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.

To use the virtual labs, the "full" version of the Adobe Shockwave plug-in is required.

• Go to the installer download page and select the "Full" installer type.
  
• 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 "HD Broadband." Click the “Save Settings and Watch Live” button. To view full screen in Flash Player, click the icon to the right of the volume controller in the player control bar. You can exit full screen mode by pressing the escape button on your keyboard.  If you experience poor playback quality, try the "Medium Broadband" selection.

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 right of the volume controller in the player controller bar.

How do I view captions during playback?

Captions can be viewed by choosing the "Medium Broadband" and "Captions On" selections.  Captions show the text of what is spoken over the bottom portion of the video window.

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

We are no longer offering a 56k modem version of the live Holiday Lectures.  You can try viewing the "Low Broadband" connection.

I am experiencing choppy video and "buffering." Is there anything I can do?

The most common cause to poor video playback is Internet congestion. Try selecting the "Low Broadband" if you are experiencing poor performance using the "HD Broadband" or "Medium Broadband" selections. Otherwise, disconnecting from the webcast and reconnecting after a few minutes might help.

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, change from "HD Broadband" to "Medium Broadband" or "Low Broadband" or switching slides on or off. Also, make sure you have the latest version of Flash Player. Additionally, try another web browser like Firefox or Chrome.

Downloading Adobe Flash

Adobe Flash Player lets you experience animation and entertainment in your Web browser. All versions of the Holiday Lectures are viewable with Flash (including closed captions), and certain Holiday Lectures on Science exhibits have been created with 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 some versions of the on-demand webcast require 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

Downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader

You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader free of charge at http://get.adobe.com/reader .

• First select a version of Acrobat Reader according to language, platform (Windows, 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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