Q: Can you tell me your recommendations for getting the best possible stream during your live webcasts?
Close all programs other than your browser.
Test your connection early, preferably at least a day before the webcast. That will allow you time to download and install software if necessary.
Refresh/reload the www.msia.org/live page less than an hour before the webcast. The page will be changed at one hour before the webcast, so you need to refresh after that change to see the link for the webcast.
Q: How can I make the video fill more of my computer's screen?
In Windows Media Player, hover the mouse pointer over the picture, right click and select Fullscreen. Or you can use the keys Alt-Enter in combination. In addition, hover the mouse pointer over the picture, right click and select Video, then options for various sizes will appear. In VLC Media player, hover the mouse pointer over the picture, right click and select Fullscreen. Alternatively, select Video on the Menu Bar and select the screen size option that you prefer. Or you can use Command-F keys in combination.
Q: I'm not receiving the broadcast properly, it's jumping all over the place in stops and starts. It is cutting out every few seconds, any suggestions?
There are some settings changes in Windows Media Player that need to be implemented to help eliminate these problems. Set all other settings to default. Please see the instructions below:
Windows Media:
1. Open Windows Media Player. An easy way to do this is to click on the following link: http://www.msia.org/live/archives.php and select a Windows Media stream to match your connection type.
2. On the Windows Media 12 player on Windows 7, right click over the video, and select More Options… On the Windows Media 10 or 11 player, right click anywhere on the upper edge of the player, and select Tools, then Options. On the older players, select Tools, then Options from the menu at the top.
3. Click on the Network Tab.
4. Uncheck the checkboxes for Multicast, UDP, and TCP. The only box still checked will be HTTP. Doing this will give the most consistent playback without drop outs.
5. Click Apply.
6. Click OK to close Options.
7. Quit Windows Media player entirely to put the changes into effect.
8. Click on the following link: http://www.msia.org/live/archives.php and select a Windows Media stream to match your connection type to test your player.
Q: What if I'm accessing the event through a firewall?
If you access the Internet through a proxy server / firewall, you may need to make changes to your Real Player or Windows Media Player configuration.
Q: What if the http://www.msia.org/live page does not change when I refresh/reload it less than an hour before the webcast?
Your browser may be set to cache files so that it doesn't have to download the same files over and over. Our site is very dynamic and works better if files are not cached.
Q: Which player do I choose – Windows Media Player or VLC Media Player?
Choose Windows Media Player if you are using a Microsoft Windows based PC. We do not recommend using VLC Media Player for live streaming on a PC.
Choose VLC Media Player if you are using a Macintosh with OS X 10.5 or later, with the Safari browser.
Q: Which quality/type stream should you choose?
The audio quality on the audio-only stream is usually slightly better than the audio quality on the low speed video stream. Also, older computers and computers with slower modems are more likely to be able to receive an audio-only stream than a video stream. However, if you have a high speed connection to the Internet, like DSL or Cable Modem, the "high-speed video" or "best quality video" transmission is typically very high quality for an Internet broadcast. We recommend trying the highest speed stream available in your preferred language.
Q: Why does the program stop and start?
Your computer is buffering the signal. This usually happens when the Internet connection can't feed the data fast enough to give smooth playback. So the computer waits for the data to come in and stores it in a buffer until there's enough to play back again in a smooth, steady stream. If this problem happens continually, your internet connection may not be fast enough to support the stream speed that you have selected. In this case, we recommend that you log in again and select the next slowest stream speed.
Q: Why can’t I get the live Internet broadcast?
Please make sure that you have the correct player installed for your computer.