STAR Watch Statewide Technology Assistance Resources Project A publication of the Western New York Law Center,Inc. Volume 10 Issue 2 March-April 2006
Improve Your Webstreaming Experiences
Over the past 6 months, Western New of problems such as poor audio, poor York Law Center and Empire Justice video, or even computer crashes. While it Center teamed up to produce more than is possible that there are some serious a half dozen trainings that were problems deep inside the computer, simultaneously webcast. Most people usually it’s something really simple. who watched the multiple live webcast If you are encountering problems with trainings via the Internet had no problem webstreams or movies on your computer, seeing and hearing the entire presenta- here are a few simple things that you can tions, but a few encountered some do to fix the problem. issues. While some of these problems were corrected on the spot, some could not be since they required more than a quick fix. In this issue… After some research, we were able to list • Improve Your Webstreaming the steps that users can take to improve Experiences the performance of their PC’s when • What is a “Codec”? viewing any presentation streamed over • Free Online Training: the Internet, not just ours. Emergency Assistance 101 Viewing a training webcast or watching a • WNYLC Web Statistics movie on your computer should be a no- • Who We Are brainer, but that isn’t always the case. Many first-time viewers encounter a host STAR Watch - 2 March-April 2006
Install the latest version of Windows drivers, but don’t overlook the obvious: Are Media Player the speakers plugged in to the computer and powered up?. Start up Windows Media Player, then go to Help > Check for Player Updates… Install the latest sound card and video If you are told that there is a updated card drivers version of Media Player, go ahead and install it. Even if your computer is fresh (As this article is being out of the box, go to the video written, the latest version card or sound card manufac- is 10) That alone may fix turer’s site, download and all of your problems. install the latest device drivers for the sound card Run the DirectX and video card in your diagnostic tool computer. It’s more work than using the “Update driver” Windows Media Player is feature in Windows, but it heavily dependent on the guarantees that you are DirectX software. This software, which is getting the most up-to-date driver for the free from Microsoft, performs much of the device. work for Media Player. To test it… Optimize Windows Media Player • Go to Start > Run Type dxdiag into
the dialog box, then click OK Start up Windows Media Player, then go • When the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to Tools > Options… Microsoft has not starts up, go to the Display tab made this menu option easy to find. Go to the upper-right corner of the screen. • Click Test DirectDraw and follow the To the right of the “minimize” button, is instructions an “upside-down triangle”. If you hover • Click Test Direct3D and follow the over it with the cursor, text will be instructions displayed that says “Access application menus”. Left-click on the triangle and a • Now select the Sound tab menu will be displayed (as shown below). • Click Test DirectSound and follow the instructions
If the system cannot pass the DirectDraw and Direct3D test, it usually indicates a problem with the video display drivers. If the system cannot pass the DirectSound tests, it usually indicates a problem with the sound card STAR Watch - 3 - March-April 2006
• On the Player tab, select Download problem is fixed, but the audio volume is codecs automatically. If an low, go to Start > Programs > AC3Filter unknown file format is encountered, > AC3Filter Config. On the Main tab, Media Player will attempt to locate the adjust the Master and Gain controls in correct software to play it. the lower-central portion of the screen. For more advanced users • Select the Performance tab. Click
the Advanced button. This procedure is not for the casual • In the Video Acceleration box, for all computer user. If you are unfamiliar with video cards except those made by editing the registry,do not attempt to nVidia, make sure that Use video perform this procedure. mixing renderer and Use high In Windows XP, when an attempt is quality mode are selected. If the made to play a file, XP can consume a lot video card was made by nVidia, of resources while it attempts to extract select Use mixing renderer and Use information about the video file before overlays playing it. This can lead to faulty • In the DVD Video box, for all video playback. To prevent Windows XP from cards except those made by nVidia, extracting information about the file make sure that Use video mixing before playing it, locate the registry key renderer and Enable full-screen HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{87D62 mode switch are selected. If the D94-71B3-4b9a-94895FE6850DC73E}. video card is made by nVidia, select Rename it to -{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a- Use video mixing renderer and 94895FE6850DC73E} by putting a “-“ in Display full-screen controls. front of it.
Prevent some crashes When all else fails…
If Windows Explorer or My Computer If the video refuses to play using crashes when you open a folder that Windows Media Player, will it work with contains one or more .AVI files, the RealMedia Player? The folks who put codec for Xvid (also known as DivX) together the different players have might be missing. To download the different opinions about which codecs codec free of charge, go to should be packaged with their respective www.divxmovies.com/software and products. Consequently, the video follow the instructions. stream that totally refuses to work with one player may perform flawlessly with a If Windows Media Player crashes while different one. attempting to play a video file, it might also be a missing AC3 codec. To If you get really desperate (or have a lot download the codec, go to ac3fil- of time on your hands), it may be ter.sourceforge.net. If the playback necessary to analyze the file to STAR Watch - 4 - March-April 2006
determine whether the file is damaged, codecs are missing, GSpot cannot point incomplete, or uses a codec that is not you to a location from which you can installed on the computer. The best download them. program that we have found for this purpose is a called GSpot. It is free and can be downloaded from a number of sites, including www.headbands.com/ gspot. GSpot will check for file truncation or corruption, then determine which codecs are required for proper playback and if they are installed on the computer. Unfortunately, if the required
What is a “Codec”?
Short for compressor/decompressor, a anyone else in the family. Without a codec is a detailed specification of how product like GSpot (mentioned in the pre- data will be compressed and/or decom- vious article), there is no way to figure pressed. Codecs can be out what codec was used to implemented in software, create the file and which codec hardware, or a combination must be used to play the file of both. back. And just to confuse the issue even more, different co- For webstreaming purposes, decs can be used to create the the most common types of audio and the video portions of files produced by or read by the webstream/file. codecs are .AVI, .MPG, .WMV, .MOV, and .RM files. While the Microsoft family (.WMV), QuickTime family It would be wonderful if (.MOV), and the RealMedia that’s all there was to it, but family (.RM) have fewer dia- life just isn’t that simple. lects (and hence fewer play- Each of those file extensions back issues), new .AVI mentioned previously desig- and .MPG codecs are popping nates an entire family of co- up all the time keeping users who wish to decs—and none of the family members play files in the new formats dazed, con- are required to speak to, or understand fused & bewildered. STAR Watch - 5 - March-April 2006
Free Online Training: Emergency Assistance 101
This training will provide an overview of emergency assistance programs in New York State: • Emergency Assistance to Families • Emergency Safety Net Assistance • Emergency Assistance to Adults.
The training will review situations that constitute an emergency, and the finan- cial and categorical eligibility requirements for receipt of emergency assistance, and paid special attention to shelter and utility emergencies.
Empire Justice Center originally presented this training live and by webcast at The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York in Albany, New York on Thursday, October 27, 2005.
The information was presented by Susan Antos from the Empire Justice Center and by Charles Brennan from the Public Utilities Law Project.
Empire Justice Center and Western New York Law Center are re-broadcasting this training for the legal services community and for others working with clients who need emergency assistance.
This training is free of charge, but you must register in advance.
To register for this training, please go to: http://service.wnylc.com/PB101_Registration.html
You can test to see if you can receive the live webcast by going to: http://www.wnylc.net/Test_PB101.htm.
STAR Watch - 6 - March-April 2006
WNYLC Web Statistics For March 2006
Total Hits...... ………409,914 Operating Systems Used: Total User Sessions...... ……81,818 Windows XP...... …………….53% Average Hits/Day (Mon-Fri) ……..15,632 Windows 2000...... ……………13% Average user Sessions/Weekday..…..2,891 Windows 98...... ……………...6% Number of Pages Viewed...... …….160,078 Windows ME...... …………...<1% Avg Number of Pages /Day...……….5,163 Windows 95...... …………….<1% Number of Documents Viewed..…..82,836 Windows NT...... …………..…<1% Accessed Using Internet Explorer.…...89% Macintosh...... …………...…<1% Accessed Using Netscape...... …..…5% Linux/Unix...... ……………...<1%
WHO WE ARE
ade Joe Kelemen - Attorney s m i Kathleen Lynch - Attorney tch h a a ug Tom Karkau - Programmer ar W thro LA St le IO Administrator - Sherry Soules sib the ork pos y Y nt b ew gra f N nd o Fu . tate S [email protected]
716-855-0203
www.wnylc.net
Western New York Law Center, Inc. 237 Main Street, Suite 1030 Buffalo, New York 14203