Make sure you are selecting the correct connection speed.

If you still cannot view a video, try downloading one of the players below.

Streaming Media on the Internet

There are several technical issues and requirements that must be met to enjoy a pleasant and beneficial viewing and listening experience of media streamed over the Internet. Professional media content developers and content owners go to great lengths to assure the accessibility to the widest range of viewers. However, the viewing experience will only be acceptable to the web visitor if they meet certain stringent requirements and adhere closely to the established guidelines. There is no possible way to guarantee a visitor’s viewing experience. But through your understanding of the requirements that streaming video and audio place upon the computer system you are using, and the required consistently available bandwidth that is provided by your Internet connection, you can achieve a rich viewing and learning experience when using the VJORTHO video supplements.

1. Are all computer systems created equal when it comes to viewing streaming media?
No. Only over the last two or three years has every new computer sold been up to the task of playing back streaming video files. The system requirements for a good viewing experience are a PIII 500MHz or better Windows multi-media capable machine with a 24bit Video Graphics card, and of course audio speakers. If you use Apple computers, you will need one of the more recent models that incorporate a G3 or G4 processor and also will need a 24bit Video Graphics card, and audio speakers. Certain older high performance machines in both families will also be able to provide a quality experience, but if a machine is over two or three years old and was originally purchased for basic office automation applications, it may not be adequate for viewing streaming media.

2. I have a computer that is only two years old and matches the specifications you describe but I get repeated stops and re-buffering messages when trying to view the content.
This suggests that you are having trouble with your connection to the Internet. We provide several different video clips of each synopsis so that the user can match up their specific Internet environment. Windows Media is best viewed on PC’s using Windows Media Player, but nearly all brands of systems that meet the performance specifications should be able to use REAL PLAYER for viewing a streaming video. Remember you will need to select the connection version that most closely matches your Internet provider’s consistently supplied available bandwidth. Only the most robust, high quality connections like those found at universities, some hospitals, and users of cable modems will be able to access our highest quality versions. These versions require a minimum of 400-500 kbits of uninterrupted throughput, although a frame relay (fractional T1) rated at 512k should also be able to access this variety.

Our mid-level version is labeled DSL, but unfortunately the DSL marketplace is very confusing and highly misunderstood. Although you may buy a DSL connection rated at 256-768kbits, the telecommunications companies are not required to guarantee consistent throughput anywhere near these ratings. In fact, in some situations there are DSL services that guarantee consistent throughput that are no greater than that of a 56k modem. Speeds may burst to a high level briefly or occasionally, but this is not how streaming media works. Streaming needs consistent guaranteed bandwidth to make for a optimal viewing experience, without halts, delays, and/or re-buffering.

On the low end, modem users must have a 56k modem that provides them a guaranteed throughput of around 45kbits or these users will not be able to view our most modest versions at all. It is not possible to deliver streaming video to anyone that has less than 45kbits consistently available. AOL users that have 56k modems often have trouble getting true 45kbit connections. Whenever you are having trouble viewing a streaming version of our clips on a connection that you think is capable of better throughput, you should try accessing the 56k modem version to give yourself the opportunity of successfully viewing the content.

3. It seems my connection is the problem, so what do I do aside from giving up?
For users that cannot truly stream one of our clips for whatever reason, we provide Quicktime Progressive downloads. If you are having trouble trying to stream a clip, or if you find you can only stream one of our lower quality versions and would like to access a high quality version of the clip, use this file type. Be aware that you will probably have to wait a little while for the clip to transfer partly into your computer before playback can begin, but the reward for waiting is that you will gain access to a much better and higher quality view of the clip. Progressive download transfers the video to your system’s hard drive, and once a sufficient amount has been delivered, the clip will begin to play while the rest continues to download into your system. Sometimes, during viewing the download doesn’t finish in time before you have viewed the entire clip and the clip playback stops before the end. At this point download is still going on, so wait for the progress bar to get dark (indicating what has been loaded into your hard drive already), and re-initiate playback once the entire bar is darkened to view the entire clip. You can also hit play and initiate playback from any point in the clip .

4. I’ve tried everything, and I still can’t get the clips to play. What do I do?
First of all make sure you have the most recent versions of the proper player application like REAL Player, Windows Media Player, and Quicktime Player that is suggested for your particular computer. Next, make sure it is properly installed by going to the REAL, Windows Media, or Apple Quicktime web sites and try to view other content created for these players. If you succeed, then email us and let us know, there may be a problem on our end, this is rare but can happen. If you can’t get clips to play off the Internet, but videos do play off CDROM on your system, this can be related to a different issue- your network may be behind a firewall for protection from outside computer hackers. In this situation it may be impossible to access streaming clips, so email us, let us know your specific problem and we will see if there is some way to solve it or get the clips to you via some other means.

Thank you for using our VJORTHO video supplements…..