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Is your system ready for streaming video?
The chart below will help you
determine if your computer is up to the task, as well as diagnose any problems.
Check the status of each item in the chart to see if your system is "ready for webcasting".
If any of the items are not ready for video, simply
follow the "click for details" link for more information.
If you wish to re-test your system, be sure to run the system check again. Simply
reloading this page will not show accurate results.
| Item |
Status |
| Web Browser |
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| Windows Media Player |
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| Connection Speed |
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Live Streams
These are active live streams. These events will give you the a very true experience of our live events.
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Web Browser
To view webcasts on our site, you need to have a web browser that
supports Windows Media Player. If you are using the Windows operating
system, you can use Internet Explorer 5.0 (or greater). You can you
can also use the most current versions of Firefox, Netscape, or Mozilla
(see below for details).
If you are using the Mac OS X operating system, we recommend Safari.
You can also use Internet Explorer 5.2, or the most current version of
Firefox.
Netscape users can use version 7.0 or greater. Mozilla users can use
version 1.7, and Firefox users can use version 1.0 or greater. All
users of these browsers should upgrade to the most current version.
Earlier versions may work, but we can't guarantee results.
For all versions of Netscape, Firefox, and Mozilla, you'll need to make
sure you've installed the proper plug-ins.
For all browsers, you may need to remove or disable any
"pop-up blocking"
software. We don't use any pop-up advertising, but our webcasts do
appear in a new window, so your software may prevent the webcast from
loading.
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Windows Media Player
The webcasts on our site are in Windows Media Format. To view these webcasts, you need to have Windows Media Player installed on your computer.
Windows Media Player is automatically installed if you are using Windows XP, Windows 2000,
or Windows ME. If you are using Windows 98 or Windows 95, you may need to download
Windows Media Player.
If you are using the Macintosh operating system, you may need to download Windows Media Player
for Macintosh. Be sure to download the latest version, Series 9.
Windows Media Player is free, and you can get it here http://www.windowsmedia.com/download/, or by clicking on the button above.
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Connection Speed
Your connection speed is shown above as kilobits per second, or kbps. The speed of
your connection will affect the quality of the webcast that you can watch. In general,
a higher number - that is, a faster connection - is better. If you have a slower speed connection,
you may be limited to audio-only webcasts. If your speed is below 20 kbps or so, you will probably
not be able
to receive any streaming content.
If your speed is below
30 kbps, you might only hear the webcast, with no video. If your speed is 80 kbps or
more, you will see
and hear the best video and audio anywhere on the web.
If you're accessing the Internet with a high-speed connection (such as DSL or a T-1) from your
office,
your connection speed could be reduced because you're "sharing" your connection among
several computers. So, if there are 10 people in your office, you may be connecting at only one-tenth of
your full speed.
If you're accessing the Internet with a "dial-up" account (such as AOL, MSN, or your local
Internet Service Provider), your connection speed will never be any higher than 53 kbps, and will often be much
slower. If you want increase your connection speed, you will need to contact your ISP, and inquire about
high-speed options such as DSL or a cable modem.
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Sound Check
To hear the webcasts on our site, you simply need to make sure your computer is capable of playing audio. Generally speaking, if you can't hear other sounds on your computer, then you won't be able to hear any webcasts.
Use the "Sample Audio Webcast" link above to test your system for sound. Within a few seconds (or perhaps a few minutes, if you are on dial-up), you should hear a voice speaking. If you don't hear anything when you click the link, then you probably don't have audio.
The most common causes of audio problems are:
- Computer volume set too low (or off)
- Speaker/headphone volume set too low (or off)
- No speakers/headphones
- Speakers/headphones not connected or improperly connected
- No sound card
- Real Media player set to mute - if you have the Real Media player installed, and you mute the audio, your entire system audio is muted, not just the player. Load the Real player and "unmute" the audio.
- Incorrect computer audio settings (for most versions of Windows, Start->Settings->Control Panel)
Again, there's nothing special about "webcast sounds" - if you can't hear other sounds, you won't hear the webcast. Fix your sound
problems, and you'll hear the webcast just fine.
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Common Webcasting Questions & Answers
Why can't I hear anything?
This is our number one support issue, and in nearly every case, it's a simple matter of making
sure that the audio settings on your computer are configured properly.
Typically, you will hear audio in one of three ways:
- Through speakers that you have attached to your computer
- Through built-in speakers, if you're using a notebook computer
- Through headphones connected to the headphone jack on your computer. (Sometimes,
headphones can be connected directly to one of your speakers.)
You can test your system for sound simply by trying the sample audio webcast above.
I don't see anything! Or It just says "Loading...".
In some cases, you will not be able to see or hear any of the webcasts on our site. Often, this is
caused by your network configuration. See also Firewalls, below.
The slides are not changing.
 First, make sure that your system is configured properly to allow slide changes:
- For Windows users: Run Windows Media Player. Typically found in the
menu Start->Programs->Accessories->Entertainment.
Under
the menu Tools->Options, go to the Security tab. Make sure that the option
"Run script commands when present" IS checked. Make sure that the
option "Do not run script commands and rich media streams if the Player is
running inside a Web page" is NOT checked.
- For Mac users: Run Windows Media Player. Typically found in the
Applications folder. Under the menu Windows Media Player->Preferences, go to the Security tab.
Make sure that the option "Run script commands when present" IS
checked. Make sure that the option "Do not run script commands and rich media
streams if the Player is running inside a Web page" is NOT checked.
Please note that your actual screen image may be slightly different from what
is shown.
Second, keep in mind that slides will not change until the presenter pushes the next slide. If
you arrive at a webcast after the scheduled start time, you will join the audio/video in progress, but you
will see the first slide of the presentation. As soon as the presenter send the "next slide" (whatever that may be),
you will see the slides change.
What is streaming video? What is a webcast? What is interactive webcasting?
Streaming is the process of sending bandwidth-intensive content - like video - over
the Internet, and allowing the user to access the content as it is received, instead of waiting
for the entire file to download. The term "webcast" is often used to describe a streaming video
(or audio) presention. It compares to the television concept of "broadcast". An interactive webcast
combines audio, video, synchronized slides, polling, and more, to provide a complete multimedia
communications experience. Interactive webcasting is our specialty.
When I start to watch a webcast, I am asked to download a "codec." What is
a codec? Is it safe to download?
A codec (short for compression/decompression) is a method used to compress audio or video.
If you don't have the codec that was used to create the video that you want to watch, you'll
be asked to download the codec. It is perfectly safe to download.
What about firewalls?
Our streaming video is designed to pass through firewalls on port 80.
On all firewalls, this is a normal open port for http traffic.
However, it is possible to block port 80 traffic and to even block streaming traffic.
If you are not receiving our streaming video, please check with your IT department.
How can I get additional information?
Feel free to email, call, or use our contact form. Our webcast professionals
will be happy to help you.
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