Helpdesk: Internet broadcasts help information

Steps to take when experiencing problems

Here you will find information needed to see all the broadcasts well, both for live events and for the recordings. The first thing you need to do is to determine what kind of system (computer + software + connection) you have and if that setup is sufficient for viewing the streams.

Do a system check

The first thing you need to do is to determine what kind of system (computer + software + connection) you have and if that setup is sufficient for viewing the streams.

click here to open the system check wizard.

The wizard will also give you advice on when to ask your system operator (for example if a firewall is blocking ports that need to be open.)

Consult the manual

If you still experience problems, please read our manual below:

I. Compatible operating systems, browsers, internetconnection and media players
II. Problems playing streaming video
III. Bad video quality, bad sound
IV. Synchronization and lipsync problems
V. Help with the chat application

Contact our helpdesk

If you still experience problems you can contact our helpdesk. Please always do the system check first, so that our operators can help you. If you have not done the system check before you contact us, it is very difficult to give you advice on how to change your system to make it work.

Helpdesk email:
For additional support during live events a chat is available for assistance.
To reach our helpdesk during live events call +49-89-960570-62

Manual

I. Compatible operationg systems, browsers, internetconnection and media players

Since most of this website's content is given through the streaming video channel, we recommend that you view this page using a computer with adequate video performance. The minimum required setup would be a pentium II class system or a Macintosh G3 with at least 128 MB internal memory. More recent computer systems will give better results.

We recommend that you use a broadband connection, even though dialup modems are supported too, using a broadband connection will give you a better experience. More bandwith will give you a better performance.

It is highly recommended that you do not have other multimedia applications running whilst visiting the Managenergy website. This might cause interference with the media stream, and could lead to unwanted side-effects.

Despite the compatibility with older versions of Operating System, we do recommend that you use an up to date Operating System to view the video stream. This has to do with compatibility issues with older browsers and media players. Therefore we recommend that you use the following or higher versions for the stated software packages.

Working browser and player combinations

Below is a list of operating system, browser and player combinations the application works with. When using other combinations or platforms some features might not be working correctly.

Windows	Internet Explorer 5+	RealOne player Windows Media Player version 7 and higher Quicktime MPEG-4 version 6.4 and higher
	Netscape 7.1+	RealOne player
	Mozilla 1.3+	RealOne player
	Firefox 0.8+	RealOne player
Mac OSX	Firefox 0.8+	RealOne player
Linux	Firefox 0.8+	RealOne player

Due to technological shortcomings of the Windows Media Player the startingpoint of presentations might not be as precise as in Real Player. For best quality, we advice to choose Real player. If you want to support the MPEG4 open standard codec we recommend that you download a MPEG4 compatible media player (such as Apple Quicktime). In the future the ManagEnergy streaming project will support the MPEG4 open standard more and it is advisible to upgrade already now to the future open standard MPEG4.

Important notice
For the Managenergy website to be fully functional your browser needs to have Javascript and cookies enabled.

II. Problems with playback of streaming video: No video and sound

Having either no visual or audio playback while watching the video stream might be a result of a technical failure. Please follow these steps to find the source of the problem, and a possible solution to resolve the issue.

Step 1 - Playback software

The first thing that you want to know is whether or not you are using the recommended software. Using an old version of software may lead to compatibility problems. In the Introduction you can find a list of the recommended software and versions for viewing the Managenergy website.

The next step will be to make sure that all the devices are connected properly and are fully installed in your Operating System environment. For example: if you try to listen to an audio stream, and the speakers that are attached to your soundcard are turned off, then you won´t be able to hear anything, while your computer functions normally.

If you are not sure that you have the correct and most up to date media player applications go here to do an automated checkup of your computers configuration.

If you need an update for a certain media player, please select it from the list below and you will be directed towards a download page where you can download the correct media player.

Step 2 - firewall

If indeed you have the correct software to play the video and or audio streams, and everything is connected properly, and you are connected to the internet, but still have no sound or video, your computer might be behind a firewall that does not allow you to watch a streaming video broadcast.

You can do a check on your computer to find out if indeed you are behind a firewall.

To solve this problem you will have to adjust some settings in your firewall software, or have your local system administrator do it for you, in case you do not have the permissions to change these settings.

The port used by the streaming application is 554. If this port is not open, you will probably be able to view the presentation but the quality will not be optimal.

The chat uses port 6667. If this port is not open, you will be able to view the presentation but participation in the live chat will not be possible.

If you're not sure wether these ports are open on your system check it with this tool.

Step 3 - update your software

Please ensure that you have the latest updates for your hardware configuration. This includes hardware like a soundcard, a graphics accelerator card, and anything that you may have installed on your computer. For windows users it is also recommended that you update your DirectX Drivers. If you are still experiencing problems, try installing your mediaplayer again.

III. Bad video quality, bad sound

Assuming your computer is working properly and that quality of the streams and your internet connections is good , you might have configured your player incorrectly.

Example solution for RealOne player

Step 1

The proper way to configure your RealOne bandwidth is to set the Maximum Bandwidth to the largest allowable setting. For example, if you have a 56K modem, you would set the bandwidth in the player to 56K modem. Your Normal Bandwidth Setting should be set one level below it; if you have a 56K modem, you would set this to 33.6K.

Use the system check to get an indication of your connection speed.

To set the connection speed within RealOne playerPlease follow these simple steps.

1. In RealOne Player, click Tools and select Preferences. This will open the Preferences dialog box.
2. In the Category panel, click on Connection.
3. Set the Normal box at one level below the speed of your modem.
4. Set the Maximum box equal to your modem speed.
5. Click the OK button.

By configuring your connection speed in this manner, your RealPlayer will be able to handle the incoming data to form a video stream. Without having to rebuffer the video stream due to a loss of speed. This will result in a smooth playback with the highest possible quality. Setting the bandwidth correctly is especially important when you play presentations that include a mix of streaming pictures, audio, video, and text at the same time.

Step 2

The media player software that you are using might have problems with your graphics card. Please ensure that both the media player software and your graphics card drivers are up to date.

1. In the Tools menu, click on Preferences. This will open the Preferences Dialog.
2. In the menu on the left select "Hardware" to open the hardware submenu.
3. Use the slider to set the "playback performance" to a different and more compatible setting, e.g. 50% (which is recommended).

IV. Streaming quality and Lipsync.

The video can desync due to a number of issues. Either your internet connection is not fast enough to download all the information simultaneously, which would result in desync, or your computer's processor is not fast enough to translate the downloaded information into a video that can be viewed in the media player. To ensure that your system is adequate for viewing online video streams, please consult the minimum requirements stated in the introduction.

V. Help with the Chat Application.

Watch the Chat
You can see the chat on the bottom right of the screen. Without logging in you can see the nicknames and messages of the people that are chatting.

Join the Chat
To join the chat you can enter a nickname into the box and click on "enter" at the bottom right of the chat window. You now can chat with the other users in the chat box. The nickname must only contain alphabetic characters, and have 2 to 20 characters length.

Full-screen Chat
After logging into the chatroom you are also able to enlarge the chat room. The enlarged chat is divided into two parts. You can type your message on the bottom of the full-screen chat. Although this box isn't very big you can type a message up to 200 characters long. By pushing the "Enter" button or by clicking on the "send" button you submit your message into the chat-dialog. If you want to minimse the large chat window either close the window or click on "Minimise". The small chat window will be updated with the new chat content.

Send Private Messages
On the right side of the dialog you find the nicknames of the people that are chatting. You can send a private message to one of these names and only this person and you can see the message then.

Send Public Message
If you want to send a private message, click the left-mouse button on the name of the person you want to talk to. A new popup window will open. Enter your message and click send. The text will then appear in red in the message box.