Haverford College supports Real for live streaming events and streaming archived files. This page describes what you need to access a stream and provides solutions for common problems with streams.
Where can I download Real Player?
Real Player is required to access the stream. There are several versions you can download. We have provided download information and links here.
The streaming video is jumpy, blurry, or sometimes pauses.
This is common for streaming video. The quality of the video footage will vary depending upon the amount of motion in the image; streamed lectures are generally clearer than fast-paced streamed events like a basketball game. The quality will also depend upon overall Internet traffic and connection type. Though video streams are often sent at multiple rates to aid in your viewing experience, you may see video problems if your connection is slow or if a lot of people are trying to view the stream.
I can hear audio, but I don't see video of the stream.
Stream maintainers usually indicate if the stream is audio and video. Check to make sure that video came with the stream -- some streams are audio only. If this is indeed and audio and video stream, network congestion may be so great or your Internet connection to the streaming server may be so poor, that video footage is slow or absent.
Stream maintainers usually indicate if the stream contains audio and video. Check to make sure that audio came with the stream -- some streams are video only. Next, make sure that the computer's internal volume is on and speakers/headphones are plugged in.
Network congestion may be so great or your Internet connection to the streaming server may be so poor, that audio portions of streams sound distorted. Try changing setting to improve performance:
See Real's Instructions for Windows Users
I get an error message "unable to establish a connection with the server" when I click on the link to the stream.
If you get an error like "unable to establish a connection with the server, " it could mean that there is high network traffic, the site hosting the file is down, or the file being streamed has been moved. If you see such an error, please report it to the group sponsoring the stream (WHRC, Sports, a department, etc). If you are unsure who is sponsoring the stream, send an email to Haverford's Helpdesk. In the body of the message, include the URL for the page where you found the stream.
What does it mean when the real player says "Buffering"?
Buffering is RealPlayer's way of receiving and storing some of the stream before you access it. Before you are able to see a video or listen to a file on the Internet, RealPlayer downloads a portion of the file on to your machine and then starts to play it. This lets RealPlayer begin playing a stored part of the file while the rest of the file downloads.
If the file stops playing and RealPlayer displays a message saying it is buffering, RealPlayer is giving the downloading information time to catch up to the speed of the actual presentation of music or video.
If the stream frequently stops and re-buffers, you may want to change your buffer settings:
See Real's Solution for Windows Users
I still can't watch the stream, How can I get help?
If you are having a problem not addressed or not resolved by this FAQ, you should contact the stream sponsor (WHRC, Sports, a department, etc) and Academic Computing Helpdesk. Let them know which stream you were trying to access by including a URL in your email. You should also note any error messages you saw, what version of Real Player you were using (RealOne, Real Player version 9, etc) and some information about your system (platform --like Mac or Windows, operating system -- like XP or OS X Tiger). They are open from 9 - 5 Eastern Time, Monday - Friday, and be be reached by phone: 610-896-1480, or e-mail: helpdesk@haverford.edu.