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| CTE
Home / Technology Transfer
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| Webcast
Tips and Technical Support |
| CTE TECH SUPPORT: |
| Email: |
ctetechsupport@ncsu.edu |
| Phone: |
(919) 515 - 8657 |
|
| Please review these Webcast Tips and
Tech Support FAQs to see if your question is answered here.
If your issue is not addressed here, please contact CTE Tech
Support during regular business hours at (919) 515-8657, or
feel free to send an email to CTE
Tech Support. Thank you. |
|
| What
is a Webcast or a Live Web Stream?
How do I prepare for the Webcast?
Audio Bridge
Playback for Groups - Sharing Bandwidth
Image Quality of Webcasts
Problematic Playback, Buffering
Windows Media Tips
Additional Tech Support
Playback Alternatives: Archives
and DVDs
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| FAQs |
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What
is a Webcast or a Live Web Stream?
A live webcast or web stream is similar to a live broadcast
on your TV. The only difference is that a live webcast is broadcast
over the Internet. To play a live broadcast, you will need to
make sure that your computer is configured properly to view
the online media.
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How
do I prepare for the Webcast?
1. Check
your computer system to ensure you have the following:
- Audio capability by means of a sound
card (installed with your CPU) and speakers or headphones.
- Enough computer processor and memory
to view the webcast. CTE recommends a Pentium II class or
greater for PCs; or, an Apple Macintosh with 32MB RAM or
greater.
- Broadband/cable internet connectivity
is recommended.
- Java
or Java Plugin
software is recommended.
- Media Player: Windows
Media Player, which you can download free of charge.
- Internet web browser: Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 or higher, Mozilla Browser or Netscape 7.0
or higher.
- Updated Video/Graphics Adapter Drivers:
update the drivers for your computer system’s video
/ graphics adaptor and Microsoft DirectX from Windows
Update to ensure you can view the webcast (you may want
to ask your IT person or network administrator for help).
2. Webcast Test Stream:
Participate in the webcast test stream to ensure you will be
able to view the live webcast. The webcast test stream is usually
scheduled in advance of the live webcast, so that you may test
your internet connection and computer/network configuration
and resolve any issues prior to the live broadcast.
3. Firewall:
If you are on a corporate, agency or university network, please
check with your Network Administrator or IT department to ensure
that Windows Media live streaming is enabled using the MMS protocol
over TCP and/or UDP. Our servers attempt to deliver the stream
using HTTP over port 80 if MMS fails; however, your firewall
may drop the connection prior to HTTP delivery if it is configured
to block live streams. Some suggested alternative protocols
and ports which allow streaming media content to be viewed include
the following: WWW / HTTP port 80, TCP Ports 8080, 7070 and
554, and if possible, UDP Ports 4040, 7007 and 554. Also, please
see the article on Windows
Media firewall settings adjustment.
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| Audio Bridge
Users experiencing difficulty receiving the live web cast
may listen to the audio portion of the program, by calling (919) 000-0000 . Long distance charges apply.
As this line is a conference call, CTE asks that you do not
put your phone on hold, talk, or make extraneous noise.
NOTE: The audio bridge is NOT necessary
to watch the webcast. The web broadcast includes both
video and sound. The audio bridge is an option of
last resort, IF your computer system is not able to receive
the web broadcast.
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| Playback for Groups -
Sharing the Bandwidth
CTE recommends:
- Hosting a group session, instead of several users watching
on individual machines:
- encourages group discussion
- saves bandwidth
- Scheduling and announcing broadcasts for group viewing
and using a video monitor or projector with speakers
- Testing projection and laptops together. Laptop display
modes can be challenging
- Opening video in external player (see the Windows Media
Tips), resizing and testing video for optimal playback
- Printing handouts for participants
- Having a spare PC available for support, testing, and
backup
- Having access to a phone for audience questions and for
technical support calls
- Having access to a speakerphone to connect to the audio
bridge, if the web connection repeatedly fails
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| Image Quality of Webcasts
The video image quality of a webcast differs from a TV broadcast
in that the video has to be compressed in order to stream
over the Internet. Compression results in reduced image resolution
and a smaller (less than full screen) frame size, so a webcast
is best viewed within a smaller window on the computer screen.
When launching your Windows Media player software to view a webcast, the player will
typically open automatically to the best size for viewing.
Media player software does include a feature to enlarge the
video image to full screen if this is preferred. However,
the image will lose sharpness and clarity when enlarged, appearing
'fuzzy.'
If you're viewing a webcast using a computer video projector,
such as in a group setting, it's still best to keep the video
player sized to a smaller window for a sharper image.
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Problematic Playback, Buffering
- Windows XP users using Internet Explorer must allow blocked
content. This is allowed by left clicking on the shield
below the IE navigation bar.
- If you do not see any video or buffering, you may need
to contact your local technical support person to address
firewall, proxy, or broadband/DSL router settings. If trying
to address firewall settings, please see the Firewall section
on this page. If you still cannot view the Webcast, you
may have problems with your network. Please contact your
local systems administrator for support.
- If more than one individual in an office is accessing
the stream, "buddy up" at one workstation.
- While watching the Webcast, please close or reduce other
computer applications: exit your email program and any others
that you may have open to conserve memory for the webcast
video and audio.
- Be patient when accessing the webcast. It may take 20-40
seconds of video buffering before the stream arrives.
- View specific support in Windows Media
Player Tips
.
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| Windows Media Player Tips
If you chose to open the video in the external Windows Media
Player (instead of inside the browser):
- Click "launch in the external Windows Media player"
link and hit the "stop" icon in the webpage (if
necessary).
- Once the external Windows Media Player starts, select
either "full screen" from the "View" or "Zoom-Fit to Window"
option.
- After the Windows Media Player is launched, the player
window can be customized by selecting the "on"
or "off" panels from the "View" menu.
Among these are:
- “Full Mode Options - Hide Task Bar”
- “Now Playing Options - Show Playlist”
- fill the player window with the streamed video or for
resizing options, choose "Zoom" and "Fit to Window"
- Other Windows Media problems and solutions can be reviewed
by visiting:
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Why
does the Player display a “buffering” message, and
why are there so many pauses while the video plays?
The player needs a certain amount of video buffered into memory
before it can play. However, if the player is experiencing network
congestion, and doesn’t have enough network bandwidth
to buffer as much as it needs to, the player will keep trying
but not be able to play the video stream. Issues that could
prevent you from having enough bandwidth for buffering include:
- a slow network connection (such as a dial-up modem)
- too many services or applications using your local network
or too many program running simultaneously on your own personal
computer system
- too many people using the local network.
Possible solutions you can try to resolve the “buffering”
issues: please try one of these at a time, allowing a few moments
to determine if the network buffering issues have resolved and
to see if the video is playing as desired before you try an
additional suggestion. 1. During the webcast, if you
stop seeing or hearing the presentation, try clicking the
"Stop" button, then click the "Play" button.
This will attempt to reconnect to the stream. If this does
not work, please close your Media Player and click the link
on the web page again.
2. Close down other programs and applications running on
your computer, including email and all other applications
other than the media player and the web page you are connecting
to the media file from.
3. Close out of the video and your media player, and then
clear the history and cache (see specific instructions below)
in your browser. Close your browser, then re-open it, and
then try reconnecting to the video.
How to clear History and Cache in Internet Explorer:
- Open Internet Explorer, if it is not already open.
- Click Tools on the toolbar
- Click Internet Options
- Click “Delete Cookies” and then click the
“OK” button when prompted.
- Click “Delete Files,” then click the box (so
there is a checkmark in it) beside “Delete all offline
files”
- Click the “OK” button.
- Click the “Clear History” button, and then
click the “OK” button when prompted.
How to clear History and Cache in Netscape:
- Open Netscape, if it is not already open.
- Open the Tools menu and click Options.
- Under the Privacy panel, click Cache.
- To clear the cache immediately, click Clear Cache. Click
the “OK” button when prompted to do so. Then
click “OK” again to exit the Privacy –
Options menu.
4. In Windows Media, make sure that the User Datagram Protocol
(UDP) is the only protocol selected. Click on “Tools”
on the Windows Media Toolbar, then Select “Options,”
then click the “Network” tab. Under Streaming Protocols,
and make sure UDP is the only option checked. Then click “OK.”
NOTE: Although this option reduces buffering, it may cause data
to be dropped if there is high network congestion or insufficient
bandwidth. If you are located behind a firewall, you may not
be able to use UDP as your protocol. See firewall
information on this page. 5. If Suggestion #4 directly
above was not successful, then you can also try adjusting
buffering: Click on “Tools” on the Windows Media
Toolbar, then select “Options” and then click
on the “Performance” tab. Under Network Buffering,
click on the Buffer *** seconds of content; enter the desired
number in the box to designate seconds for buffering. Click
“Apply,” and then click “OK.”
6. If possible, try connecting from a different computer
or better yet, watch the webcast with colleagues to decrease
the number of internal network connections all viewing the
same webcast (this will in turn decrease the demands on the
network, enabling better connections).
7. Dial-up modem users are encouraged to view the webcast
over broadband cable modem, as the dial-up connection may
be too slow to load and run the file.
8. Try connecting again a few minutes later to the live webcast,
when perhaps the network will be less congested.
9. If you still are having trouble, please call tech support
for assistance at 919-515-8657.
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| What
can I do about video problems, such as green or pink lines,
flashes or spots appearing on the video, flickering or choppy
video, or the Player stops responding when playing video?
This problem is typically associated with some video adaptor
drivers that have difficulty with DirectDraw features that
Windows Media Player uses. Ask someone in your IT department
or your network administrator for help in updating the drivers
for your computer system's video / graphics adaptor and Microsoft
DirectX from Windows Update. If you have no IT person available,
you can still try turning down (or turning off) the video
acceleration to help resolve your video problems as follows:
- Start Windows Media Player.
- On the Tools menu, click Options.
- Click the Performance tab.
- In the Video Performance section, select a lower Hardware
Acceleration setting - or even turn it off.
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Why
do I not see any video or hear any sound?
This could be due to any of the following factors:
- If it is a live webcast, make sure that it has started
and also make sure that it has not already concluded, particularly
if you are located in a different time zone than the live
broadcast. The Center for Transportation and the Environment
in Raleigh, North Carolina, is located in the Eastern Time
zone of the United States. Time Zone Conversion utilitites:
Eastern
Standard Time, and Daylight
Saving Time.
- Do you have the most recent version of the Media player
installed? If not, you can download the
Windows
Media Player free of charge.
- Are connected to the internet or to your local network?
- Are you behind a firewall? If so, please reference the
firewall
information on this page.
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Why can
I hear the audio, but I can't see the video?
A. If you are not able to see the video, this might occur if
there is not enough bandwidth to play both audio and video.
You may receive sound even though the video is not present,
because audio requires less available bandwidth.
If you suspect the video is not showing due to high network
traffic, then you may want to try increasing the buffer time
for playing back streaming media until the connection improves.
To increase the buffer setting, follow these steps:
1. Start Windows Media Player
2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
3. In the Options dialog box, click the Performance tab.
4. In the Network Buffering section, click Buffer, and then
type 30 in the text box. (60 seconds is the maximum.) This
setting may improve playback. However, when you increase the
buffer time, the system must wait while the player fills the
buffer before it starts to play streaming media.
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Why can
I see the video, but I cannot hear or receive any audio?
To ensure you are correctly receiving the audio portion of the
video:
1. Confirm that your computer has a sound card. Verify with
your IT department or Network Administrator that you have correct
and up-to-date drivers for your sound card.
2. Confirm that you have working headphones or speakers, and
that they are plugged in.
3. Confirm that you have the most recent version of your Windows Media Player downloaded and installed on your computer.
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Is my
computer fast enough?
If your computer lacks in memory or has a slow processor, this
can cause the video to stutter or to not play at all. Try closing
other programs while viewing the video. If it is older, your
computer may simply be too slow to play the stream.
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I
am behind a firewall. How does that affect my viewing the webcast?
Are you currently on a corporate, agency or university network?
If so, please check with your Network Administrator or IT department
to ensure that Windows Media live streaming is enabled using
the MMS protocol over TCP and/or UDP. Our servers attempt to
deliver the stream using HTTP over port 80 if MMS fails; however,
your firewall may drop the connection prior to HTTP delivery
if it is configured to block live streams. Some suggested alternative
protocols and ports which allow streaming media content to be
viewed are: WWW / HTTP port 80, TCP Ports 8080, 7070 and 554,
and if possible, UDP Ports 4040, 7007 and 554. Also, please
see the article on Windows
Media firewall settings adjustment.
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| Additional Tech Support
For items not addressed in this document or for immediate
help, please contact CTE technical support at ctetechsupport@ncsu.edu
or (919)515-8657. Note that you will be able to view the archived
digital media file of the webcast on our website within a
few days following the live webcast.
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| Playback Alternatives: Archives
and DVDs If other measures
fail, the program is available:
CTE suggests preprinting the slide handouts before the broadcast
so you may follow presenters.
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