Table of Contents
- Windows Media Player
- Real Player
- QuickTime Player
- Internet2 Detective (a suite of verification tests)
Problem: No video, but audio plays.
Solution: This is likely to be due to your Performance configuration being set to a bandwidth not supported by the media file. Open Preferences Choose "Detect connection speed", which is the default setting. Re-start Windows Media Player.
Problem: No audio or video.
Solution: Check the Network setting on the Preferences menu. Four protocols are listed: Multicast, UDP, TCP, and HTTP. The default setting is to have all four protocols selected, which is the recommended setting. Re-start Windows Media Player.
Problem: video plays, but no audio.
Solution: The audio may be muted in the player.The icon is small, so you might not notice it. It is located next to the Volume slider control. If you are using one of the many decorative skins (alternate appearances) of Windows Media Player you might not have direct access to this control ... just return the application to a standard view. You might also want to check that your master volume control is not muted.
Muting is OFF (sound is on) Muting is ON (sound is off)
Trouble: The video loads, but doesn't play automatically. You have to click the "start" icon.
Solution: After the load process, a message is displayed in the Control bar that indicates that the stream is paused. Some users might prefer this setting.
Open Tools (menu on upper bar) and then Preferences. Select Playback Settings in the left column. There is a checkbox labeled "Pause clip at start".
Trouble: The video is blocky (pixilated) and the audio sounds "tinny".
Solution: The video may need more bandwidth than your current Internet connection can provide, but Real Player tries to play a degraded version for you anyway. If there is a lower-bandwidth movie link provided, try using that one. (The test links provided include a low-bandwidth Real Player movie.)
Helpful Hint/Warning: Real Player provides the ability to tune many audio and video characteristics. Experimenting with these settings can improve your video playback experience. You could also make some bad decisions. Note the default settings before you start changing settings.
Trouble: Videos don't play. You see a blank player (like below) on the web page.
Solution: This may be simply a configuration detail. It is possible to tell the QT Player to not automatically download and play movies, but this status is not displayed on the resulting player image when you try to click on a link. You could just click the "Play" icon, but to make a more permanent change, open the Preferences menu by clicking on the tiny icon at the lower right bottom edge of the player:
Choose Plug-in Settings. The first option is "Play movies automatically".
After checking the box, close the menu window, and try going back to the test link to click it again.
Trouble: Video is playing, but there is no audio.
Solution: The QuickTime Player may be muted. If you are using the plug-in version of the player the volume control is on the lower left edge. When the control is in the lowest position, the audio is muted.
If you are using the stand-alone QuickTime Player, there is a separate Mute control on the lower left corner.
QuickTime Player Mute ON QuickTime Player Mute OFF
Helpful Hint/Warning: Notice that the Preferences menu has several categories, including Video and Audio settings. The default settings are usually always appropriate.
Network Verification via Internet2 Detective
