ARKive frequently asked questions about video

About ARKive Videos

Trouble-shooting

Configuring video players

About ARKive Videos

How do I play the ARKive movies?

The ARKive website shows film clips in three streaming formats: Windows Media, Real, and QuickTime.

Windows Media is built in to modern versions of Microsoft Windows, and a suitable QuickTime player is built-in to modern versions of Mac OS X. Real Player is also commonly installed and used widely, for example by the BBC website. All three players are available for most major computer types. We provide two sizes for each of the three major formats of media available for computers.

To view a movie, click on the format you require, selecting the movie size most appropriate for your internet connection. If you are unsure of your connection speed, you may wish to try the 'broadband' version first - if you have problems you can then try the modem version.

To download the players please go to:

ARKive also offers a downloadable version of our movies for use offline. These are in QuickTime format, and will require the QuickTime player.

What settings may I need to adjust to obtain the optimum playback experience?

ARKive aims to provide its movies at a leading-edge quality, and therefore you may wish to check your settings to ensure you have an optimal viewing experience. The following information is based on our experience of use of the various media players. Changes suggested here are not specific to the ARKive content, and may improve other media content as well.

Which versions of the video players do I need?

Whilst playback of ARKive movies may work with earlier versions, ARKive suggests at least Version 9 of Windows Media Player, Version 9 of Real Player (also known as RealOne Player), and Version 6 of QuickTime. For best results, use Windows Media Player 10 or the latest versions of the other players, available from the links above.

Do your movies work with Windows Media Player 11?

Windows Media Player 11 no longer supports the streaming technology which ARKive uses. We are working towards a permanent fix but in the mean time we have provided a workaround for you. When you view a Windows Media movie you will be given two additional format choices, specifically for Windows Media Player 11. These should work perfectly with all versions of Windows Media player although it will take longer for the movie to load. If you can use an alternative format then please do - RealPlayer provides the best quality.

Why do you only offer two sizes of movie?

We use surestream (Real) and Multi-stream (Windows Media) technology to stream content to you at the most appropriate bandwidth for your connection. The maximum rate available is 800KBits, which provides a very good quality picture in both Windows Media, and Real Player. Your playback experience may be improved by spending a few minutes configuring your player, if you have not already done so. See the appropriate configuration help for your player below for details.

Why is the dial-up modem movie so much smaller than the broadband one?

The version for modem users is targeted for very slow speed connections, and after testing ARKive has found this size of display to be the best compromise. However, if you are a modem user, you may wish to try the downloadable movie, which will take around 20 times the length of the clip to download, but is of comparable quality to the best broadband versions.

Why is the QuickTime movie a lower quality than the Real or Windows Media versions, and is a higher quality QuickTime version available?

Due to the technical mechanisms involved and various security issues, ARKive is only able to supply streamed content for QuickTime users at a lower bit rate. However, the downloadable QuickTime movie is of the same quality as the Real Player and Windows Media versions.

Why is the downloadable movie 'skinned' with extra watermarks?

As this is a large downloadable version of the ARKive movies, extra security measures have been taken to ensure their appropriate use, such as being additionally watermarked with an extra ARKive skin, and highlighting the need to agree to the ARKive ‘terms of use’ before downloading. To see ARKive’s ‘terms of use’ click here.

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Trouble-shooting

What is the minimum specification of computer required to play ARKive movies?

Whilst there is no hard and fast rule, most computers purchased within the last 4 years should not have any problem playing the 'broadband' movies, and many earlier machines will be satisfactory. However, if you experience problems, we suggest artificially reducing the speed of connection in the player (see the relevant configuration section for your player on this page), or using the modem versions of the movies, which almost all computers should be capable of playing.

How can I make the movies play more smoothly?

By setting the most appropriate connection speed you may achieve better playback. Note that you may not always be able to achieve the quoted speed of your connection, due to contention with other local users. In addition, if you have an older computer, artificially reducing the connection speed may provide a better experience (see the relevant configuration section for your player on this page).

Why does the picture break up during playback?

This can occur if you are using UDP to connect to ARKive. Try disabling UDP connections in your player - see the appropriate configuration help for your player below for details.

Why does the player repeatedly 'buffer' or 'load' content?

This can occur if you have an inappropriate connection speed setting in your player. See the appropriate configuration help for your player below for details.

Why does it take a long time for movies to start playing?

There are two reasons why this can occur. Try lowering the number of seconds to buffer content, and/or disabling UDP connections. See the appropriate configuration help for your player below for ways of doing this.

Why does playback 'stutter'?

This can occur if you have an incorrect connection speed setting in your player. Try setting a slower speed in your player, or using the automatic test function if using Real Player. If you are using Windows Media Player, you may get better performance if you disable the speed auto-detect feature. See the appropriate configuration help for your player below for ways of doing this.

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Configuring video players

Configuring Real Player

The options listed below can be adjusted from the Preferences window, accessible from the Tools menu in Real Player. (You will need to manually start Real Player to change these settings). The screenshots below are using RealOne Player v10, on Windows XP. You should restart your player when you have made the changes, in order for them to take effect.

image: A screenshot showing the menu option required to display the Real Player preferences screen

Redetecting the connection speed

Whilst an initial installation of Real Player will often set the correct connection speed, by ensuring your connection speed setting is accurate, you can improve all aspects of your playback. The following procedure tests how much connectivity you have to the internet, and sets Real Player up correctly. To perform the test, and update the speed settings, click the 'Test Connection' with the 'Connection' preference pane open, and follow the prompts.

image: A screenshot showing the connection speed preference pane

Disabling UDP connections

Using the UDP protocol can provide the best playback experience, however, it is susceptible to 'stuttering' when there is a lot of traffic on the network, and can slow down the start of movie playback in some firewall situations. If you are experiencing problems with stuttering, and have correctly set your connection speed, try disabling UDP. This can be done by opening the 'RTSP Settings' window, from the 'Network Transports' pane of the Preferences. You will need to check the 'Manually configure connection settings' checkbox first.

image: A screenshot showing the network settings preference pane

The following window will open when you click the RTSP Settings button. You need to uncheck the UDP checkbox

image: A screenshot showing the RTSP settings window

Lowering the buffering time and enabling turbo-play

Lowering the buffering time and/or enabling turbo-play may help to make movies start playing faster, at the expense of potential stuttering later. You can change these settings using the 'Playback Settings' pane - ensure the 'Enable Turboplay' tick box is checked, and enter a smaller value in the 'buffer up to' box.

image: A screenshot showing the buffering preference pane

Configuring Windows Media Player

The options listed below are changed from the 'options' window which is accessed by right clicking (ctrl-click on Mac) and choosing 'options' from the menu. The screenshots are from Windows Media Player 9 on Windows XP. You should restart your player when you have made the changes, in order for them to take effect.

Disabling auto connection speed detection, and setting the connection speed

You may experience an improvement in loading speed for movies if you disable the media player 'automatic bandwidth detection', and manually match the connection speed in Windows Media Player with your actual network. It can be changed by selecting the 'Choose connection speed' radio button, and then using the drop down to select the speed of connection you or your organisation has to the internet.

image: A screenshot showing the speed setting preference pane

Disabling UDP connections

Using the UDP protocol can provide the best playback experience. However, it is susceptible to 'stuttering' when there is a lot of traffic on the network. If you are experiencing stuttering, it may be worth trying again with UDP disabled. This can be achieved by unticking the UDP box under 'Streaming protocols' on the Network tab. (This will also disable the 'use ports' box - this is not needed when not using UDP.)

image: A screenshot showing the disabling of the UDP protocol

Lowering the buffering time

By lowering the buffering time used in Windows Media Player, movies will start-up faster, however, they may be more susceptible to break-up later. You can lower the buffering time, by choosing the 'Buffer' radio button, on the Performance tab, and entering a lower number.

image: A screenshot showing the buffering setting preference pane

Configuring QuickTime Player

In the mode in which QuickTime formatted media is viewed in ARKive, the QuickTime player is less sensitive in its choice of settings than the other players, and changes to them do not normally result in an improvement when viewing the ARKive movies.

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