Q. What do I need to receive optimum streaming at dialup speeds?

A. A 56k modem with a connection speed of at least 32kbps. If you are running under MS Windows operating system and using Dialup Networking, you can check your modem connection speed by double-clicking your modem icon in your taskbar. (This appears as either two dots blinking red or green, or a small icon box called "Dialup Network Manager", on the right side of your Windows Toolbar). This is the speed of the connection between your modem and your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This connection limits the amount of actual bandwidth you can receive. If you get a connection under 36k, hang up and redial the modem connection. Your ISP connection and your available bandwidth are usually not the same speed. Have you ever watched the download statistics when you get a file from the Net? In order to get decent streaming your available Internet bandwidth should be at least 28k by the time the video finishes buffering.

You can find your streaming bandwidth by right-clicking on the video window once the video begins to buffer and then left-clicking 'Statistics". The "bandwidth" number shows the actual amount of bandwidth available to you at the time of viewing. The higher this number, the smoother and cleaner your video will run. If the available bandwidth isn't at least in the high 20's by the time the video finishes buffering, stop the video and hit the "RELOAD" button on your browser. Many times this will result in increased available bandwidth. (Don't know why, it just does) Make sure your MS Media Player is set up in accordance with the instructions on our "Setup" page. Pay particular attention to resetting the buffer time to "30". Media Player installs with a default of 5 seconds. If unchanged, this will result in choppy video. The worst times of day to view Netcasts are between 1:00-3:00PM and 5:30 - 7:30PM local time due to high Internet usage at these times. These are high Internet usage times and, therefore, there is less available bandwidth in which to stream video.

Q. What is streaming video and how does it work?

A. If you're familiar with how the Internet works, you know that packets of information are sent across a huge network of computers. The thirty-second buffer, referred to above, allows about a hundred packets to be received by your computer. While those one hundred packets are playing, another one hundred have time to fill the buffered memory. This packet cycling can continue indefinitely, allowing a multicast session of several minutes or half an hour, without interruption. Another difference between Streaming Media and downloaded video or audio files is the storage space required. One minute of an audio/video presentation can take up nearly a Gigabyte of disk space. Since all of the bits of information are streamed through memory, none of them end up on a client's hard drive. This method eliminates the need to go back and delete a file you've already viewed. It's kind of like the difference between buying a video and renting one.

Q. How is Netcasting affected by my PC?

 A. In addition to your connection to the internet, each PC runs the combination of slide presentation or animated series and streaming media differently. High-end video cards (32+ Mb memory) process the movement quicker. Less RAM on your mainboard or an older processor will cause the presentations to run a little slower. We make every attempt to test our sessions on a number of platforms and try to choose the best compromises for meaningful learning experiences. If you're having a particular annoyance, let us know, we may be able to help.

These links represent our current video testing, we're always trying to make our presentations bigger, sharper, smoother... They may not always run, they may be choppy, they may work well and be transferred to other places on this site. If you're curious about our current working models, here they are. Because we're always working on this stuff, the links may be updated several times a day, so check back often. Feel free to email us and let us know what you think.