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Troubleshooting Streaming Video Problems

October 16, 2009 by Karen Tusack

Most of LSS streamed video is in the QuickTime streaming format.  If you cannot successfully view a streamed video, try these steps:

  1. Did you give it the correct ID and password if one is needed?  If not, you will probably be prompted for it again and again until you get them right.
  2. Make sure you have a wired connection and you are on campus.  Wireless internet connections probably will not work, nor will any computer that is off campus, even with WiscVPN.  Students should be able to view videos in their dorm rooms as long as they have a wired (ethernet) connection.
  3. Make sure you have at least version 7 of QuickTime Player: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
  4. Some older computers might not be able to handle large streaming media files.  Remember that all of our materials can be viewed in any infolab on campus and in the LSS Learning Lab (259 Van Hise Hall).
  5. Some personal firewalls can be set to block streamed media.  If you can't view a video, try temporarily disabling your personal firewall and see if it works.  If it does, you will need to configure your firewall to open up ports used for QuickTime streaming media:
    1. Personal firewalls in Windows will allow traffic by clicking "Unblock" at the prompt
      2. Mac personal firewall must allow UDP traffic
    2. Manual firewall settings: Open TCP port 554 for RTSP data.  Open ports 6970 through 6999 (inclusive) for RTP/UDP data.
  6. The screen size can be adjusted if the movie is opened using the standalone QuickTime player (not from the browser's QuickTime plugin). Open the QT Player and from the File menu choose Open URL.  Paste the URL from the movie link on the reserves page.  Enter the proper ID and password when prompted.
    1. Once the film is playing, the "View" "Fit to Screen" options will be available, or the screen can be adjusted by dragging the window. If you have Quicktime Pro you can choose "View" "Enter Full Screen Mode". 
    2. Keep in mind that the movies have been set up to play at approximately 640 x 480 pixels, so the quality will degrade somewhat when making the window size larger.
  7. Some users have reported problems viewing our streaming videos in the Social Science building.  Please contact the Social Science Computing Cooperative consultants if nothing here works and you are in that building.  Consultant email: consult@ssc.wisc.edu  Consultant Phone: 262-9917 (has voice mail for leaving messages when no consultant is on duty).
  8. If you get an error message containing language about "server configuration", please contact us at 262-1408.
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