Overview of streaming video and
a brief technical description.
Technology Overview:
Streaming media is audio and video content that is digitally
encoded and transferred over a computer network or the Internet
for viewing on a multimedia-equipped PC. It is not downloaded
as a file, but rather is played as it arrives – on
demand. There is no special software to be loaded.
How it works:
Using the Mediasite System, the Streaming Video captures
the instructor on video and audio as well as all accompanying
materials from any RGB source - PCs, Macs, laptops, document
cameras, and touch screens. Course content is then saved
in a digital format which can be viewed from any standard
web browser over broadband Internet connection.
What does the student see?
Students see streamed video with audio as well as the presentation
materials in a typical slide format. A slide can be viewed
full screen by selecting “Max Slide.” View all
of the slides in a presentation format by selecting “Slide
List.” Video controls enable you to stop, pause, review,
or fast forward through the Instructor’s presentation.
This is available twenty four hours a day – seven
days a week from any computer that has broadband
quality access. Courses are available for viewing
within 24 hours of their on-ground delivery.
We have partnered this dynamic educational tool with a
powerful communications tool. The Blackboard system that
works with Mediasite allows electronic access to course
syllabi, instructors, assignments, tests, and much more.
This combination allows instant access to your instructor
via email and presents pertinent course material in a secure
environment.
Recommended System Requirements:
In order to view these presentations via the Internet, you
will need a high-speed Internet connection such as cable,
DSL, or a T1 line. Javascript should be enabled in your
web browser (this should be the default).
Testing Your Computer:
To find out if your computer is capable of viewing a Mediasite
presentation, view a sample presentation that was recorded
in Mediasite: http://nustream1.neu.edu/
If you are unable to view the presentation, please review
the system requirements below and follow the steps for configuring
your system.
System Requirements:
| PCs |
- Microsoft® Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows
2003 or Windows Vista
- Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or later or Firefox®
2.0 or later
- Windows Media® Player 9.0 or later
- Display resolution of 800x600 pixels or more
- Sound card
- Broadband Internet connection (512Kbps or more)
- Review the Mediasite
document
|
| Macs |
- Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later
- Safari™ 2.0.4 or later or Firefox 2.0 or
later
- Microsoft Silverlight 1.0
- Display resolution of 800x600 pixels or more
- Sound Card
- Broadband Internet connection (512Kbps or more)
- Review the Mediasite
document
|
What does the student need to do to access Streaming
Video:
In order to view streaming video classes, you must be enrolled
in a streaming video section of a course and have a myNEU
account. You will then be able to access the Blackboard
system and your course. Below is more information that should
help you understand the streaming video process.
Basic information after registering:
The streaming video links are available and posted to NU's
Blackboard once classes begin. The lectures are captured
and made available within 24 hours after the live capture.
For courses which were previously captured, the lecture
links are available on Monday of each week. In the event
of a Monday holiday, the lectures will be posted on Tuesday
of that week.
Students gain access to the streaming video lectures through
their Blackboard account (either via your "myNEU account
or http://blackboard.neu.edu/).
To view the streaming lectures, simply click on the appropriate
link on the Course page. (See "Recommended System Requirements"
above.)
When you log into Blackboard, the first page, "My
Institution," will show you what courses you are enrolled
in under the "My Courses" module. It will show
you the course number and title. Click this link to enter
your course area. You will see a menu on the left, click
on "Streaming Lectures" and read the instructions
to view your streaming lecture. Courses are generally available
for viewing within 24 hours of their on-ground delivery.
Once a lecture is posted to Blackboard it is available for
a period of 3 weeks (based on the instructor's preferences).
If you need help with myNEU or Blackboard, contact the
Northeastern University Help Desk at 617-373-4357, or online
help at http://help.neu.edu.
TROUBLESHOOTING
For detailed information on troubleshooting,
go to:
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/support/help/default.aspx
The following items may help you as well:
Slow streaming or constant
buffering: If your computer is buffering,
that usually means there might be an issue with your internet
connection as it can't sustain the bandwidth or you have
other items open on your pc that are reducing the throughput.
The videos are captured at less than 300 kbps.
Try this:
Open a lecture in IE (Internet Explorer), after the video
starts playing, right click on the video and select statistics,
then select the advanced tab. It should look like this:
Look at the connection portion - the bandwidth.
Windows media needs to download faster to your computer
than it plays back. If it can't then it will pause and buffer
so it can download more of the video. To effectively watch
the videos without buffering, you should have a minimum
of 512K connection to the internet.
See the slides
but have no audio/video: While connecting
wirelessly to a home internet connection, if you are able
to view the powerpoint slides, but have no audio or video,
and when you select a lecture it says "initializing"
then "transitioning" then "ready" you
then press "Play" and it goes into transitioning
and then back to ready.
Try this:
The wireless connection might be at fault. Try plugging
directly into your internet connection and see if that fixes
it. Also, try restarting your router.
Also, try the following:
Check here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/faq/playing_files.mspx
The first question suggests this.....
