Technical FAQ
FAQs about the technical requirements for participating in the online course or workshops.
1. Is my computer, tablet, or smart phone adequate for watching the Course or Workshops videos?
2. What do I do if the videos don’t work on my computer?
3. What are the minimum system requirements?
4. Will the video play on my browser?
5. What browser software do I need?
6. What capabilities does the player have?
7. How do I know if player software is installed?
8. Why am I getting bandwidth warnings?
9. What size and dimensions are your videos?
11. What is the minimum internet speed required to play videos?
12. Why are there stops or gaps while streaming media?
13. Will your videos work over my wireless connection?
14. Will your videos play on my UNIX computer?
15. Will your videos play on my iPad or iPhone?
16. Will your videos play on my Android tablet or phone?
17. Will the videos work on my Windows 8 tablet or smart phone?
18. I can’t login in to the websites?
19. I have read all of the above FAQs but I am still having problems with video streaming?
1. Is my computer, tablet, or smart phone adequate for watching the Course or Workshops videos?
The videos should work on most Windows and MAC computers purchased new in the last 3-4 years and it is important that you have the latest version of the Flash plugin installed. In addition, we have tested the videos on tablets and smart phones using Apple iOS and Android version 2.3 or greater. Please understand that we cannot test for every situation so it is very important that you play the test video to make sure it will work on the device you intend to use for viewing the Course or Workshop videos.
You will see a sample two minute video in the same format as the course and workshop videos. If the experience is satisfactory you are all set. Since internet speeds vary we suggest that you test the video from the computer you will be using for the course.
2. What do I do if the videos don’t work on my computer?
If the video does not work on your system try installing an update to your browser. The videos work in Internet Explorer 9 and 10 as well as the current version of the Chrome Browsers. Mozilla Firefox on Windows XP may prompt you to download of the latest version of flash.
3. What are the minimum system requirements?
For the best experience, we recommend at minimum:
PC: WinXP, P4, 2.0 GHz CPU, 2 GB RAM, 128MB video card
MAC: Apple Mac G4 running OSX 10.2.8, 1.5 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM. The easiest way to find out is to play the test video.
4. Will the video play in my browser?
As long as you have an HTML 5 capable browser or a web browser that supports the latest version of Flash. Also, the videos are cross platform and cross browser. The easiest way to find out is to play the test video.
5. What browser software do I need?
You will need a recent or current version 8 or newer of Internet Explorer. In addition, a current version of Safari, Chrome, or Firefox installed on your computer.
Please play the test video to see if it works for you.
6. What capabilities does the player have?
Full Screen:
– With one click enjoy full screen videos on your PC or MAC Connection Speed Detection
– On your very first video play, the player will detect your internet connection speed automatically and pick the correct size/resolution to play. Furthermore throughout the play, it will continue checking connection speed and warn if connection speed has dropped so you can select a better size/resolution option.
Fast Forward and Rewind:
– We have a much better solution for the conventional fast forward and rewind. In our state of the art player you can click anywhere on the time line and the video will quickly start playing from where you have clicked.
7. How do I know if player software is installed?
No action on your behalf is required. Before the player is loaded, it will detect if you have the required software. If you don’t have the required software then the video will not play. The easiest way to find out is to play the test video. The videos will work on a computer running Windows XP as long as you have a current version of Mozilla Firefox or Chrome Browser with the Flash plugin installed.
8. Why am I getting bandwidth warnings?
The player performs bandwidth calculations every time a video is played. Available bandwidth can fluctuate from moment to moment. Other factors that may affect available bandwidth or the quality of your viewing experience are: simultaneous network activity on your computer, wireless network usage, cable modems, general Internet congestion, time of day, and general computer power.
Things you can try to improve your viewing experience:
– Minimize the amount of other Internet or network usage during viewing
– Use a physical network connection, if available (instead of a busy wireless connection)
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9. What size and dimensions are your videos?
We offer two different video sizes which include Broadband(640×480) pixels and Full Screen. All the videos respective to their dimensions have the highest resolution possible.
10. What if I’m using AOL?
As long as you have latest version of AOL, there should be support for HTML 5 and Flash. The easiest way to find out is to play the test video.
11. What is the minimum internet speed required to play videos ?
We recommend having at least 300kbps download speed for best experience.
12. Why are there stops or gaps while streaming media?
Poor sound/video quality, excessive buffering, and/or delays in connectivity are usually due to stressed or strained bandwidth on behalf of your ISP and the bandwidth that your ISP has available for Internet connectivity. Many Internet users are probably dialed-in to your ISP, causing congested lines and using up most or all of the bandwidth.
If you are accessing us through a LAN (Local Area Network), you may experience similar problems as a result of the number of users and/or PCs on your LAN. This condition is almost always temporary, and if you try back later, you will usually experience better results.
You may also experience these types of problems when your computer’s resources are limited. Try not to run other applications while accessing streaming media.
13. Will your videos work over my wireless connection?
In general our videos will play well over wireless connections. However, wireless connections add yet another layer of network complexity and cause more slowdown.
14. Will your videos play on my UNIX computer?
As long as you have a newer version of the flash player, you should have no problems watching the videos on your Unix computer. The easiest way to find out is to play the test video.
15. Will your videos play on my iPad or iPhone?
We have tested the videos on the iPhones and iPads running iOS 5.0 and above. However, for them to work, you must have COOKIES and JAVASCRIPT enabled. (Look under Settings and then Safari.) The videos may work on older versions of iOS. The best way to find out is to play the test video on your device.
16. Will your videos play on my Android Tablet or Phone?
We have tested the videos on Android on Android 2.3 and above however, that does not necessarily mean it will play on all devices. The best way to find out is to play the test video on your device.
17. Will the videos work on my Windows 8 Tablet or Smart Phone?
We have not yet tested on Windows 8 tablets or smart phones. The best way to find out is to play the test video on your device.
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18.I can’t login into my account?
Try using the email address you used when registering for the course, workshop, or assessment as your username.
If that does not work, try clicking on the text link just under where you enter your password titled “forgot my password”.
The system will send a one time login to the email address that you used to register.
19. If you need further help, especially with video streaming problems, please fill out our support form or call (301) 657-1130.
If the videos are not loading correctly, please fill out this form below. Thank you.