Classroom videos are effective in teacher education, allowing students to repeatedly observe authentic lessons without being physically present. This study investigates the extent to which this authenticity exists, given the influence of media technology (e.g. recording devices) inside the classroom and the online reception of such methods outside the classroom. From the perspective of media studies, this influence is evident; nevertheless, it is rarely examined in teacher training. This deficiency was addressed using a compact online survey. The results showed that student teachers’ media competence is not very well-developed under this media studies focus. Approximately half the respondents did not realize that recorded classroom situations differed from non-recorded ones; additionally, none stated that their own perception of these situations online via video is very different from that on site in the classroom. However, the survey represents a compact method for triggering students’ media studies reflection using the example of videography and training them in the critical use of media.