Troubleshooting
This page offers explanations for the most common problems encountered when using this service. If you encounter a problem while working in an on-campus computer lab, please contact the staff who run the lab.
Problem: When I click on a link to watch a lecture, absolutely nothing happens. A media player window does not appear, and I don't see any error message.
Explanation: Your computer can't find your media player. First, make sure you have one of the three media players mentioned on the Software page installed on your computer. Second, make sure you have downloaded and installed the plug-in mentioned on the Software page. Third, follow the "choosing your default media player" instructions on the Software page.
Problem: When I click on a link to watch a lecture, I get an error message like one of the following:
Couldn't open the file "xxxxx.mp4" because the file was not found
Safari can't open "xxxxx.mp4" because Mac OS X doesn't recognize Internet addresses starting with "e-rtsp".
(The exact wording of the error message will depend on the computer and web browser you're using.)
Explanation: You are trying to view a lecture on a computer on which the necessary plug-in has not been installed. Follow the "downloading and installing the plug-in" instructions on the Software page.
Problem: When I use the play, pause, fast forward, and rewind buttons while watching a lecture, they don't work or the lecture hangs or there is a long delay.
Explanation: There will be two very similar sets of playback buttons in your media player. Do not use the ones at the bottom of the screen. Instead, use the buttons located below the right-hand image, near the clock and the slider bar.
Problem: The lecture plays for a while, then everything freezes. After a while, it starts playing again, only to freeze again later.
Explanation: Your network connection is either too slow or too congested. Data is not being delivered to your computer fast enough for you to watch the lecture non-stop. This happens most frequently with wireless networking and the slowest/cheapest DSL service. See the Hardware & Networking page for more information about network alternatives.
Problem: I don't hear any sound while I'm watching a lecture.
Explanation: The only sound recorded in the classroom is from the instructor's microphone. If the instructor isn't wearing the microphone or the microphone isn't turned on, there will be silence. If you hear no audio in the sample lectures, the audio on your computer may be muted or set to a very low volume, or your computer's speakers or headphones may not be working properly.
Problem: I can see the instructor in the left window, but the right window is black.
Explanation: If the instructor is not projecting anything on the projection screen in the classroom, there is nothing to show in the right window. Perhaps later in the lecture, the instructor will use the document camera or computers and an image will appear.
Problem: The image that is supposed to be of the instructor is showing something else or is jumping around.
Explanation: The computer-controlled camera attempts to find and follow motion at the front of the room. It doesn't know what your instructor looks like. The camera could be distracted by a reflection or by someone else walking near the front of the room. Hopefully, after a few seconds the camera will return to the instructor.
Explanation: Occasionally, there will be a hardware or software failure in the recording system in a classroom. This may cause a lecture to not be recorded or the recording to not be usable. This is hopefully a rare occurrence and we apologize for the inconvenience.
