Step 1. Understanding Online Video and Audio Playback
While the internet and the web are very powerful tools they are slightly different from the mediums many of us are used to: TV, Radio, Print.

This 3 step process will help you quickly become familiar with the differences and their business implications.
The first step is to make sure you can play video and audio messages smoothly from your computer. Here are a couple Frequently Asked Questions about that.

Online Video Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need a special program to play video on my computer?

If you see a blank box on web page that is supposed to have video then you need a tool, called a plug-in, that is not currently on your computer.

Plug-ins are free and easy to download and install.

There are 3 main internet video formats: Flash, Windows Media and Quicktime. This is similar to the concept of VHS, DVD formats.
If you are on a Windows computer you will need Flash and Quicktime plug-ins to watch videos in those formats.
You can get the Flash and Quicktime plugs-in at these websites

Adobe Flash

Apple Quicktime

Click the download button on the plug-ins page, the programs will download and install themselves on your computer.

If you are using an Apple Computer you will need these plug-ins.

Adobe Flash

Windows Media

2. Why is the video playback pausing?

Video playback depends on the download speed of your internet connection and the network inside your building.
A common download speed that provides good smooth playback is 700Mb/s, most broadband or high speed internet connections are designed for this.
That doesn't mean that your computer is receiving it though. A good way to test if you are getting what you are paying for is to go to Speakeasy.net and run a test on your connection, here's how.

1. Go this web page - www.speakeasy.net/speedtest
2. Click on the city that is closest to you.
3. Wait about a minute for the test to run.
4. Look at your results, if they are lower than 2500 upload and 600 download there may be something wrong with your internet service or the network in your building.

If you have a connection that is slower than ideal there are three options.
1. Contact your Information Technology staff, if you are at home this may be your child...
2. Load the page the video is in and wait a few moments for the video to buffer before you click play.
3. Download the video completely in iTunes or some other tool. This way you are not dependent on the internet at all.

I hope this has helped make your online media experience better, please feel free to send us an email with questions or comments.

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Go to Step 2 of understanding new media >