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What if I cannot download Real Player?

There are several potential causes for this. The following Real Player website article offers several different potential solutions for you to try. Go to article. If you receive a "server not available" or similar error, the network may be experiencing technical difficulties. If you try again at a later time and continue to get the same error message, you may have firewalls or proxies blocking your download. The following article offers fixes for this situation Go to article

How do I make Real Player my universal or default player? (not necessary to view LPE Learning Center webcasts)

If you download and install a fresh copy of Real Player, you should be able to select it as your universal or default player during the installation process. If you installed another media player (after you installed Real Player) that overrode those settings, or you installed Real Player without selecting it as a default, the following article will help you configure Real Player as the default player. Go to article.

How do I keep my current media player as default but configure Real Player to open when connecting to LPE Learning Center webcast files?

You can do this by associating .ram files (the LPELC webcast file format) with Real Player. Use your Windows Start button, go to Settings==>Control Panel==>Folder Options==>File Types and either select or create the RAM extension and "Open With" (or “Change”) and select Real Player from the list. Make sure the “Always use the selected program…” box is checked.

What if nothing happens when I click on the test connection, archived webcast or live webcast?

NRCS Staff often need to use this procedure to connect to Real Player webcasts (or a process very similar to this).

If you click on the link and Real Player does not open or does not play the webcast, there is a procedure you can use to open the stream. Test this procedure on one of the archived webcasts to see if it works for you:

• Open Real Player (Start, Programs)
• When the Player opens, go to This Example Archive
• Select a webcast or segment and RIGHT Click on the link then select "Open in New Window"
• When the new window opens, right click on the URL (address), then select Copy.
• Go to the Real Player screen, Select File, Open Location
• Where it says “Enter a URL to view”, RIGHT click on the address space, and hit Paste to overwrite it, then hit Open. You should then be able to begin the webcast.

(Thanks to the Maine NRCS staff for discovering this!)

What if Real Player appears to be “connecting” or “loading” but never actually opens the stream?

For some users, Real Player is not set to automatically begin playing a stream. Try clicking on the play button to see if that begins the playback. For some users, security settings or firewall software may block the stream. The following article offers configuration solutions you can make in your Real Player software to allow the stream. Go to article (try solutions 2 and 3 first).

Another article related to personal firewall software or corporate firewalls can be found at: Go to firewall article. To implement changes in this article, you may need to work with your IT staff, internet service provider or computer support staff.

What if Real Player tells me it “cannot connect to server” or similar error message?

If you experience these problems with only one particular website, it is possible that site is experiencing temporary technical difficulties, or that your own internet service provider or network is experiencing exceptionally high traffic levels. If you have this problem with several (or all) websites where you try to connect to media streams, it is possible that Real Player may need to be reconfigured to allow the stream. Follow the steps in the following article: Go to article.

What if Windows says it can’t recognize the file type?

Possible causes of this problem include:

1. You do not have Real Player installed on your computer. Go to http://www.real.com to download a free version of Real Player and be sure to complete the entire installation process.
2. It may be that a different media player (other than Real Player) is trying to open the stream. Only Real Player can correctly read the LPE Learning Center webcast files. You can associate .ram files with Real Player by going to the Windows Start button, go to Settings==>Control Panel==>Folder Options==>File Types and either select or create the RAM extension and "Open With" (or “Change”) and select Real Player from the list. Make sure the “Always use the selected program…” box is checked.

What if I cannot connect when using Netscape?

There are known compatibility issues when using Netscape to access Real Player streams. Information about how to configure Netscape to correctly open Real Player files can be found at: Go to article. Alternatively, you can use Internet Explorer to visit the LPE Learning Center web page and access the links instead.

What if Real Player displays an invalid page fault, crashes, or shows distorted video?

It may be that video settings or video drivers on your computer may need to be reconfigured. Go to article...

What if the video is poor quality or fuzzy?

There are different steps you can try to improve video quality on your screen. One of the first is to make the Real Player playback window smaller. It is possible that high network traffic is affecting your playback, to determine if that is the case, please see the following article. Go to article. If that does not appear to be the problem, try some of the solutions in the following article.

What if Real Player freezes during the webcast?

This can be caused by a number of issues, please see the following article for steps you can take to solve the situation: Go to article.

What if I can see the presentation, but there is no sound?

First check and make sure that your computer sound is not set to mute or set too low. If that does not fix the problem, view this article.

What if I am experiencing poor quality sound?

There are a number of issues that may be related. View this article for possible solutions.

Can I connect on a dial-up (or other slower speed) connection?

Yes, but you may experience poor/jerky video quality and pauses in the playback as Real Player buffers the stream.

What if nothing in these FAQs fits my situation?

Contact Real Player customer support. They have phone, email or live chat support to assist in solving issues. Contact Information.