only see entries for the categories and divisions they are assigned to judge. If an entry does not appear on the judge's entry list, check that the judge is assigned to judge the category and division for that entry. For Reflections Specialists, be sure to check the Special division, as that division is commonly overlooked.

In order for a unit (school / council / region) to be listed on the judging page, the user must be added as a judge for that unit and must be active. If your unit is not listed on the judging page for one of your judges, here are some things to check:

Make sure the user has been added as a judge for this unit

Go to the Reflections Admin or Awards Admin page for your unit, click on the Judges tab, and make sure the user is listed as a judge.

Make sure the judge is set to active

Click the Edit button next to the judge and make sure the Status field is set to Active.

Make sure the judge's email address is correct

Verify the email address with the judge. A mistyped email address is the most common reason judges don't see units listed on their judging page. This is especially true if the Last Login column on the judges list shows a dash, indicating the judge has never logged in with that email address.

When viewing a Reflections or Awards entry with attached images, if the image is broken or corrupted in some way, it will appear as a broken image, as shown in the first image below. If you click the broken image icon, the image is opened in the full browser window, but it will appear as a white square on a black background, as shown in the second image.

If you try to edit an entry with a broken image like this, you will get the following error when trying to save the entry:

This usually happens when a user renames a PDF or other non-image file to have a JPG or PNG extension to meet the requirements for the image file type. Unfortunately, just changing the file extension does not convert the file, and instead results in a broken file.

The easiest way to convert a broken file is using an online conversion tool. The tool described below can determine the file's actual file type, even a PDF file, and convert it automatically to the correct file type. To use the online image conversion tool, follow these steps.

Note: Parents and judges cannot edit entries, so the instructions below must be completed by a Reflections Specialist or Awards Specialist.

1. Click Edit on the entry.

2. Scroll down to the attached image, right click on the image file name (not the broken image icon), and click Copy link address (or something similar).
   

3. Open https://cloudconvert.com.

4. Click the down arrow in the red "Select File" button and click By URL.
   

5. Press Ctrl-V on your keyboard to paste in the image URL you copied, then click Add.
   

6. In the Convert To field, select JPG, then click Convert.
   

7. When conversion is finished, click the green Download button and save the file to your computer.

8. On the entry, click Remove next to the broken image.

9. Attach the converted image in the Images section and click Upload.

10. Click Save.

If you get the error "The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later." then the image is still broken. You will need to contact the parent who submitted the Reflections entry and ask for a new image.