Broadband Simulcast Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Our broadband service normally carries all our programmes in real time, exactly as transmitted via Sky Digital Satellite. If you have Windows Media Player already installed, you should have no problems. After a 50-second introduction to our business, the simulcast stream will connect to the current broadcast programme.

The following are detailed technical Q's & A's for specific situations.

If you are having problems receiving our programmes via broadband, please email us at broadband@information.tv , and tell us:

From where (in the world!) are you accessing us? From home or work?

Which Internet Service Provider (ISP) are you using? (e.g. AOL, Pipex, Tiscali etc)

What is the speed of your connection? (2Mb, 512Kb/s or what?). Is it ADSL or SDSL?

Which Version of Microsoft Windows media Player are you using? (We recommend V9.0 or later).

1 What do I need to have to receive Broadband TV

1.1 Which version of Windows Media Player do I need?
1.2 What is the minimum PC system recommended?
1.3 What is the minimum MAC system recommended?
1.4 What Broadband connection speed will I need?
1.5 What is streaming Broadband TV?

2 Why is my stream not playing?

2.1 Check your Media Player configuration.
2.2 When I click on the link nothing appears, what can I do?
2.3 I am able to view the Pre-Stream Video but after it finishes playing it begins to show the buffering screen and never shows the channel.  What can I do?
2.4 Will my Google pop-up blocker cause any problems?
2.5 My Windows Media Player (WMP) will not play.  I am being told I need to connect to the Internet.
2.6 After upgrading to Windows XP, there is no sound.
2.7 I receive a ‘Requested File Not Found’ error.
2.8 I receive a ‘Cannot find program associated with this file type’ error.
2.9 I get sound but no picture or I only get an image when using Full Screen.
2.10 My stream plays but there is only sound or only video.
2.11 I can’t access the stream with the player in detached mode.

3 How do I improve the streaming performance?

3.1 You can play media content in Media Player but the stream sometimes stops, stutters or displays "buffering"
3.2 If you think the problems you are experiencing are to do with your  edia player
3.3 How can I improve the stream quality?
3.4 My streams are opening in a program other than Windows Media Player.  How can I resolve this?

4 I’m at the office or on a home network and can’t connect.

4.1 I’m on a network and I can’t see or hear the stream.
4.2 I am having difficulty streaming through a firewall.

5  Other questions.

5.1 Why do you broadcast only in Windows Media?
5.2 I live overseas and it tells me the service is unavailable in my country.
5.3 Why can I play content from some sites but not others?
5.4 Other Error Messages 

1 What do I need to have to receive Broadband TV.

1.1 Which version of Windows Media Player do I need?
This service is optimised for Windows Media Player version 9.0 or later. If you do not currently have Windows Media player installed click here to download and install it.

1.2 What is the minimum PC system recommended?
We recommend that you use a minimum 1.0 GHz Intel / AMD processor or equivalent and Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 or Windows XP installed with Windows Media player 9.0 or later.  Please enable cookies on your machine.

Please note it is possible to access the service on machines below this specification but quality may become an issue.

1.3 What is the minimum MAC system recommended? 
Any computer supported by Mac OS X version 10.1.5 (450 megahertz (MHz) PowerPC G3 processor or higher).  We recommend using Windows Media player 9.0 or later and cookies enabled on your machine.

1.4 What Broadband connection speed will I need?
This service is only available to Broadband Internet users and we recommend that you have a connection of 256kbps or greater.

1.5 What is streaming Broadband TV?
When a service is streamed, your computer starts to accept the data from our server and begins to play at the same time.  In other words, the complete file is not on your system before the service starts.  If your Internet connection is lost or the bandwidth is reduced significantly service will be affected.  If the connection is lost then the stream will be lost altogether, if the connection speed (bandwidth) reduces then you may notice a loss in sound or picture quality.

2 Why is my stream not playing?
If you experience problems please test he following first:

1.  Try testing your player by playing sample files included with the media player.
2.  Check that your broadband connection is working and has sufficient bandwidth available (see what broadband connection speed will I need).

2.1 Check your Media Player configuration.
To reconfiguring Windows Media Player (WMP), 9 or 10 for a PC:

1. Open Windows Media Player and choose the 'Tools' Menu.  (If you have WMP 10 you may need to click the arrow in the top right hand corner to see this option).
2. Select 'Options'.
3. Choose the 'Network' Tab.
4. 'Multicast', 'UDP', 'TCP' and 'HTTP' should be ticked.
5. Hit 'OK'.

Reconfiguring Windows Media Player for a MAC:

1.  Open Windows Media Player and open the 'Windows Media Player' tab.
2.  Select 'Preferences'.
3.  'Multicast', 'UDP', 'TCP' and 'HTTP' should be ticked.
4.  Hit 'OK'.

2.2 When I click on the link nothing appears, what can I do?
You may have a program running that prevents adverts from popping up.  In order to use this service you will need to turn this function off or, alternatively try holding down the 'Ctrl' key when clicking on the link.

2.3 I am able to view the Pre-Stream Video but after it finishes playing it begins to show the buffering screen and never shows the channel.  What can I do?
This may be due to your Internet Service Provider not supporting the multicast streams necessary to show our TV channel.  To resolve this you should contact your ISP.

2.4 Will my Google pop-up blocker cause any problems?
Yes, if you are a MAC or PC user, any program, including the Google pop-up blocker that prevents adverts from popping up, may stop the video window appearing on your screen.  In order to use this service you will need to turn this function off.  No adverts will pop up from our service as a result of this.

2.5 My Windows Media Player (WMP) will not play.  I am being told I need to connect to the Internet.
Microsoft suggests the following help for this problem:

1. Open your Windows Media Player.
2. Click ‘File’ (if you have WMP 10 you may need to click the arrow in the top right hand corner to see this option).
3. Check that the Work Offline command on the File menu is not selected.
4. If you are using Windows Media Player 9 Series, click on ‘Media Guide.
5. Click the Connect the Player link.
6. If you are still having problems click ‘Tools’ and then ‘Options’.
7. Select ‘Connect to the Internet’.

For more information Click Here to go to Microsoft FAQ. 

Even though I have Windows Media Player 9 or 10 it still asks me to download it.

Firstly check you do have version 10.  However sometimes it may not be properly installed, try uninstalling the media player, downloading the latest version and then re-installing it.

2.6 After upgrading to Windows XP, there is no sound.
This issue can be resolved by downloading and installing the Windows XP service pack 2, either via the built in Windows Update, or at http://www.windowsupdate.com

2.7 I receive a ‘Requested File Not Found’ error.
There are several methods that your players can use to connect to our servers when streaming broadband TV.  This is in order to adapt to the differing ways you may be connected to the Internet.

To reconfiguring Windows Media Player, 9 or 10 for a PC:

1. Open Windows Media Player and choose the 'Tools' Menu.  (If you have WMP 10 you may need to click the arrow in the top right hand corner to see this option).
2. Select 'Options'.
3. Choose the 'Network' Tab.
4. 'Multicast', 'UDP', 'TCP' and 'HTTP' should be ticked.
5. Hit 'OK'.

Reconfiguring Windows Media Player for a MAC:

1. Open Windows Media Player and open the 'Windows Media Player' tab.
2. Select 'Preferences'.
3. 'Multicast', 'UDP', 'TCP' and 'HTTP' should be ticked.
4. Hit 'OK'.

2.8 I receive a ‘Cannot find program associated with this file type’ error.
Firstly check you do have Windows Media Player installed properly, try uninstalling the media player, downloading the latest version and then re-installing it. Please note - if you do not have this player it can be downloaded for free from Microsoft, we recommend you download the latest player available.

Click here to download and install it.

2.9 I get sound but no picture or I only get an image when using Full Screen.
It is likely that these problems relate to your video card drivers or the video settings on your computer.

A. Check for updates for the driver by accessing your Video Card manufacturers’ web site.

To locate your Video Card information please use the following steps:

1. Select start.
2. Then Settings.
3. Then Control Panel.
4.  Select System.

This will allow you to access the Video Card information from the Hardware Tab.

B. If that doesn't solve the problem, turn down (or turn off) video acceleration.

To do this in Windows Media Player 9 Series, go to the Options dialog box and look for this option on the Performance tab.

Or 

C. Alternatively, try turning off video rendering.

In Windows Media Player, click Options on the Tools menu.  On the ‘Performance’ tab, click ‘Advanced’.  Clear the ‘Use of Video Mixing Renderer’ check boxes in the ‘Video Acceleration and DVD Video’ sections.  Click ‘OK’, and then click ‘OK’. 

2.10   My stream plays but there is only sound or only video.
This error is caused by a failure of your player to download successfully the new Windows Media Player codecs required to watch newer clips.

This problem may be resolved by ensuring your media player is up to date.  To do this with Windows Media Player 9 or 10:

1. Select the ‘Tools’ tab.  (If you have WMP 10 you may need to click the arrow in the top right hand corner to see this option).
2. In the ‘Player’ tab ensure ‘Download Codecs Automatically’ is checked.
3. In the ‘Privacy’ tab ensure Acquire Licenses Automatically’ is checked.
4. Select the ‘Help’ tab.
5. Choose ‘Check for Player Updates’

If you are still having problems after trying this please click here and download the Codec package.

These settings should ensure your media player is always up to date and will update itself if any new codecs need to be downloaded.

The other alternative is to upgrade your Windows Media Player to a later version. To do this please visit Microsoft Download Centre.

2.11 I can’t access the stream with the player in detached mode.
If you have a pop up blocker set then you will not be able to play clips in detached mode.  Please close your pop up blocker and you should find this problem resolved. 

A common way to bypass pop up blockers is to hold down the CTRL button while you click on the link.

3 How do I improve the streaming performance?

3.1 You can play media content in Media Player but the stream sometimes stops, stutters or displays "buffering"?
The amount of information that can travel along the average telephone line is limited.  Current streaming technology makes best efforts not to lose this information and holds or 'buffers' it until the line is clear to receive further information, which is why there is sometimes a stuttering or delaying effect when receiving a stream.

Telephone line problems normally increase at slower Internet connection speeds.  Things that can cause a slower Internet connection are adverse weather conditions, the number of people on the Internet, the number of people using your Internet Service Provider or the quality of your computer or phone lines.

You may have better luck logging off the Internet and then logging back on (as this may give you a better connection).

What else can I do?

You can also check for the latest updates for your video card driver and DirectX by visiting http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

Testing your media player.

You can test the media content by using the Mplayer2.exe program.  To start Mplayer2, click Start, click Run, type mplayer2, and click OK.  If MPlayer2 can correctly play the media, check for network and performance configuration issues in Windows Media Player.

To change the buffer setting, try these steps:

1. Start Windows Media Player.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
3. In the Options dialog box, click the Performance tab.
4. In the Network Buffering section, click Buffer and then add 30 seconds (60 seconds is the maximum).  This may improve playback, but increasing the buffer causes the system to wait longer before starting to play streaming media while the player fills the buffer.

For more information, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Q307650  Problems streaming content with the Windows Media Player.
Q257535  Changing the proxy and buffer settings in Windows Media Player.

3.2 If you think the problems you are experiencing are to do with your media player.
Try visiting Windows Media Player for media player specific FAQ’s.

3.3 How can I improve the stream quality?
There are a number of simple steps that can improve the quality of your Broadband TV experience.

a  Playing the correct Stream:

The quality of stream largely depends on the connection speed you receive from your Internet Service Provider.  We provide stream on a number of different quality options.  Please choose the option that matches your connection.

Please do not choose a stream quality higher than your connection.

b  Ensure Player is set correctly:

Windows Media Player for PC.

a. Open Windows Media Player and choose the 'Tools' Menu. (If you have WMP 10 you may need to click the arrow in the top right hand corner to see this option)
b. Select 'Options'.
c. Choose the 'Performance' Tab.
d. Ensure 'Detect Connection Speed' is set.
e. Ensure 'Use Default Buffering' is set.
f. Click 'OK'.

Windows Media Player for MAC.

a. Open Windows Media Player and open the 'Windows Media Player' menu.
b. Select 'Preferences'.
c. In 'Network Settings', ensure 'Use Default Buffering' is set.
d. In 'Connection', ensure that the connection speed chosen matches the speed of your Internet connection.
c. Save bandwidth.

Other programs and windows you have open will sap bandwidth from the stream.

a. Please try launching the stream as a detached player (click 'Use detached player' and then hit 'Play') again.
b. Close as many other Internet windows or 'peer to peer' programs as possible.
c. Close as many applications in your service tray (bottom right corner of screen) as possible to conserve memory.
d. Limitations of broadband

Please remember that broadband connections are shared by location.  This is due to what is known as the "contention ratio".  If many people in your area also have the same product then you may be sharing the same connection with them.  For these reasons it may be necessary to sometimes attempt to view clips at a lower quality than you would like.

3.4 My streams are opening in a program other than Windows Media Player.  How can I resolve this?
This problem will be resolved by associating your WMV and WMA files to Windows Media Player.

To do this:

1. Click your computers Start menu.
2. Choose 'Settings' - 'Control Panel'
3. Open the 'Folder Options' icon.
4. Check the 'File Types' Tab.
5. Scroll down to extensions ASX, ASF, WM, WMA, WMP, WMV and WMX.
6. Ensure all are associated with Windows Media Player.

4 I’m at the office or on a home network and can’t connect.

4.1 I’m on a network and I can’t see or hear the stream.
If you are connecting to the Internet via a network, you may have problems viewing the broadband TV stream.  This is probably due to the security settings of your corporate firewall.

To overcome this you will need to contact your network administrator and direct them to the following Microsoft Support Page: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/info/smart404.asp?404

This will give them details on how to adjust the security settings to allow a Microsoft Windows Media stream through.  This will allow you to see the stream as well as many other Microsoft Windows Media Streams from other web sites.

4.2 I am having difficulty streaming through a firewall.
There are several methods that your players can use to connect to our servers when streaming video clips or live coverage.  This is in order to adapt to the differing ways you may be connected to the Internet.

If you are at work or generally having problems streaming, we recommend you manually configure your players to "HTTP streaming". 

Please note, if you are still having problems following this advice, it is possible that your firewall has been configured in such a way as to completely block streams.  In this instance, you will need to contact your network administrator to change the setting to allow the stream through.

5 Other questions.

5.1 Why do you broadcast only in Windows Media?
We have chosen Windows Media to standardize and streamline our Web development process.

Windows Media player is available to download for:

Windows PC’s.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/Download/default.asp

Macintosh.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=75ee2b64-5184-422a-91b6-20eed03e6175&DisplayLang=en

Macintosh OS X.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1e974157-5031-4ac6-840a-6e07547b6aeb&DisplayLang=en

5.2 I live overseas and it tells me the service is unavailable in my country.
The service may not be available in your country.  Broadcasters often only have the right to broadcast in certain countries.  You may find the service barred for this reason.

Or

Certain Windows Media Players do not have the correct individualisation level set.  We require that Windows Media Players are individualised to 2.2.  Please select the link below to play an encrypted clip which will hopefully trigger the individualisation update process and update your licence and allow you to access the site.  Click OK when it asks if you want to accept the update.

5.3 Why can I play content from some sites but not others?
Your computer may be behind a firewall that has not had the appropriate ports opened for use with our provider services.

However, if a server has HTTP streaming enabled, Windows Media Player can take advantage of its protocol rollover capabilities and receive the file through HTTP instead of the typical (and optimal) streaming protocols.  This is why you can receive content from some sites but not others.  For the best quality and consistent results, encourage your administrator to open the appropriate ports on the firewall to permit streaming.

Other issues that might prevent you from being able to play the content include:

The media may not be created in a supported format.

Or

You may not have access to the appropriate codec that is required to playback the file.

For additional information about specific file formats, visit the Windows Media Player FAQ’s.

For more information, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

Q234019  Windows Media Player Invalid File Format Error Message.

Q283673  How to enable or disable Internet connection firewall in XP.

Q230687  Error message: Unable to download an appropriate decompressor.

Q291948  Windows Media Player for Windows XP supported codecs.

5.4 Other Error Messages.

Unable to access this media; you may not be connected to the network.

You have encountered WMP error, error= C00D10B5 - no other help is available.

This is a known error with Windows Media Player.
Please see Microsoft KB Article: Q272487 for help with resolving this issue.

Windows Media Player cannot find the specified file. 

Be sure the path is typed correctly.  If it is, the file does not exist in the specified location, or the computer where the file is stored is offline.

This is a known error with Windows Media Player.
Please see Microsoft KB Article: Q303275 for help with resolving this issue.

The proxy did not receive a timely response while attempting to contact the media server. 

This is a known error with Windows Media Player.
Please see Microsoft KB Article: Q309339 for help with resolving this issue.

Cannot play back the video stream; no suitable decompressor could be found.
Unable to download an appropriate decompressor.

This is a known error with Windows Media Player.

Please see Microsoft KB Article: Q297752 for help with resolving this issue.

Disclaimer: Information TV takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the answers in this FAQ section.  It would encourage users to seek appropriate professional technical advice.