SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

QUESTIONS REGARDING VIDEO CONTENT

QUESTIONS REGARDING STREAMING VIDEO

HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT VIDEO ISSUES

SPECIAL ISSUES ENCOUNTERED BY CORPORATE USERS

What is required to view videos

Operating System:
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, NT, 2000, ME and XP or Apple OS X.

Media Player:
Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.4 or later.
Click here to upgrade to latest version of Windows Media Player.

Browser:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later (preferred).
Click here to upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer.

or Netscape 4.7x or later.
Click here to upgrade to the latest version of Netscape.

Flash Player:
Macromedia Flash Player 5 or later.
Click here to upgrade to the latest version of Macromedia Flash Player.

Can I use the Netscape browser to watch videos ?

This website is compatible with the Netscape browser. However, you may encounter some technical difficulties or reduced functionality. To have the best video viewing experience, we recommend that you use Internet Explorer.

Can I use my Apple Macintosh to watch videos on this web site?

Get Player Free
 
or
Download Windows Player:

Windows media player 7.1 (for os 8.1-9.x)
Windows media player 9 (for os x)

Click on the OPTIONAL link to view the stream if you experience problems.

Can I use the AOL browser to watch videos on this website?

This website currently works on the AOL 6 and 7,8 Browsers. However, you may encounter some technical difficulties. To be fully compatible with this website, we recommend that you use Internet Explorer.

Can I use the MSN browser to watch videos on this website?

This website currently works on the MSN Browser. However, you may encounter some technical difficulties or reduced functionality. To be fully compatible with this website, we recommend that you use Internet Explorer.

Can I use QuickTime or RealPlayer to watch videos on this website?

This website does not currently support QuickTime or RealPlayer. Use the latest Media Player for the best results. Click here to upgrade to latest version of Windows Media Player.

Why does my computer ask for the Windows Media Player plug-in after I installed the Netscape browser?

Netscape will not recognize the Windows Media Player plug-in if you download or upgrade your Netscape browser after you have already downloaded Windows Media Player.

To Determine What Plug-Ins You Currently Have:
1. Open the Netscape browser.
2. Click on Help in the menu bar.
3. Click About Plug-ins and look for the following section: "Windows Media Player Plug-in Dynamic Link Library"

Choose One Of The Following Options If You Do Not See The Above Header On The "Installed Plug-Ins" Page:
Visit http://home.netscape.com/plugins/ and follow the instructions for downloading the Windows Media Player plug-in; or Reinstall Windows Media Player from your Netscape browser. Netscape will automatically detect the plug-ins after you install them.

Can I download videos to my computer?

Currently this feature is not available.

Why are the videos choppy or freezing?

The quality of the video clip you are watching mainly depends on two factors: (a) the speed of your Internet connection and (b) the bit rate (speed) of the video clip. The faster the bit rate of the video clip, the better the quality. However, the speed of your Internet connection will limit which video clip bit rate that you can watch. For example, if you only have a 56kbs dial up connection to the Internet, the highest video clip bit rate that you will be able to watch will be 56kbs or less (most likely less as the majority of dial-up connections only get speeds of 28kbs or less due to phone line issues). If you try to watch a video clip with a bit rate of 300kbs over a dial up connection, the video will not play. That is why we offer multiple bit rates for each video clip. Each bit rate is optimized for the different types of Internet connections available (Dial-up/DSL/Cable Modem/T1). As you can see, it is very important that you select the proper video clip bit rate for your Internet connection. For the best viewing experience, we recommend a high speed Internet connection such as DSL or Cable Modem.

It is important to note that even if you have a high-speed (DSL/ Cable Modem/ T1), Internet traffic congestion affects your connection speed and/or video performance. You will get slower or faster speeds at different times depending on peak or off-peak use hours. You may also get slower speeds during the morning and afternoon, but faster speeds late at night when fewer people are online. Also, streaming quality decreases when multiple people share the same Internet connection (e.g. at work or on a home network).

Why can I hear the audio but not see the video?

This occurs when the speed of your Internet connection is lower than the bit rate of the video clip you are watching and can be caused by either (a) your selecting of a bit rate for the video clip that is to high for your Internet connection or (b) Internet traffic congestion reduces the speed of your connection below what it should be (for example, you have a high speed DSL or cable modem connection to the Internet, but due to Internet congestion or shared usage, the effective speed of your Internet connection is actually closer to a 56kbs dial up connection).

How do I configure Windows Media Player to improve streaming?

For optimum viewing, we recommend the following:

Windows Media Player

Click here to upgrade to latest version of Windows Media Player.

To Find Out What Version of Windows Media Player You Currently Have:
1. Start Windows Media Player.
2. Click on Help in the menu bar.
3. Click About Windows Media Player.
4. If you need to upgrade, click here to go to Windows Media Download Center.

The Following Are Some Tips To Optimize Streaming On Windows Media Player.
1. Start Windows Media Player.
2. Click the Tools menu and choose Options.
3. Click the Performance tab.
4. Click "My connection speed is:" and select the appropriate speed for your Internet connection. Select Modem (56 kbps) or a lower speed if you have a 56k dial-up modem connection. Select DSL/Cable (256 kbps) or a higher speed if you have a high-speed connection (DSL, Cable Modem, T1, etc.).
5. Click OK.
6. NOTE: You can change these settings at any time.

Optional Advanced Settings for Windows Media Player:
1. Click the Network tab and select all the protocols: Multicast, UDP, TCP, and HTTP.
2. Click the Player tab, select "Enable automatic codec download", and choose how often you would like to upgrade (i.e., once a day, once a week, or once a month).
 

What does bandwidth mean and what is the difference between 56k and 100k?

Bandwidth is a term used to describe connection speed to the Internet. The numbers 56k, 100k and others describe the minimum Internet connection you need to experience the associated video or audio program. For instance, 56k requires a minimum of a 56 kbps connection to the Internet. The content may be transferred at a lower rate as long as it is suitable for the connection speed. You can always play the lower speed content over higher speed lines, but a higher number (100k, 300k, 500k, etc.) generally provides better overall quality of streaming.

Even though I have all the system requirements, why can't I see or hear any videos?

1. If you launch the broadcast on Windows 98 while other audio applications -- including but not limited to mp3 players - are running, you may have trouble hearing sound. If this is the case, close your browser and all audio applications. Restart your browser and try again.

2. Click here to go to Windows Media and Firewalls for firewall configuration settings if you are connecting to the broadcast from work and are behind a firewall.

3. If you are using a Windows Media Player version earlier than Windows Media Player 9, your system should automatically download the required Windows Media 9 codecs.  However, to download codecs successfully, you must have Internet Explorer 3.02 or later installed on your computer, you must maintain Internet access during content playback, and your Internet security should be set to medium. In addition, if your computer is running Microsoft Windows NTŪ, Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, or Windows Server 2003, you must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the Administrators group. In addition, not all codecs are included in a codec download. If your system is unable to download the required Windows Media 9 codecs, you can manually download and install the Windows Media Player 9 codec pack.
Click here to download the Windows Media 9 codec pack for Media Player 6.4

4. Your computer's Internet security options are set at a level too high where your computer may not be able to automatically download the codecs required to view the video. If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, check to make sure that you have selected the medium Internet security settings, which allows signed ActiveX controls to be downloaded with the codecs.
 

Click the "OK" button to apply the changes and close "Internet Options"

Why is the broadcast video viewer cutoff at the bottom of my monitor?

The bottom of the broadcast video viewer may appear cutoff if your computer's screen resolution is set to 800x600 pixels or less. To adjust your screen size complete the following steps.

To Change The Screen Resolution:
1. Click the Start button at the bottom left of your desktop.
2. Click on Settings and Control Panel.
3. Click on the Display icon.
4. Click on the Settings tab.
5. Put the mouse on top of the arrow on "Screen Area" and move it towards "More". Choose 1024x768 pixels.
6. Click OK.
7. Click OK again on the confirmation message. The screen will turn completely black for a few seconds.
8. Click YES on another confirmation message within 15 seconds, otherwise the change will not take effect.
9. Open a browser and return to a the broadcast site.
NOTE: You can change these settings at any time.
 

Can my office's firewall be blocking the video?

Your company may have a firewall that is configured so that either you cannot connect to the video servers or video traffic is prohibited on your network. Check with your network administrator to see if there are any known issues with watching video.

What about my office computer - could it be the problem?

If your computer is running Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional or Windows 2003 server and you are not logged onto your office computer as an administrator or as a member of the administrator group, then the Microsoft Windows Media Player on your computer may not be able to automatically download the codecs required to view the video. Under these circumstances, you will need to either (a) have your network administrator install Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 on your computer (or the Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 codec pack if your computer is running Windows NT) or (b) have your network administrator grant your logon account local administrative rights on your office computer.

My office network has a proxy server. Could this be causing video problems?

If your office network has a proxy server that requires authentication, then your office computer may not be able to automatically download the codecs required to view the video. If this is the case, then we recommend that you install Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 on your computer (or the Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 codec pack if your computer is running Windows NT).