What
is required to view the PCTV21 stream?
Operating
System:
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, NT, 2000, ME, XP and Vista
Media Player:
Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.4 or later.
Browser:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later (preferred).
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Can I use the Netscape browser to watch the PCVT21 stream?
This
website is compatible with the Netscape browser. However, you may encounter
some technical difficulties or reduced functionality. To have the best video
viewing experience, we recommend that you use Internet Explorer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Can
I use the AOL browser?
This website currently works on the AOL 6 and 7,8 Browsers. However, you may
encounter some technical difficulties. To be fully compatible with this website,
we recommend that you use Internet Explorer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Can
I use the MSN browser?
This website currently works on the MSN Browser. However, you may encounter
some technical difficulties or reduced functionality. To be fully compatible
with this website, we recommend that you use Internet Explorer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Are
cookies required to watch videos on this website?
Yes, cookies are required to view this website. The following are step-by-step
instructions to enable the cookies on your browser. Note that these instructions
may vary slightly for different browser versions.
Internet Explorer 6.0:
1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. Click the Tools menu and choose Internet Options.
3. Click the Privacy tab to display the Privacy panel.
4. Use the verticle slide bar to adjust your privacy settings to Medium.
5. Click the Advanced button.
6. Verify that the Override Automatic Cookie Handling option is not checked.
Note that if you prefer to use the Override Automatic Cookie Handling option,
you must accept first-party cookies for watching videos on this website. Though
not required for viewing, we strongly recommend also accepting third-party
cookies for the best viewing experience.
7. Click OK.
8. Click OK again.
9. Close all open Internet Explorer browsers.
10. Reopen the browser and return to this website.
Internet Explorer 5.5:
1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. Click the Tools menu and choose Internet Options.
3. Click the Security tab and the Custom Level button.
4. Scroll down to the "Cookies" section and select "Enable" for both: Allow
cookies that are stored on your computer. Allow per-session cookies (not stored).
5. Click OK and YES to the confirmation message.
6. Click OK again.
7. Close all open Internet Explorer browsers.
8. Reopen the browser and return to this network.
Netscape:
1. Start Netscape.
2. Click the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
3. Click the Advanced category on the bottom left.
4. Select "Accept all cookies" in the Cookies section.
5. Click OK.
6. Close all open Netscape browsers.
7. Open Netscape and return to this network.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Why
does my computer ask for the Windows Media Player plug-in after I installed
the Netscape browser?
Netscape will not recognize the Windows Media Player plug-in if you download
or upgrade your Netscape browser after you have already downloaded Windows
Media Player.
To Determine What Plug-Ins You Currently Have:
1. Open the Netscape browser.
2. Click on Help in the menu bar.
3. Click About Plug-ins and look for the following section: "Windows Media
Player Plug-in Dynamic Link Library" Choose One Of The Following Options If
You Do Not See The Above Header On The "Installed Plug-Ins" Page:
Visit http://home.netscape.com/plugins/ and follow the instructions for downloading
the Windows Media Player plug-in; or Reinstall Windows Media Player from your
Netscape browser. Netscape will automatically detect the plug-ins after you
install them.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Can
I download PCTV21 programs to my computer?
Currently this feature is not available.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Why are the videos choppy or freezing?
For the best viewing experience, we recommend a high speed Internet connection
such as DSL or Cable Modem. It is important to note that even if you have
a high-speed (DSL/ Cable Modem/ T1), Internet traffic congestion affects your
connection speed and/or video performance. You will get slower or faster speeds
at different times depending on peak or off-peak use hours. You may also get
slower speeds during the morning and afternoon, but faster speeds late at
night when fewer people are online. Also, streaming quality decreases when
multiple people share the same Internet connection (e.g. at work or on a home
network).
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Why can I hear the audio but not see the video?
This occurs when the speed of your Internet connection is lower than the bit
rate of the video clip you are watching. Another factor is internet traffic
congestion, this reduces the speed of your connection below what it should
be.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
How
do I configure Windows Media Player to improve streaming?
For optimum viewing, we recommend the following:
Windows Media Player version 6.4
Windows 98 and NT
Windows Media Player version 9
Windows 98 Second Edition, ME, 2000 and XP
To Find Out What Version of Windows Media Player You Currently Have:
1. Start Windows Media Player.
2. Click on Help in the menu bar.
3. Click About Windows Media Player.
The Following Are Some Tips To Optimize Streaming On Windows Media Player.
1. Start Windows Media Player.
2. Click the Tools menu and choose Options.
3. Click the Performance tab.
4. Click "My connection speed is:" and select the appropriate speed for your
Internet connection. Select Modem (56 kbps) or a lower speed if you have a
56k dial-up modem connection. Select DSL/Cable (256 kbps) or a higher speed
if you have a high-speed connection (DSL, Cable Modem, T1, etc.).
5. Click OK.
6. NOTE: You can change these settings at any time.
Optional
Advanced Settings for Windows Media Player:
1. Click the Network tab and select all the protocols: Multicast, UDP, TCP,
and HTTP. 2. Click the Player tab, select "Enable automatic codec download",
and choose how often you would like to upgrade (i.e., once a day, once a week,
or once a month).
______________________________________________________________________________________________
What
does bandwidth mean and what is the difference between 56k and 300k?
Bandwidth is a term used to describe connection speed to the Internet. The
numbers 56k, 300k and others describe the minimum Internet connection you
need to experience the associated video or audio program. For instance, 56k
requires a minimum of a 56 kbps connection to the Internet. The content may
be transferred at a lower rate as long as it is suitable for the connection
speed. You can always play the lower speed content over higher speed lines,
but a higher number (100k, 300k, 500k, etc.) generally provides better overall
quality of streaming.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Even
though I have all the system requirements, why can't I see or hear any videos?
If you launch PCTV21 on Windows 98 while other audio applications --
including but not limited to mp3 players -- are running, you may have trouble
hearing sound. If this is the case, close your browser and all audio applications.
Restart your browser.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Why is the video viewer cutoff at the bottom of my monitor?
The bottom of the video viewer may appear cutoff if your computer's screen
resolution is set to 800x600 pixels or less. To adjust your screen size complete
the following steps.
To Change The Screen Resolution:
1. Click the Start button at the bottom left of your desktop.
2. Click on Settings and Control Panel. 3. Click on the Display icon.
4. Click on the Settings tab. 5. Put the mouse on top of the arrow on "Screen
Area" and move it towards "More". Choose 1024x768 pixels.
6. Click OK.
7. Click OK again on the confirmation message. The screen will turn completely
black for a few seconds.
8. Click YES on another confirmation message within 15 seconds, otherwise
the change will not take effect.
9. Open a browser and return to the PCTV21 site.
NOTE: You can change these settings at any time.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
How do I return from the full screen video viewer?
Hit the ESC key.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Can
my office's firewall be blocking the video?
Your company may have a firewall that is configured so that either you
cannot connect to the video servers or video traffic is prohibited on your
network. Check with your network administrator to see if there are any known
issues with watching video.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
What about my office computer - could it be the problem?
If your computer is running Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows
XP Professional or Windows 2003 server and you are not logged onto your office
computer as an administrator or as a member of the administrator group, then
the Microsoft Windows Media Player on your computer may not be able to automatically
download the codecs required to view the video. Under these circumstances,
you will need to either (a) have your network administrator install Microsoft
Windows Media Player 9 on your computer (or the Microsoft Windows Media Player
9 codec pack if your computer is running Windows NT) or (b) have your network
administrator grant your logon account local administrative rights on your
office computer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
My office network has a proxy server. Could this be causing
video problems?
If your office network has a proxy server that requires authentication, then
your office computer may not be able to automatically download the codecs
required to view the video. If this is the case, then we recommend that you
install Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 on your computer (or the Microsoft
Windows Media Player 9 codec pack if your computer is running Windows NT).
©2003 Pittsburgh Community Television Corporation. All rights reserved.
