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What
is required to view videos on Workshop Companion! |
Our
videos are streamed in Flash (.flv) format.
To view them, you
will need:
Operating
System:
Microsoft
Windows 98 Second Edition, NT, 2000, ME, XP or Vista.
If you have an
Apple, you need OS 9, 9.1, 9.2 or OS X.Media
Player:
Adobe Flash Player 9
or later (for on-demand, archived, or recorded video streams).
Click here to upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.
Browser:
Microsoft
Internet Explorer 6 or later (preferred).
Click here to upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft Internet
Explorer.
Or
Mozilla-Firefox 2 or later.
Click
here to upgrade to the latest version of Firefox.
Or Apple Safari 3.1 or later.
Click here to upgrade to
the latest version of Safari.
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Our webcasts are
currently optimized for PC users with Internet Explorer. However, Mac users on Safari should have no
trouble, provided you have a recent Adobe Flash plug-in.
If the Adobe doesn't work for you, try
SWF & FLV Player.
Some folks have reported good results with it. |
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Why
are the videos choppy or freezing? |
The quality of the
video clip you are watching mainly depends on two factors: (1) the speed of
your Internet connection and (2) the bit rate (speed) of the video clip. The
faster the bit rate of the video clip, the better the quality. However, the
speed of your Internet connection will limit which video clip bit rate that
you can watch. For example, if you only have a 56kbs dial up connection to
the Internet, the highest video clip bit rate that you will be able to watch
will be 56kbs or less (most likely less as the majority of dial-up
connections only get speeds of 28kbs or less due to phone line issues). If
you try to watch a video clip with a bit rate of 1000kbs over a dial up
connection, the video will not play -- you need at least 1000kbs. For the best viewing experience, we recommend a high
speed Internet connection such as DSL or Cable Modem.
It is important to note that even if you have a high-speed (DSL/ Cable
Modem/ T1), Internet traffic congestion affects your connection speed and/or
video performance. You will get slower or faster speeds at different times
depending on peak or off-peak use hours. You may also get slower speeds
during the morning and afternoon, but faster speeds late at night when fewer
people are online. Also, streaming quality decreases when multiple people
share the same Internet connection (e.g. at work or on a home network). |
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Why
can I hear the audio but not see the video? |
This sometimes occurs when the
speed of your Internet connection is lower than the bit rate of the video
clip you are watching. It can be caused by either (a) trying to view a video clip
whose bit rate is to high for your Internet connection or
(b) Internet traffic congestion that reduces the speed of your connection below
what it should be. For example, you have a high speed DSL or cable modem
connection to the Internet, but due to Internet congestion or shared usage,
the effective speed of your Internet connection is actually closer to a dial up connection. |
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Why
can I see the video but not hear the audio? |
Like the problem
described immediately above, this sometimes occurs when the speed of your
Internet connection is lower than the bit rate of the video clip you are
watching. However, it is more likely because (a) your speaker volume is
turned too low, or (b) the "Wave" volume in your master Volume Control panel
is set too low. Some programs (such as Real Media) control this panel and
may reset the Wave volume without you're knowing. Check your speakers first,
then bring up Volume Control by clicking the speaker icon on your toolbar
and check the Wave volume. |
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Even
though I have all the system requirements, why can't I see or hear any
videos? |
1.
Try reducing your browser's security setting. In particular, make sure that
your browser allows you to play "active content." If you use
Internet Explorer, go to Tools>Internet Options>Advanced and look in the
Security section. Place checkmarks in the boxes that refer to active
content.
2.
On some operating systems if you launch Workshop Companion videos while other audio applications
-- including but not limited to mp3 players -- are running, you may have
trouble hearing Workshop Companion sound. If this is the case, close your browser
and all audio applications. Restart your browser and enter the Workshop
Companion.
3. Our on-demand
videos are hosted on Video.Google. If you have locked your computer to
prevent children or grandchildren from watching Google videos, you won't be
able to see them.
4.
If you are using Firefox with Adblock Plus, Adblock may not allow the video
to play. Click on the down arrow next to the red stop sign marked ABP in the
upper right side of the screen. Then select the option to disable ABP for
our site. |
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To
Find Out What Version of Adobe Flash Player You Currently Have: |
1. Search your operating
system folder (/Windows) for "Flash" files. The Adobe Flash Player is
labeled "FlashUtil__." The numbers and letters in the blank spaces
will tell you the version of your player.
2.
If you need to upgrade,
click
here for the latest version of Adobe Flash Player. |
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What
does bandwidth mean and how much do I need to view Workshop Companion
videos? |
Bandwidth is a term
used to describe connection speed to the Internet. The numbers describe the
maximum Internet connection speed you have. The minimum speed required to
view streaming videos in our 400x300-pixel format is about 1000K, and a higher
number generally provides better overall quality of
streaming. To find your connection speed, you can perform a free test at
SpeedTest.net. |
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You may view our free
videos as often as you like while you are visiting our web site, but we ask
that you not copy, download, or "rip" them. We have posted this notice on
those pages that act as gateways to our videos:
Notice of Copyright:
The videos included and embedded in this web site are the copyrighted
property of Bookworks, Inc. and may not be copied, downloaded, traded,
sold, or shared without written permission of the copyright owner. This
includes copying and downloading for personal use.
There is a
misconception that the “Fair Use” doctrine incorporated into the new
copyright laws allows copying for personal use. This is not true.
Section 107 of the United States Copyright Code defines “fair use” and
offers theses examples: “…quotation of excerpts in a review or
criticism for purposes of illustration or comment; quotation of short
passages in a scholarly or technical work, for illustration or
clarification of the author's observations; use in a parody of some of
the content of the work parodied; summary of an address or article, with
brief quotations, in a news report; reproduction by a library of a
portion of a work to replace part of a damaged copy; reproduction by a
teacher or student of a small part of a work to illustrate a lesson;
reproduction of a work in legislative or judicial proceedings or
reports; incidental and fortuitous reproduction, in a newsreel or
broadcast, of a work located in the scene of an event being reported.”
Nor is copying permitted if you acknowledge the source of the copied
video. Again, Section 107 says, “Acknowledging the source of the
copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission.”
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The bottom of Workshop
Companion video viewer may appear cutoff if your computer's screen resolution
is set to 800x600 pixels or less. To adjust your screen size complete the
following steps:
1. Click the Start
button at the bottom left of your desktop.
2.
Click on Settings and Control Panel.
3.
Click on the Display icon.
4.
Click on the Settings tab.
5.
Put the mouse on top of the arrow on "Screen Area" and move it towards
"More". Choose 1024x768 pixels.
6. Click OK.
7. Click OK again on the
confirmation message. The screen will turn completely black for a few
seconds.
8. Click YES on another
confirmation message within 15 seconds, otherwise the change will not take
effect.
9. Open a browser and
return to a Workshop Companion! site.
NOTE: You can change these
settings at any time. |
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1. Click on "Google Video" in the lower right corner of the small screen.
2. Choose "Go To Google."
3. Click on the little square icon with four arrows pointing outward, in the
lower right of the screen. A full-size window will pop up.
4. To return to the small screen, close the full-size window.
5. Click on your browser's "Back" button. |
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