Multimedia Help

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Background

Playing audio and video files from a web site is a very complicated thing. For one thing, there are no standards because the designers of the web itself never imagined it might be used this way. For another, cut-throat competition in the software industry has led to numerous incompatibilities. It shouldn't be this way, but there you have it.

Even through all the confusion, there are basically two ways to play media files:

Streaming means that the file plays as the data is received. The advantage here is that the clip starts almost immediately after you click on the play button. The disadvantage is that a slow connection or lots of traffic on the network can cause the data to stop, making the music or video halt occasionally while your system waits to receive the next portion. These bottlenecks are generally beyond your control, and can be quite aggravating.

Downloading means that you receive all of the file first, store it on your system, then play it once the file has been completely received. The advantage is that you never have to worry about a slow connection speed getting in the way. The data is all there and can be played smoothly. The disadvantage is that you have to wait for the file to be completely downloaded before you see any portion of it. Media files tend to be very large, so this can take some time.

In general, pages on this site will offer both options. A built-in media player is available for streaming, and all you have to do is click on the "Play" button. A separate download link will be found below the player. To download a file, you must right-click on the download link, then select "Save Target As..." or "Save Link Target As..." from the menu which appears.

File Formats

There are numerous media file formats, and everyone claims that theirs is the best. In truth, there is no such thing as the best, but there is such a thing as the most appropriate. Quality varies greatly according to such things as the amount of compression, the type of content, the connection speed of the audience, the speed of the server, the needed resolution and clarity, etc. Even the best format can give terrible results if used inappropriately.

This site uses the Windows Media format for most files, and the MP3 format for files requiring higher quality sound. For this site, Windows Media offers the highest quality compression for the size of file it generates. It also widely-used, meaning just about everybody can play them. MP3 is a format which results in much larger files, but that is in the interest of higher quality. (Why not use RealMedia? Larger files, lower quality sound, and relentless advertising in the player.)

What You Need

Before you can view or listen to any multimedia file, you will need to have media player software installed on your system. Most new systems come with this already done for you. And if you've ever heard music come through your speakers, you already have at least one media player already installed.

The multimedia pages on this site have a built-in media player which works with your browser so you don't need a separate stand-alone player. (The first time you view such a page, it may prompt you to download the browser plug-in. Just click "Yes" and you will be all set to go.)

Many other types of players are available. But for the purpose of viewing files on this site, all you'll ever need is the Windows Media Player Version 6.4. Later versions have other bells and whistles, but none of those are required here. If you would like to install this player manually, click on the icon below.

To select a different version, visit the main download page and select your version from the drop-down box. To get more information, visit the Windows Media Home Page.

Another very fine media player is WinAmp. I do not recommend any of the players from Real Networks simply because they are too channel-driven, and have a tendency to clog your internet connection with chatter back to their own servers. Nobody wants that.

What follows is a list of common problems you may encounter while attempting to play multimedia files from this site. Hopefully you'll find clues here which help you solve the problem.

PROBLEM: I click the icon and my window fills up with random characters.
This can happen if you are using a browser other than Internet Explorer and you do not already have the proper plug-in installed. The software you need can be downloaded by clicking here.

PROBLEM: I click the icon and I get a window asking me what I want to do.
Some browsers do not know exactly how to handle multimedia files. They will offer you the option of downloading the file or opening it with a specific application which may or may not (depending on your system's configuration) play the file. In a case like this, it is best to download the file, then attempt to play it from your system once the download is complete.

PROBLEM: I click the icon and my browser locks up.
This behavior can occur if you are using the Opera browser. This is a bug in their software, and you may want to upgrade to the newest version, or just visit the Opera home page to see if a solution is available.

PROBLEM: I load a page and my system asks if I want to download software.
This can happen if your system does not already have the media player installed for your browser. Just click "Yes" and wait for the player to be downloaded and installed. This is automatic, and almost nothing can go wrong. The length of time this will take depends on your connection speed.

PROBLEM: I click on the "download" link and the file starts playing.
In order to download a file, you must right-click on the download link, then select "Save File As..." or "Save Target As..." from the menu which appears. You will then get the option of what to name the file and where to put it.

PROBLEM: The audio/video plays but is jerky with some long pauses.
This can happen if your system is trying to stream the file but conditions on the web are getting in the way. Your own connection to the web may not be fast enough for smooth streaming, but it can also be that some server somewhere between you and the web site is overworked and is not keeping up with the demand for data. There's really nothing you can do about this but sit back and wait (or try downloading the file and playing it directly from your system).

PROBLEM: The quality of the audio/video is not very good.
This is generally a function of compression. The files on this site are compressed as much as possible to create a manageable file size without sacrificing too much sound quality. In general, the smaller the file, the lower the sound/video quality. This is a trade-off, and until we all have super fast internet connections there's really no way around it.