Webcast Help

Frequently Asked Questions

Q - Does Real Player cost anything to download?
A - Real Player is free.

Q - What do I need, to view the programs?
A - In order to view the programs the free RealPlayer software must be installed on your computer and you must have access through any corporate firewalls that may be in place between you and the Internet. The free RealPlayer software can be downloaded from the Internet by visiting the RealNetworks site here and older versions can be obtained on their legacy player page.

Q - Why Real Player and not Windows Media player or the Quicktime player?
A - Real Player is a reliable application which offers a version for most of the popular operating systems. Real specializes in streaming and therefore offers some important multimedia technologies that are not supported as well in Windows Media Player. Real also offers better backward compatibility with its own previous versions than do the various versions of Windows Media Player.

Q - Can I change the size of the player screen?
A - The video for this program is actually "embedded" in an html page which does not allow the video to be "stretched out." The player is designed to fit in a screen display set to 800 by 600 pixels or larger. If you would like the player to take up as much space on the screen as possible, set your screen display to 800 by 600. This will not increase the actual resolution of the picture, but it will seem "larger" on the screen.

Q - Where can I get additional information on technical problems?
A - Troubleshooting information and technical assistance can be accessed through RealPlayer's support pages here.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING REAL PLAYER

• System Requirements
• Installation
• Connection Errors
• Firewall Information and Instructions

System Requirements

WINDOWS

System Requirements for RealOne Player
RealOne Player is Real’s current player version.
Recommended system requirements:

- 300 MHz Intel Pentium III processor or greater (supports simultaneous record/playback features)
- 128MB RAM
- 56Kbps modem, minimum, broadband connection strongly recommended
- Full Duplex sound card and speakers
- 65,000-color video display card [set to display at 800x600](video)
- Windows 98/ ME / 2000 /NT Service Pack 4 or later / XP
- Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, Netscape 6.2 or later

System Requirements for RealPlayer 8
RealPlayer 8 is one player version older than RealOne Player. It is generally more tolerant of older, slower systems.

Recommended system requirements:

- 266 MHz Intel Pentium II processor or equivalent
- Windows 95/98, Windows ME (final release version only), Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later, Windows 2000, or Windows XP. Windows NT and Windows 2000 users must have Administrative rights to install RealPlayer.
- 32 MB RAM
- 16-bit sound card and speakers
- 65,000-color video display card
- - 56Kbps modem, minimum, broadband connection strongly recommended
-- Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, Netscape 6.2 or later

MACINTOSH

OSX
RealOne player is now available for Mac OSX. It performs well and is compatible with any Mac recognized as OSX capable.

(Users of Mac OS 9.2 or lower will have to use RealPlayer 8.)

Recommended system requirements for Real Player 8:

PowerPC G3 processor (233 MHz or faster)
Mac OS 8.5 or later
64 MB RAM and 128 MB virtual memory for machines with less than 233MHz G3 processor
56Kbps or faster modem
Internet connection and web browser (Internet Explorer 5.0 later or Netscape 4.76 or later)

Minimum system requirements (unlikely to yield a satisfactory video experience) for Real Player 8:

PowerPC 604 processor (200 MHz or faster)
Mac OS 8.1 or later
32 MB RAM and 64 MB virtual memory.
56Kbps modem
Internet connection and web browser (Internet Explorer 5.0or later or Netscape 4.76 or later)

Dealing with firewalls (For Firewall Administrators)

Application-level firewalls (proxy servers)
Network-level firewalls (packet filters)
Application-level Firewalls

Your firewall must be RealPlayer-aware. If it is not, RealNetworks has a free RTSP proxy service which includes source code and specifications for building your own proxy. It's simple and easy to set up. To get your copy, send an e-mail request to firewall@real.com. You will get an immediate response telling you where to download the proxy.

Most major firewall vendors support RealPlayer. If your firewall vendor is not listed as supporting RealPlayer, ask your firewall representative to contact us about joining our firewall developers program.

Network-level Firewalls
Network-level firewalls, such as packet filters, use access control lists to allow traffic destined for some ports to pass from the Internet to the organization's internal network and to block packets for other ports. To allow any version of RealAudio Player or RealPlayer to play correctly, it is only necessary for the router to allow packets to pass to the inner network that are bound for the following range of ports:

TCP port 7070 for connecting to pre-G2 RealServers
TCP port 554 and 7070 for connecting to G2 RealServers (used by slp3D)

UDP ports 6970 - 7170 (inclusive) for incoming traffic only

The TCP port is used by RealPlayer to initiate a conversation with an external RealServer, to authenticate RealPlayer to the server, and to pass control messages during playback (such as pausing or stopping the stream). RealSystem G2 uses two TCP protocols for conversations between Players and Servers.

For an even safer firewall, configure the router's access control list to allow TCP connections on port 7070 and/or port 554 to be initiated from the inside network exclusively. Incoming traffic, on the other hand, should only be allowed if it is part of an ongoing connection. This is assured by requiring incoming TCP packets to have the ACK bit set in the TCP header carried by every packet. The syntax for setting the ACK bit varies with the kind of router you own. For Cisco routers the flag "ESTABLISHED" can be put at the end of the line in an access rule to specify that an incoming packet must be part of an ongoing conversation.

The range of UDP ports, on the other hand, carries the incoming stream. These ports begin to carry traffic only after RealPlayer and RealServer have performed the authentication routine, and should be enabled only for incoming traffic.

You may also want to use a proxy server in conjunction with a network-level firewall.

When RealPlayer versions G2, 7, or 8 are in use:

Do one of the following:

Open ports 6970 - 7170 in your firewall for UDP.
Open ports 7070 - 7071 and 554 in your firewall for TCP and instruct RealPlayers to use TCP for all content. Playback quality will not be as good with this option.
Configure your firewall to receive UDP through only one port and instruct Players to use UDP with the port you chose.
Tell users to configure RealPlayer to request that RealServer send all media in HTTP format. This creates more overhead on your network than any of the other options.

When RealPlayer versions 4.0 or 5.0 are in use:

Do one of the following:

Open ports 6970 - 7170 in your firewall for UDP.
Open ports 7070 - 7071 in your firewall for TCP and instruct RealPlayers to use TCP for all content. Playback quality will not be as good with this option.
Configure your firewall to receive UDP through only one port and instruct Players to use UDP with the port you chose.
Tell users to configure RealPlayer to request that RealServer send all media in HTTP format. This creates more overhead on your network than any of the other options.

When RealAudio Player version 3.0 is in use:

Do one of the following:

Open ports 6770 - 7170 in your firewall for UDP.
Open ports 7070 - 7071 in your firewall for TCP and instruct RealPlayers to use TCP for all content. Playback quality will not be as good with this option.
Configure your firewall to receive UDP through only one port and instruct RealPlayers to use UDPwith the port you chose.

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Configuring Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0
Please Note: These configuration instructions assume that you have correctly installed the Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0 and the Microsoft Winsock Proxy Client.

Server Configuration:

• Open the Internet Service manager in IIS 3.0 and the Management console in IIS 4.0.
• Right click on WinSock Proxy Service and select Properties.
• Click on the Service tab.
• Select Client Configuration.
• In the Client Installation/Configuration window, select Client connects to Microsoft WinSock Proxy Server by Computer name, and ensure the NetBIOS name of the machine appears in the block to the right.
• Put a check in the box "Automatically configure Web browser during client setup." The Proxy field should also contain the NetBIOS name of the Proxy Server.
• Port should have the correct port number for the Proxy Server (generally port 80).
• Put a check in the box "Configure Web browsers to use Automatic Configuration."
• If you do not have a RealServer inside the Proxy Firewall, proceed to step 8. If you have a RealServer inside the Proxy Firewall, click the Properties button.This brings up the Advanced Client Configuration page. Check the box "Do not use proxy for the following IP addresses." Then fill in the IP Address of the RealServer(s) inside the Proxy Firewall. Click OK.
• Click the Protocols tab.
• Click on the first RealAudio in the list and click Edit. Initial connection should be on port 554, type should be set to TCP out bound.
• Highlight and remove all entries in the "Port ranges for subsequent connections."
• Click Add, then add UDP 6970-32000 inbound and select OK.
• Clid Add, then add TCP 6970-32000 inbound and select OK.
• Click on the only remaining RealAudio in the list and click Edit. Initial connection should be on Port 7070 outbound, Type should be set to TCP.
  Highlight and remove all entries in the "Port ranges for subsequent connections."
• Click Add, then add TCP 6970-7170 inbound and select OK.
• Click Add again, then add UDP 6970-7170 inbound and select OK.

This completes the configuration of the Proxy Server.

• Open the control panel and double click on the WSP icon, this will open up the Microsoft Winsock Proxy Client configuration page.
• Ensure the server NetBIOS name is in the Server Name field.
• Put a check in the "Enable WinSock Proxy Client" block, and then choose Update Now.
• You should now reboot the client machine. When the machine restarts, open the RealPlayer.
• In the RealPlayer, select Options then Preferences.
• Click the Proxy tab. Make sure the PNA Proxy and RTSP Proxy options are Unchecked, and the No HTTP Proxy radio button is selected.
• Click the Transport tab and select "Automatically select the most efficient transport."
• Click on Auto Configure. Then select OK.
• Once auto configuration is complete Click OK at the bottom of the Preferences window.

The client and RealPlayer G2 are now configured to work with the Proxy Server.

Alternate Configuration Method for RealPlayer G2:

• Open the Control Panel and double click on the WSP icon. This will open the Microsoft Winsock Proxy Client configuration page.
• Ensure the server NetBIOS name is in the Server Name field.
• Put a check in the "Enable WinSock Proxy Client" block, and then choose Update Now.
• You should now reboot the client machine. When the machine restarts, open RealPlayer G2.
• In RealPlayer G2, select Options then Preferences.
• Click the Proxy tab then select, "Manually configure HTTP Proxy."
• Input the NetBIOS name of the Proxy Server in the Proxy Server field.
• Input port 80 in the Port field.
• Click OK.
• The client and RealPlayer are now configured to work with the Proxy Server.

Client Configuration, RealPlayer 5.0

• Open the Control Panel and double click on the WSP icon. This will open the Microsoft Winsock Proxy Client configuration page.
• Ensure the server NetBIOS name is in the Server Name field.
• Put a check in the "Enable WinSock Proxy Client" block, and then choose Update now.
• You should now reboot the client machine. When the machine restarts, open RealPlayer 5.0.
• In the RealPlayer, select View then Preferences.
• Click the Proxy tab at the top. In the Proxy window, make sure the Use Proxy box is NOT checked
• . Click the Transport tab and select "Automatically select the most efficient transport."
• Click on Auto Configure then select OK.
• Once auto configuration is complete, click OK at the bottom of the Preferences window.
• The client and RealPlayer are now configured to work with the Proxy Server.

Installation Issues (distilled from Real sources)

Windows XP Known Issue
If you are trying to download RealOne Player to a Windows XP computer, the computer may show a blue screen and stop responding. Normally, to resolve this you have to restart the computer. If this has happened to you when you try to download:

1. Click the Windows Start button, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, then click Display.

2. On the Screen Saver tab, set Screen Saver to None.

3. On the Screen Saver tab, click the Power button.

4. On the Power Schemes tab, make sure System Standby is set to Never.

Microsoft has documented a video driver incompatibility issue that can cause a blue screen when the Operating System becomes idle; for example, during a long download using a modem. Additional solutions are contained in the Microsoft documentation for this issue at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q293078.

Manually configuration of Netscape Communicator 4 to work with RealOne Player.
( Netscape Communicator 4.0-4.7)
When you install RealOne Player, it automatically configures your Web browser to start RealOne Player when you click a RealMedia link. If RealOne Player does not start when you click a RealMedia link, you must manually configure your Web browser:

1. Start Netscape Communicator.
2. Click the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
3. Double-click Navigator to expand the list.
4. Select Applications.
5. If the RealONE Player File type is listed, select it and click the Edit button. If the file type is not listed, click the New Type button.
6. Enter the following information in the appropriate fields:

Description of Type: RealAudio File
Extension: .ra, .ram
MIME Type: audio/x-pn-realaudio

7. In the Application to use setting, type: C:\Program Files\Real\RealONE Player\realplay.exe or C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\realplay.exe.

The path you choose to type depends on where the program was installed to. Click the Browse button to locate realplay.exe if you are unsure.

8. Click OK. Repeat the steps above for each of these file types:

Description of Type: RealAudio File
Extension: .ra, .ram
MIME Type: audio/vnd.rn-realaudio

Description of Type: RealVideo File

Extension: .rv
MIME Type: video/vnd.rn-realvideo

Description of Type: RealMedia File
Extension: .rm
MIME Type: application/vnd.rn-realmedia

9. Test the changes by clicking on media links at http://realguide.real.com

Connection Errors

"Cannot Connect" error messages with RealOne Player.

"Cannot connect" errors generally mean that RealOne Player did not connect to the computer that serves the media content (the server); they may also mean that the link you clicked is out-of-date. Common "cannot connect to server" errors include:

• Cannot connect to server.
• Unable to connect to server.
• Unable to establish connection to server.
• Check network transport settings (or run auto-configure.)
• RealOne Player not able to successfully connect to a server for playback.
• Cannot connect to server, the link you requested may be inaccurate or out of date.

Connection errors that occur on specific sites or that only occur once in a while are not usually a cause for concern. Occasional errors are usually caused by high traffic on the Internet or the site hosting the files being down or the files having been moved.

Connection errors that occur at all sites on a recurring basis may indicate a problem with RealOne Player or your Internet connection. You may need to reconfigure RealOne Player or your Internet Service Provider's (ISP) connection software to allow RealPlayer to connect.

Solution 1: Play clips from the RealNetworks Technical Support Samples Page.
You will receive "link out of date" errors if you play a file that has been moved. These errors occur if the Web site hosting the files has not been updated since the file changed.

To verify the problem is caused by out of date links, play sample clips from the RealNetworks sample page:

1. Open http://service.real.com/test/ in your Web browser.
2. Click the links there that match the connection speed of your Internet connection (for example, 56K).

If the links from this site play correctly, RealOne Player is not the cause of the error you are receiving from the other site. The links at the other site are either written incorrectly or need to be updated.

Solution 2: Play files during "off-peak hours."
You may receive connection errors when playing files or downloading updates for RealOne Player if the Internet or your Internet Service Provider is experiencing high traffic.

This problem typically occurs during "peak hours" when network traffic is highest. Playing files or updating at an alternate time during the day can usually correct connection problems caused by high traffic.

Solution 3: Manually configure RealOne Player to use HTTP only.
On some networks it may be necessary to configure RealOne Player to use the HTTP Only option to connect to the Internet. This option allows a player operating behind strict firewalls to access programming. However, quality may not be as good as other connection options.

1. To configure RealOne to receive content via HTTP only:
2. On the Tools Menu, click Preferences.
3. In the Categories pane, double-click Connection and then click Network Transports.
4. Click the Manually configure connections settings check box.
5. Click the RTSP Settings button.
6. Click to clear all boxes except Use HTTP, then click OK.
7. Click the PNA Settings button.
8. Click to clear all boxes except Use HTTP, then click OK.

Solution 4: Update your Internet Service Provider's software.
If your Internet Service Provider (America Online, Earthlink, or others) uses custom software to connect to the Internet, updating that software may resolve these issues. Contact your Internet Service Provider to verify that you are using the latest version of their software available, and to verify that their software uses a 32-bit compatible Winsock driver.

Solution 5: Reconnect if AOL's Idle Timer disconnects you or adjust AOL's Parental Control settings.

AOL has an idle timer feature that automatically disconnects your computer from AOL if your computer has been inactive for a predetermined amount of time. You will receive a "Cannot connect to server" error if AOL has terminated your connection and you try to access the Internet with RealOne Player.

If this occurs, reconnect to AOL. Once you have reconnected to AOL, you will be able to access content with RealOne Player.

If the AOL screen name you are using has restricted access levels (Parental Controls), the AOL access level specified may prohibit RealOne from connecting to content for playback. To correct this problem, change the access restrictions for that AOL screen name.

The Parental Controls feature allows the user to create specific levels of access for each screen name or edit existing settings on AOL. For more information on parental controls in AOL, visit http://www.aol.com/info/parentcontrol.html.