Questions

• What software is required to view streaming videos?
• Can I use the AOL browser to see videos?
• Can I use the MSN browser to view videos?
• Can I use QuickTime or RealPlayer to view the videos?
• Why does it ask for Windows Media Player plug-ins after I installed the Netscape browser?
• Can I download videos to my computer?
• Why are the videos staggering or freezing?
• Why do the videos frequently pause to buffer?
• Why can I hear the audio but not see the video?
• How do I configure Windows Media Player to improve streaming?
• How do I fix problems with Windows Media Player?
• Even though I have all the system requirements, why can't I see or hear any videos?
• Why is webcast page cutoff at the bottom of my monitor?
• How do I return from full screen video back to the regular sized video?
• The video quality is poor
• Windows Media Player screen is green with pink wavy lines
• Setting the Windows Media Player to work behind a proxy or firewall (not for people with modems or other kinds of direct connections to the Internet)
• Whenever I try to view a video, it tries to connect to the server, and then it says "closed"
• I have a T1 or cable connection but whenever I try to watch a video, it's choppy or the frame rate is much slower than the audio rate
• Every time I go to play the video, I get a GPF error
• I received a "your security settings do not allow the new decompressor to be installed" error message
• In Windows Media Player, every time I try to play a video it says "the specified stream type is not recognized," the colors appear strange, or I see the video fine but I don't hear anything
• In Windows Media Player, I clicked on a video, and it asked if I wanted to download and install a new codec. What should I do? Or I installed a new codec, and now I'm having problems watching or hearing the videos

Answers

What software is required to view streaming videos?

• Operating System: Windows 98, 2000, ME and XP Mac OS X (10.2x or higher)
• Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5+ Netscape 6 or higher+ with limitations - your results will vary based on the versions of Netscape, Microsoft Media Player, and Java installed on your computer. Safari Mozilla
• Media Players: Windows Media Player 9 or Higher (we recommend downloading the latest version). http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/players.aspx
• General advice: Currently, Windows Media has the best codec (better compression than QuickTime or DivX for streaming) so we can offer a higher quality picture (320x240 instead of 240x180 with QuickTime). In the past we originally offered QuickTime, and then both QuickTime and WM9. Beginning with this event we are exclusively using Windows Media. We will re-evaluate our technology decision regularly and continue to use the best available technology. For the best experience, please make sure that you are using the most current download Windows Media Player. We also recommend a Pentium 3 or higher for a PC, and a PowerMac G4 or G5 for a Mac. 256MB RAM or more (512MB or more is recommended) will really help you as well.

Can I use the AOL browser to see videos?

The videos currently work on the newest AOL browsers. However, you may encounter technical difficulties. To be fully compatible, we recommend that you use Internet Explorer.

Can I use the MSN browser to view videos?

The videos currently work on the MSN Browser. However, you may encounter some technical difficulties. To be fully compatible, we recommend that you use Internet Explorer.

Can I use RealPlayer to view the webcast?

The videos do not currently support RealPlayer. You will need to to use Windows Media Player 9 in order to watch the videos. Upgrade to latest version of Windows Media Player.

Why does it ask for Windows Media Player plug-ins after I installed the Netscape browser?

Netscape will not recognize the plug-ins 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 sections: "For Windows Media Player" - "Windows Media Player Plug-in Dynamic Link Library" Choose one of the following options if you do not see the above headers on the "installed plug-ins" page:
1. Visit http://home.netscape.com/plugins/ and follow the instructions for downloading the plug-ins.
2. 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?

Typically, we make the videos available for download after the event. Check back at the webpage with the link to the streaming video in 24 hours for download links.

Why are the videos staggering or freezing?

Whether you have a high-speed (DSL/ Cable Modem/ T1) or a low-speed connection (56k Dial-Up/ISDN), 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 get slower speeds during the morning and afternoon, but faster speeds late at night when fewer people are online. Also, streaming quality decreases as more homes share the line (in your neighborhood) with a Cable Modem connection.

Why do the videos frequently pause to buffer?

If the videos frequently buffer, then it means that you are not maintaining a fast enough connection to our servers to watch our videos at the speed you selected. Try increasing your buffering rate in the player: NOTE: You must open the Windows Media Player separately under Start, Programs, in order to access these options.

• Windows Media Player 9.x
1. Open the Windows Media Player.
2. Pull down the Tools menu and select "Options."
3. Select "Performance."
4. Under Network Buffering, select "Buffer."
5. Adjust buffering to "10 seconds of data."
6. Click "OK."
7. Close and reopen your web browser.

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

When Internet traffic congestion occurs, audio is often transferred before video due to the audio file size being smaller. You may only hear the video clip if the speed at the time of your connection is too slow.

How do I configure Windows Media Player to improve streaming?

We recommend Windows Media Player version 9.x for Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP for optimum streaming. NOTE: You must open the Windows Media Player separately under Start, Programs, in order to access these options.

• To find out what version you currently have:
1. Open Windows Media Player.
2. Click on Help in the menu bar.
3. Click About Windows Media Player.
4. Go to Windows Media Download Center if you need to upgrade.
• Following are some tips to optimize streaming on windows media player 9.x
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:
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).

How do I fix problems with Windows Media Player?

Please see "How do I configure Windows Media Player to improve streaming?" or go to WindowsMedia.com: Help for further troubleshooting.

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

There are a few possibilities:

• If you launch the videos on Windows 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 re-enter our website.
• Go to Windows Media and Firewalls for firewall configuration settings if you are connecting to the streaming videos from work and are behind a firewall.

Why is webcast page cutoff at the bottom of my monitor?

The bottom of the page may appear cutoff if your computer's screen resolution is set to 800x600 pixels or less. For the best experience on the web these days we recommend using a monitor set to 1024x768 or better. There are three ways to solve this problem.

• To hide the taskbar:
1. Click the Start button on your desktop.
2. Click on Settings and "Taskbar and Start Menu".
3. Select the Auto Hide check box on the General tab.
4. Click OK.
5. Just roll the mouse over the taskbar and you will see it.
6. Open a browser and return to our website.
7. NOTE: You can change these settings at any time. Just click to clear the "Auto Hide" check box to set the taskbar back.
• 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 our website.
10. NOTE: You can change these settings at any time.
• To change the font size:
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 and the Settings tab.
4. Click on the Advanced button at the bottom right.
5. Select "Small Fonts" on the General tab.
6. Click OK on a confirmation message.
7. Click OK to close the General tab.
8. Click YES on two confirmation messages.
9. Click CLOSE to close the Display Properties.
10. Click YES to restart the computer.
11. After the computer restarts, the change will take effect.
12. Close the Control Panel.
13. Open a browser and return to our website.
14. NOTE: You can change these settings at any time.

How do I return from full screen video back to the regular sized video?

Hit the ESC key.

The video quality is poor

The problem may be with the speed of your Internet connection. Streaming video over the Internet requires a great deal of bandwidth, and unfortunately 56K and slower connections are not fast enough to give you the quality picture you would hope for. Even the highest quality stream isn't the quality of television, but taking everything into consideration, we're extremely pleased with what we can offer you.

Windows Media Player screen is green with pink wavy lines

To fix this Media Player problem, try to disable YUV flipping. NOTE: You must open the Windows Media Player separately under Start, Programs, in order to access these options.

1. Open a stream in the player.
2. Click "File" and chose "Properties."
3. Chose the "Advanced" tab.
4. Select "Video Renderer" from the list of filters in use and click the "Change" button.
5. Select the "Direct Draw" tab.
6. Remove the check from next to "YUV flipping."
7. Close and restart the player.

Setting the Windows Media Player to work behind a proxy or firewall (not for people with modems or other kinds of direct connections to the Internet)

Some schools and offices have firewalls or proxy servers which are between your computer and the Internet. If this is your case, you need to make sure that your player is set up to pass through the firewall. NOTE: You must open the Windows Media Player separately under Start, Programs, in order to access these options. In the Windows Media Player:

1. Right-click on the video.
2. Select "Properties."
3. Click the "Advanced" tab.
4. Highlight "Windows Media Source Filter."
5. Click the "Properties" button.
6. Click "Configure proxy settings" and enter the name (or IP address) of your proxy.

Whenever I try to view a video, it tries to connect to the server, and then it says "closed"

To find out more information on what the error is, right-click in the viewing window of your Windows Media Player after it says "closed" and select "Error Details" from the menu. This should give you more information on what the problem is so you can find the correct help topic here.

I have a T1 or cable connection but whenever I try to watch a video, it's choppy or the frame rate is much slower than the audio rate

If you have tried increasing your buffer size and made sure you have the proper bandwidth selected, then most likely this is caused by either having outdated hardware (a Pentium II or lower), an outdated operating system (Win 3.1, 95, NT), an outdated browser (Netscape 3, IE 3), or not enough memory, video RAM, etc. The Windows media codecs are optimized for Pentium III and 4 and run tolerably on Pentium II, but on a Pentium or lower, they choke completely. Also you need a fair amount of system resources, RAM, VRAM, etc., to get good results. We recommend 256MB RAM or more for Windows and/or Macintosh Computers.

Every time I go to play the video, I get a GPF error

This kind of error usually pops up due to a software conflict or improper install of system level software or video drivers. Please try the latest updates for Windows and Internet Explorer and updating your drivers at your computer manufacturer's website.

I received a "your security settings do not allow the new decompressor to be installed" error message

This is caused by Windows Media Player trying to automatically install a newer version of the codec needed to play the video. Before you click to watch the video, set your browser's security in the Preferences (or Internet Options) to "Low." Then click to watch the video, and you should not get this error. After you have watched the video, you can set your browser security back to "Medium" or "High" and watch all the videos you want since Windows Media Player will have properly installed the newer version of the codec.

In Windows Media Player, every time I try to play a video it says "the specified stream type is not recognized," the colors appear strange, or I see the video fine but I don't hear anything

You might need the newest Windows codec (the compression algorithm for the media file). When you first attempted to install Windows Media Player, you may not have had the necessary permission to install software or your Internet security may have been set to "Medium" or "High." This will prevent the codecs from being properly installed. Change your Internet security to "Low" during the installation process, or see your network administrator for proper installation.

In Windows Media Player, I clicked on a video, and it asked if I wanted to download and install a new codec. What should I do?

Or I installed a new codec, and now I'm having problems watching or hearing the videos If you try to view a video and your computer asks you if you want to install a new codec, first check your security settings before selecting "yes." In Internet Explorer, in either the View or the Tools menu, find the "Internet Options" dialog box and open it. Click on the "Security" tab in this window. Make sure that your security setting for the Internet Zone is set to "Low" before installing the new codecs. If you select "yes" to add a new codec, you must restart your system for the new codec to function properly. If you installed a new codec, but did not follow these instructions, you may now be having problems. If you are having problems after installing a new codec, please go to: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/default.aspx

Simply download the software and install it. Once installation is complete, restart your system. You should then be able to see and hear all the videos properly.