This page lists the necessary requirements for viewing live or on-demand webcasts.

Internet Connection

A fast connection to the Internet -- such as T1, DSL, or cable modem -- will greatly enhance your experience in viewing streaming media. If your connection is slower - a 28 or 56k modem, for example - you will experience lower quality sound and video.

Internet Browser

The minimum requirement is Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or Netscape Netscape 4.07, but more recent versions of these and other browsers will enhance your experience on our web sites.

Browser capabilities increase with each release. The features that Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer offer sometimes disagree. As of this writing we recommend, but do not require, Microsoft Internet Explorer for the best overall browser experience.

Audio Capability

In order to hear the audio of streaming media presentations, your PC must be equipped with a 16-bit or better sound card and speakers. (Macintosh computers have built-in sound capability).

To check your audio settings

Windows
 
1. Click on the Start button
2. Select Settings/Control Panel
3. Double-Click on "Sound and Multimedia"
4. Select the "Audio" tab at the top of the pop-up screen.
5. Click on "Volume" to check your settings.
Mac OS
 
1. Click on the Apple icon on the top left corner
2. Select Control Panel(OS 9 and older versions)/System Preferences (Mac OS X)
3. Select "Sound" to check your settings.

Screen resolution

If your browser window is maximized and you can read this page without scrolling horizontally, your resolution is set appropriately. If not, you can adjust the screen resolution setting on your computer.

To adjust your screen resolution

Windows
 
1. Right click on the desktop
2. Select Properties
3. Click the "Settings" tab
4. Adjust "Screen Area" to 800x600 or higher.
Mac OS
 
1. Click on the Apple icon on the top left corner
2. Select Control Panel(OS 9 and older versions)/System Preferences (Mac OS X)
3. Select Monitors
4. Set your resolution to 800x600 or higher

Streaming Media

In order to see and hear online audio/video content, you will need one or more free software products that enable you to experience streaming media. You probably already have these products installed on your computer. If you do not, then accessing any content requiring them will inform you that you do not have the software installed and offer to let you download it at that time.

Click here to obtain the latest free version of RealPlayer (the free player is "RealPlayer Basic").

Click here to obtain the latest free version of Windows Media Player.

If you need help with installation of Microsoft Windows Media Player, go to Microsoft's installation help page.

Windows Users - For help with installation of RealPlayer, go to Real's help Page.

MAC OS X Users - For help with installation of RealPlayer, go to Real's help Page.

These players expect that you have the following minimum hardware/operating system configuration

Windows
 
120MHz Intel Pentium processor
16MB of RAM
28.8Kpbs modem
16-bit sound card and speakers
65,000-color video display card (video)
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4, Windows XP (Home/Pro), Windows 2003
Mac OS
 
Mac OS 8.1 or later
32 MB RAM
Virtual Memory turned on, set to 64MB
604 PowerPC (200 MHz or better)
28.8Kpbs modem Internet connection

If the presentation starts and stops, is muffled or at the wrong speed, check the following

When streaming media starts and stops unexpectedly in mid show, that is called "buffering". Buffering can occur for many different reasons. If your player is starting and stopping, or losing the signal altogether, your first step is to adjust a couple of settings on your player, as follows:

Microsoft Media Player
 
 Check to be sure your modem is set to operate at the highest possible speed. Then adjust the player's buffer time. Pull down the "View" menu, select "Options", and select the "Advanced" tab. Highlight the item labeled "Windows Media" and click "Change" and set the Windows Media buffer to 30 seconds. Then exit and restart the player. Please note that this sequence may be slightly different, depending on what version of Windows Media Player you have installed, but you are looking for the option to change the buffer length.
RealPlayer
 
 Start RealPlayer. Click View and choose Preferences. Click the Performance tab. Move the Playback performance slider to the right. Click OK to save your changes. Please note that the higher you set the performance, the more system resources will be used by RealPlayer. Finding a setting that balances performance against system resource use is a matter of trial and error. Finally, click View and choose Preferences. Click the Connection tab.There is a button at the bottom that says "Network Time Out Settings." Click it, and reset the connection time out to 30 seconds.

Firewalls and Proxy Server Problems

If you are listening in your office, there may be a high possiblity that there is a firewall, proxy server, or other security system in place that blocks audio/video streams. You and your network administrator may want to read about firewalls, proxy servers, and how to receive streams through them. Go to Microsoft's general help page, or Real's help Page, and look for the firewall and proxy server information.

Still not working?

You have done all you can. The problem may be caused by network congestion. The presentation stream you are attempting to receive passes through many server computers. If there is too much congestion at any of these computers, or any of them aren't working, traffic jams are created and the signal may be difficult or impossible to receive. If you are having a difficult time accessing a presentation, be assured we are working behind the scenes to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

Presentation chaptering issues on Netscape and MAC OS

Due to some incompatibility issues between the Players and MAC OS browser architecture, users might encounter problems in the indexing or chaptering capabilities of some presentations.