Webcast Technical Support and Troubleshooting
This webcast is provided in Windows Media Player and RealPlayer format.
- Test your webcast connection
- How to download a webcast player
- Accessibility infomation
- Minimum system requirements
- Troubleshooting for Windows Media Player
- Troubleshooting for RealPlayer
- Firewalls
This webcast is provided in Windows Media Player and RealPlayer format. One or both players may already be on your computer; if not, either player can easily be downloaded at no charge.
STEP ONE: Follow this link to determine if you have Windows Media Player or RealPlayer installed on your computer.
If you do not have a player installed, see How to download a webcast player.
STEP TWO: Test your player's connection.
If you see video and hear audio when playing one of the test clips above, your system is ready for our live or on-demand webcasts.
Firewalls: If your computer is behind a firewall, ask your system administrator to review the firewall section.
How to download a webcast player: PC users
Windows Media Player:
Download the Windows Media Player and follow the installation instructions.
RealPlayer:
Download the RealPlayer and follow the installation instructions.
Note: you will be offered a paid version of this player on the left side of the page. The FREE RealPlayer download link is on the right side of the page.
How to download a webcast player: Apple users
Windows Media Player:
Download the Windows Media Player and follow the installation instructions.
RealPlayer:
Download the RealPlayer and follow the Installation instructions.
Note: you will be offered a paid version of this player on the left side of the page. The FREE RealPlayer download link is on the right toward the bottom of the page.
We continuously strive to ensure that our webcasts are accessible to individuals with disabilities in accordance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
We provide captioning for the hearing impaired for live and on-demand webcasts using the Windows Media Player and RealPlayer formats.
We recommend using Microsoft Internet Explorer to watch captioned webcasts. Please note that Mozilla, Firefox and Netscape browsers do not currently support the scripting required to display captioning for the Windows Media Player format.
The following are the minimum system requirements you will need to install RealPlayer or Windows Media Player:
Minimum Computer (Windows):
Minimum Computer (Apple):
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Recommended Computer (Windows):
Recommended Computer (Apple):
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Troubleshooting for Windows Media Player
When I click the link to connect, nothing happens or I have a black space where the video or video controls should appear.
Make sure that your computer has RealPlayer and/or Windows Media Player installed. Click here to return to the main Webcast Support page and follow the three-step test and set-up instructions.
OK. I confirmed that I have up-to-date RealPlayer and/or Windows Media Player software on my computer, but when I go to test my connection, I get a "Cannot Connect" or "Media Not Found" type of message.
- In your browser, click on "View" and then "Preferences," and a new window will appear.
- Click on the tab labeled "Connection." Check to make sure that you have the correct connection speed. If you are on a network that is normally the LAN/T1 setting, for a modem it is normally the 56k modem setting, etc.
- Click on the tab labeled "Transport." Choose the "Automatically Choose Best Transport" and then "Auto Configure." Go through all the prompts accepting the default information.
- Click on the tab labeled 'Network'. Un-checkmark all of the options except HTTP. Click Okay and try the link again
- If this does not work and you are still getting errors, especially errors which make statements such as "Make sure you are connected to the Internet," "Timed out waiting for server," etc., there is a large probability you are on a system with a firewall. You will need to check with your network administrator to see if they have a firewall and if the administrator is willing to open the firewall for webcast video traffic.
I get a picture but no sound.
Make sure that your computer speakers are connected, turned on, and that you have adjusted the volume both on the speaker volume knob and on your computer's volume control setting. Also, make sure the computer's volume is not muted.
I get video and sound, but some of the video or slides goes off the edge of my screen.
Your computer screen display settings may be causing that distortion. Webcasts are best viewed with a display setting of 1024x768 or higher.
While viewing the webcast, my video becomes choppy or freezes up.
There is possibly an issue with your connection to the Internet (your Internet Service Provider or office connection is busy or having issues) or your firewall is causing intermediate problems.
I am having trouble viewing the webcast using my Mozilla Firefox browser.
RealPlayer files play automatically on the Firefox browser. Windows Media files may require changes to your system configuration, so we recommend your IT administrator assist in correcting the problem (the proper Windows Media and Active X plugins need to be installed). Go to: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=206213 and follow all of the steps exactly. After doing so, you should be able to view the Windows Media files via Firefox.
My Network Administrator will not make changes to the firewall or they cannot do so in time to view this webcast, is there anything else I can try?
Try to change your RealPlayer connection preference to “HTTP or TCP transport only” or use alternately try to view the program using Windows Media Player.
The media stream is fine on our PC or laptop but the video won't stream through the projector (surrounding window and everything else is viewable).
The color setting may need to be changed on the LCD projection system to view the streaming media. Each projector has its own settings. We advise you to test an actual video stream prior to the event.
The text on the window is missing, distorted, or incomplete.
Using the toolbar while in Internet Explorer, click "View," "Menu," "Choose Text Size." Set it to the default "medium" or "smaller" rather than "large" or "largest."
- If your player stops in the middle of the meeting, please either refresh the Web page or select the Start button on your player.
- If you are unable to connect to a webcast using RealPlayer, please follow these steps:
- In your browser, select View, Preferences.
- Select the Connection tab. Check to ensure that you have the correct connection speed set. If you are using a network, it will usually be the LAN/T1 setting. If you are using a modem, it will usually be the 56k Modem setting. View image of Connection tab.
- Select the Transport tab. Select Automatically Choose Best Transport and then select Auto Configure. Follow the prompts and accept the defaults offered. View Image of Transport tab.
- If you are still unable to connect, you may need to check with your system administrator to determine if you are behind a firewall.
- Firewalled systems may be able to view some types of archived video files that use an HTTP protocol on a Web server. Live streaming files use RTSP (CapitolConnection) or PNM and use only TCP or UDP connections. Firewall ports must be opened.
- If you experience difficulty (e.g., pulsing, flickering, or intermittent video or audio) when attempting to view live streaming video or archived content, we suggest the following:
- PC Users
- Click on the Start menu button on the Windows taskbar.
- Go to Programs, then Real, followed by RealPlayer.
- Once the player launches, click on Tools.
- Select Preferences.
- Select the Content category.
- Under Media Types, click the Advanced button on the right.
- Scroll down the list of media types until you reach the listing: Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).
- Click on the check box to enable the RTSP media type for your video player.
- Apple Users
- Open Internet Explorer's Web browser.
- Go to the Web browser's Properties menu.
- Select the Protocol Helper option.
- Scroll down the list until you find Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).
- Change the application type to RealOne Player or RealPlayer, depending on which application you have downloaded.
- Close the browser. Reopen the browser and test a video link.
- PC Users
- If your connection is poor or
you receive static and varying sound quality, try the following:
- Reconfigure your RealOne settings by
launching RealOne from your desktop.
- Select Tools and then Preferences.
- From the left-hand side of the next screen, click Connection.
- Ensure that your maximum bandwidth is configured to match your minimum bandwidth connection.
- Set your player to buffer every 30 seconds when needed.
- From the left-hand side of the screen, Click Network Transport.
- Click Manually configure connections settings.
- From the left-hand side of the screen, Click General.
- Uncheck Enable a history list in the File menu.
- Click Clear History; then click OK.
- Reconfigure your RealOne settings by
launching RealOne from your desktop.
If your computer is protected by a network or stand-alone firewall and you are having trouble viewing the webcast, the firewall may not be configured to allow webcast viewing. To view a webcast, ask your system administrator to open the firewall to allow the webcast to stream through it.
For more information concerning firewalls and RealPlayer, please see http://service.real.com/firewall.
For more information concerning firewalls and Windows Media Player, please see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/Netshow/deploy/fwconfig.mspx.
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Encountering technical problems? Please call (703)
993-3100.
