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Welcome to the Webcast Centre Support Page

Click here to test your browser.

 

If you cannot resolve your problem via this page, please contact servicedesk@otn.ca or call 1-866-454-OTN1 during regular business hours (7:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET).

 

OTN does not support any application of hardware and software outside of the requirements stated. MediaSite will work with other operating systems and media players but it is not supported by OTN Service Desk. Please contact your system administrator for assistance with service issues outside of OTN supported system requirements.

 

Before contacting OTN for webcasting assistance, you are encouraged to make the modifications outlined on this support page and to have consulted your system administrator. It is possible that an adjustment by your system administrator is required at your location. If other assistance is required, please contact servicedesk@otn.ca or call 1-866-454-OTN1 during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET).

 

OTN Webcasting FAQ

 

Hardware Requirements

  • Any Pentium III, or higher-level computer
  • At least 512 MB RAM
  • Video card and monitor supports VGA or better. (16-bit video)
  • External speakers or headphones (strongly recommended - clearly audible)

Software Requirements

  • Windows
    • Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7.
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or later, Firefox 2.0 or later, or Google Chrome 1.0 (Chrome is only supported on Mediasite version 5.0.3 and later).
    • Windows Media Player 9 or later. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
    • For Firefox and Chrome playback, Silverlight 1.0 or later (viewers are prompted to install this when attempting to view a presentation).
    • If using a Silverlight player instead of a Classic player, Silverlight 3.0 or later is required.
  • Mac - Mediasite 4.3 and later:
    • Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later
    • Safari 2.0.4 or later or Firefox 2.0 or later.
    • Silverlight 1.0 or later (viewers are prompted to install this when attempting to view a presentation).
    • If using a Silverlight player instead of a Classic player, Silverlight 3.0 or later is required.
  • Network Requirements
    • Live Stream
      - Connection

    o DSL/Cable or Satellite - Minimum 256Kbps download speed.
    • Archived/Recorded Stream
      - Connection

    o DSL/Cable, modem or Satellite - Minimum 56Kbps download speed.
    Note: On slower connections you may experience halts in the review of your recording as your media player buffers the playback.
    • Firewall
      - If you are accessing our streaming services in an office environment or behind a firewall you have to ensure that your Network Administrator has opened the following network ports.:

  • TCP 80 HTTP
  • TCP 1755 MMS over TCP
  • UDP 1755 MMS over UDP
  • TCP 80 HTTP
  • TCP 554 RTSP over TCP
  • UDP 554 RTSP over UDP
If your system does not meet the minimum requirements or if you are having trouble determining this, please contact your local IT support.

To view a Live Streaming Webcast, we strongly recommend connecting through a physical LAN (network cable) line, as we cannot guaranty the success or quality of a webcast event when using a wireless connection (such as WIFI, Smartphone’s, Satellite connection and Wireless network air cards) and are unable to troubleshoot these types of connectivity options.

 


Software Installation Instructions

Select the operating system that you want to install the software on.

Windows XP

  1. Check to see if Windows Media Player is installed by clicking on Start, then Programs. Click Windows Media Player. After Windows Media Player starts, click the Help menu and then About Windows Media Player. Check the version to see if it is version 9 or higher. If you do not have Windows Media Player or if the version is lower than 9, go to step 2. Otherwise, you should proceed to step 4.
  2. Download Windows Media Player 9 or higher from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
  3. Install the downloaded file and follow the instructions on the screen. The default options will generally work.
  4. Visit the Test Player section on the OTN Webcasting Centre site.

    Note: Windows XP SP2 users: Your download may initially be prevented. However, a bar at the top of Internet Explorer will explain what you need to do to enable the download.
    Note: Windows Media Player 9 users may be prompted to install a hotfix.
    Windows Media Player 10 users will receive a warning message stating "Unsupported Windows Media Player detected." Click OK to ignore this message.
    Note: Pop-up blockers will prevent the webcast window from opening. If you do not know how to disable pop-up blockers, visit the Pop-up Blockers section.

  5. You should now be able to view webcasts supported by the OTN Webcast Service. If, however, you are unable to view webcasts, choose the Troubleshooting section from the menu for solutions to common problems.

Windows 2000

  1. Check to see if Windows Media Player is installed by clicking on Start, then Programs. Click Windows Media Player. After Windows Media Player starts, click the Help menu and then About Windows Media Player. Check the version to see if it is version 9. As the time these instructions were written, the latest version of Windows Media Player for Windows 2000 is version 9. If you do not have Windows Media Player version 9, go to step 2. Otherwise, you should proceed to step 4.
  2. Download Windows Media Player 9 from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
  3. Install the downloaded file and follow the instructions on the screen. The default options will generally work.
  4. Visit the Test Player section on the OTN Webcasting Centre site.

    Note: Windows Media Player 9 users may be prompted to install a hotfix.
  5. Click Continue to view the test webcast.

    Note: Pop-up blockers will prevent the webcast window from opening. If you are unsure how to disable pop-up blockers, visit the Pop-up Blockers section.
  6. You should now be able to view webcasts supported by the OTN Webcast Service. If you are unable to view webcasts, choose the Troubleshooting section from the menu for solutions to common problems that are encountered.

Common Problems

Pop-up Blockers

Pop-up blockers will prevent the webcast window from opening. There are two methods to ensure the webcast window opens.

Method 11
The first method allows pop-up windows to be temporarily opened by pressing a key on the keyboard (usually CTRL or SHIFT) prior to clicking a link. The following lists the keystrokes used by the most popular pop-up blockers:

  1. Google Toolbar:
    The CTRL key can be used to allow pop-ups temporarily.
  2. Internet Explorer with Windows XP SP2:
    There is no keystroke that will allow pop-ups. See http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_popupblocker.mspx for information on how to allow pop-up windows.
The OTN Webcasting Centre site opens pop-up windows in two places. The first place is in the Test Player section when Continue is clicked. The second place where a pop-up window is opened is at the Registration Centre for the webcast when Continue is clicked. To allow pop-up windows to open, hold the keystroke that temporarily allows pop-up windows (See the list above to determine the keystroke for your pop-up blocker.) and click Continue.

Method 22
The second method for opening pop-up windows is by adding a website to allow pop-up list. This will allow any pop-up window generated at a particular website to be displayed. This method is dependent on the pop-up blocker. Below is a list of pop-up blockers and their vendor websites where this information can be found.
  1. Google Toolbar: http://toolbar.google.com/popup_help.html
  2. Internet Explorer with Windows XP SP2: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_popupblocker.mspx

Network Issues

If you are unable to view the webcast and you have correctly installed all the software, there may be a networking problem preventing you from viewing the webcast. In many cases, a home router or a corporate/hospital firewall may prevent the media player from connecting to the webcast server. Windows Media Player allows the user to change his or her network settings to use alternative ports that may pass through the firewall.

To change this in Windows Media Player, do the following:
  1. Right-click the Windows Media Player box in the webcast window and go to Options. If you are not at the webcast window, open Windows Media Player through the Start menu and click Tools/Options.
  2. Click the Network tab and ensure that HTTP is checked.
  3. If it still does not work, try unchecking all other options (Multicast, UDP, TCP) and leave only HTTP checked.

Windows XP Issues

Windows XP SP2 Firewall

If you have reviewed the Network Issues section and you are still experiencing problems viewing the webcast, you can try to disable the Windows XP Firewall. Check Webcast Centre Support Contact Webcast Centre Support Contact http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/icf.mspxx for more information. This may be a security risk, and you should thoroughly evaluate the decision before disabling the firewall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can listen/watch the webcasts?
Any Internet user connected with DSL or cable Internet service, or any user with a personal computer that is connected to the OTN can view both audio and video components of a webcast.
 


Where can I download the media player software??
There are links in the Software Requirements section where you can download Windows Media Player.


I see a window that has the title of the webcast but I am not seeing the video play. How do I get the video to work?
There are several possible reasons for this. Outlined below are strategies for resolving this problem.
  1. Please verify that you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or Netscape 7.1, or higher, or Mozilla FireFox 1.0.4 or higher.

  2. Ensure that you have installed Windows Media Player. If you do not have either installed, install one by following the link noted in the Software Requirements section.


I am able to see the video but it is very slow and choppy. Is there anything I can do to improve this?
This problem is most likely caused by your Internet connection. If you have a highspeed connection, then you should not experience any significant lag in the video stream. What you might do is stop any file downloads and try again. If you are on a dial-up connection, this cannot be prevented. You can, however, listen to the webcast by checking the Audio Only box, if it is available, prior to clicking one of the media players.


I see the media player box on the page, and I followed the instructions on the "Test Player" page and it still doesn't work. What else can I try to do?
In this case, it is possible that your computer is behind a firewall. If this is the case, it will be necessary to change your media player settings to ensure that HTTP stream transport is supported. See the Network Issues section for more information. If you are still having difficulty viewing the webcast, please contact servicedesk@otn.ca or call 1-866-454-OTN1 during business hours (7:00AM to 5:00PM ET).


I can see the video but I can't hear any audio. How do I fix this??
Check that your speakers or headphones are plugged into the correct jack. Also check the volume levels of your speakers/headphones and on the computer. Make sure that "Master Volume," "Wave," or "PCM" is not muted, and that your volume is set at an appropriate level.

Try to play an audio file on your computer to determine if sound is working on your system.


 

Apple Mac Support

  1. Although OTN does not officially support Mac users, Sonic Foundry Mediasite does support Macs. Please note our Mediasite server is currently at version 4.3.
  3. Requirements for Mac:
     
    • Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later
       
    • Safari 2.0.4 or later or Firefox 2.0 or later
       
    • Silverlight 1.0 (viewers will be prompted to install this when viewing a presentation)
       
    • Please note that the following features are not currently available with the Silverlight viewer: speed control, closed captioning, and full screen video.
       

 
 

Disclaimer:

OTN is not responsible for link or connectivity issues when the client site has used all available bandwidth locally. It is advised that you contact your OTN Regional Manager if you suspect that your media streaming event will saturate your internet link prior. OTN webcast event administrators will tune your event to suit the audience volume with advanced notice within the capabilities of your available bandwidth. Please be advised that the default configuration of each event is set to 350Kbps. If you do not know what the impact of a media streaming event is on your internet connection, please consult with your in house technical support group/department and your OTN Regional Manager. Please see below for additional information on the potential impact to you network connection:

Forecasting your event:
  1. 350Kbps*10 internet participants = 3500Kbps or 3.5Mbps
  2. 350Kbps*50 internet participants = 17500Kbps or 17.5Mbps
  3. 350Kbps*100 internet participants = 35000Kbps or 35Mbps
To discuss options to modify your event bandwidth, please contact your OTN Regional Manager.

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