BioInteractive and Holiday Lectures Technical Tips

Downloading Adobe Shockwave

Adobe Shockwave gives you fully interactive multimedia, clickable and dynamic animations, graphics, text, and audio from directly within your Web browser. The Holiday Lectures on Science demos are most readily viewed with Shockwave. It is available for both Windows and Macintosh computers and works with the world's leading Web browsers.

• Download the installer from the download page.
  
• Click on the "Agree and Install Now" graphic.
• When prompted, choose to install the program.
• Once it has finished downloading, close all programs. In Windows Explorer, double-click the installer file to begin the installation. Follow the instructions in each of the screens.

If you encounter problems installing Shockwave, please check with the Shockwave Installation Support Center, or check with the Shockwave Frequently Asked Questions guide.

Viewing a Live Webcast

Frequently Asked Questions about the Webcast

I'd like to present the webcast to a classroom. What is the best way to view it?

(Internet2 users see below) Use the selector to choose Broadband, select your preferred player and turn slides off. Click the “Save Settings and Watch Live” button. To view full screen in RealPlayer, right click and select “Full Screen.” In Flash Player, click the icon to the left of the volume controller.

I’m on the Internet2 network. What is the best way to view the webcast?

Internet2 users can click the “Internet2 Users” link from www.holidaylectures.org during the live webcast. To view full screen, click the icon to the left of the volume controller.

I have a 56k modem for my Internet connection. What is the best way to watch the webcast?

Use the selector to choose Dial-up, Flash Player for audio only or RealPlayer for a small, low resolution video feed with audio, and turn slides on . This option allows you to see synchronized lecture slides along with the webcast stream.

I am experiencing choppy video and "buffering" in the RealPlayer window. Is there anything I can do?

Unfortunately, many factors can contribute to choppy video and buffering. The most common cause is Internet congestion. Disconnecting from the webcast and reconnecting after a few minutes might help.

These problems can also be caused by an incompatible Internet connection for the webcast. If you are trying to use the "Broadband" setting but only have a 56k modem, select "Dial-up" as your connection.

Make sure you have set your RealPlayer Connection preferences to an appropriate "Connection Speed" for your network. If you are unsure, ask your network administrator.

If you are using an older computer, or you are experiencing poor performance, try setting your RealPlayer preferences to "Less processing" (Mac) or "Lower CPU Usage" (PC) under the Hardware section.

Windows gives me an error message when the RealPlayer tries to load the video.

Try emptying your cache by going to Start>Settings>Control Panel>Internet Options and choosing "Delete Files" in the Temporary Internet Files section. It may take a few minutes to delete these temporary files.

What can I do if a firewall prevents me from viewing the webcast with RealPlayer?

For RealPlayer's firewall support, go to http://service.real.com/firewall/index.html.

I am having problems viewing the webcast with my selected set of options.

If you are having problems with video or audio, try switching to a different set of options, for instance, changing from Flash to Real, high-bandwidth to dial-up, or switching slides on or off.

Downloading Adobe Flash

Adobe Flash Player lets you experience animation and entertainment in your Web browser. Certain Holiday Lectures on Science exhibits have been created with Flash, and the 2008 Holiday Lectures on Science are being delivered via Flash. It is available for both Windows and Macintosh computers and works with the world's leading Web browsers.

• Download the installer from the download page.
  
• Click on the "Agree and Install Now" graphic.
• When prompted, choose to install the program.
• Once it has finished downloading, close all programs. In the Windows Explorer, double-click the installer file to begin the installation. Follow the instructions in each of the screens.

If you encounter problems installing Flash, please check with the Flash Installation Support Center, or check with the Shockwave and Flash Frequently Asked Questions guide.

Downloading RealPlayer

Viewing a live or on-demand webcast requires that you download the RealPlayer plug-in for your browser. RealPlayer is available free from RealNetworks at http://www.real.com. To make sure your computer can run RealPlayer you can check the system requirements table which explains which hardware is required for specific Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

Downloading and Installation:

1. Go to the download page.
2. Click on the "Get RealPlayer -- Free" link on the right half of the page. Fill out the form and select the specific operating system and other requirements on the next page. Verify that you have selected the correct version, and operating system, for your computer.
3. Then, click on a location near you to begin downloading. Warning: The file is large and may take some time to finish downloading.
4. When prompted, choose Save to Disk and specify the directory where you want the RealPlayer installation program to be saved.
5. Lastly, locate and launch the file you downloaded by exploring your hard drive or choosing the Run option in the Start menu. (The file is where your Web browser saved it.) This will begin the RealPlayer setup process. When you've successfully installed the program, an icon will appear on your desktop.

If you encounter problems installing the player, please consult the RealPlayer Help Page.

Downloading QuickTime

You can download the latest version of QuickTime free of charge from Apple at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/.

They ask that you fill out your e-mail address (required) and your name (optional) in a form. Then click on "Download."

When prompted, choose Save to Disk and specify the directory to which you wish to download the file. In Windows Explorer, double-click the installer file to begin the installation. Follow the instructions in each of the screens.

Enabling JavaScript in Your Browser

Netscape Navigator

• Netscape 3.0
  Go to Options.
  Click on Network Preferences.
  Click on Languages, and make sure the Enable JavaScript box is checked.
• Netscape 4.0
  Go to Edit/Preferences.
  Click on Advanced.
  Make sure the Enable JavaScript box is checked.

Internet Explorer

• IE3
  Click View/Options.
  Click on Security.
  Click to check mark Run ActiveX scripts.
  Click to Enable ActiveX controls and plug-ins.

• IE5
  Go to Tools/Internet Options.
  Click on Advanced.
  Make sure the Java JIT Compiler Enabled box is checked.

Downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader

You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader free of charge at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

• First select a version of Acrobat Reader according to language, platform (Win2000, WinXP, Mac, etc), and the location nearest you (for a faster download time). You can also include the option for searching PDF files, but that generates a longer download time.
• Then, click the download button. When prompted, choose the "Save to disk" option, and select the location within your hard drive.
• Last, locate and launch the file you downloaded by exploring your hard drive or choosing the Run option in the Start menu. (The file is where your Web browser saved it.) This will begin the Adobe Acrobat setup process. When you've successfully installed the program, an icon will appear on your desktop.

If you have trouble downloading Adobe Acrobat, consult their troubleshooting guide.

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