The audio and video on this web site needs Flash Player 6.0 or higher and RealPlayer to operate correctly. Real Networks's Basic Realplayer can be downloaded here for free. The most current Flash Player can be downloaded here.
 
This site is constantly being updated. We intent to convert most media files to Macromedia Flash player soon. I f you find any problems, please email us: media support.
 
Here are suggestions from Real Networks if you are having trouble with streaming audio or video in your Real player. We recommend making only one change at a time to help you to tune in better.

Test your connection speed.

• On the RealPlayer, pull down the "Tools" menu.
• Select "Preferences" (the last choice on the menu).
• Under Category, click Connection.
• Click Test Connection, then Perform Test to determine your current connection speed.
• Click Update to set your minimum bandwidth preference.
• Click "OK" and restart the Multimedia stream.

Use the Minimum Resources

• This helps on some older and slower machines.
• Stop using or disable TurboPlay,
• On the RealPlayer, pull down the "Tools" menu.
• Select "Preferences" (the last choice on the menu).
• Click on the "General" Tab.
• Click on the "Playback Settings" Tab.
• Uncheck the box on the bottom labeled "Enable TurboPlay".
• Click "OK" and restart the Multimedia stream.

Adjust your system's volume

• For Windows users, adjust the volume using the control on the task bar.
• For Mac users, click on Control Panel, Monitors and Sound and adjust the volume there.

If the audio and video sounds too fast, too slow, scratchy, or distorted change the Performance settings in the Player.

• On the RealPlayer, pull down the "Tools" menu.
• Select "Preferences" (the last choice on the menu).
• Select Hardware.
• On the Playback Performance choose "Lowest CPU Usage".
• If an audio issue, on the Sound Card Compatibility, click the Settings button.
• Click either "Disable 16-bit sound" or "Disable custom sampling rates" to modify the way your player and sound card interface. You may need to play with the settings to see which sounds best. Also on Playback Quality you can choose "Most Reliable".
• Click "OK".
• If a video issue, on the bottom Video Card Compatibility choose "Most Reliable".
• Click "OK" and restart the Multimedia stream.

RealPlayer says "Net Congestion" or "Rebuffering", while the audio and/or video break up making it impossible to listen or view.
Here are some causes to "Net Congestion":

• Bad connection to your ISP - Poor connection to the Internet. Try disconnecting and redialing your connection to the Internet. Sometimes this will give you a better connection.
• Surfing the Web while listening to Audio - Viewing a Web page with lots of graphics, you may not have enough capacity to simultaneously listen to RealAudio or RealVideo. Click the Stop button on your web browser and see if the RealAudio or Video gets better.
• Traffic On The Internet - Like commuting on your local highways, traffic on the Internet is subject to traffic jams. When things are busy on the Internet, part of the audio and video information can be lost. When too much information is lost, the RealPlayer will have trouble playing audio or displaying video, and the RealPlayer will display a message indicating "Net Congestion." Try re-clicking on the link, this may help establish a better connection to the server.

When error messages appear on your screen.

• "The connection to the server could not be established."
  This is due to traffic bottleneck. Try clicking on the link again. It may clear the problem.
• "Error 14 File Not Found" or "Requested File Not Found".
  Please email us: media support

Play the clip when the network and Internet are less busy.

• If you are unable to play the clip after trying these suggestions, try connecting to the clip at a different time.

Supported media types by RealPlayer.
RealPlayer Basic, RealPlayer Plus and RealOne support all media types. Previous versions of RealPlayer and RealPlayer Plus support a limited amount of media types. As new products appear, RealNetworks stops support of legacy and historic products. Although some old versions might play your media content, it is recommended that you upgrade to a supported version.

AOL users having trouble listening to audio/video links
Go to this link http://forms.real.com/service/kb/index.html and in the 'Please select a search category:' box, choose Real Player and hit the 'Select' button. On the 'Please select the version of your RealPlayer: box,' select the real player version that you are currently using. Next, on the 'Please describe your problem in English:' box, type AOL and finally, hit the 'Submit' button. This will bring up some issues that relate to using AOL.

If you are continuing to have problems, specifically on animated pages, you may want to try the option of viewing the animation using the Real Player window. That choice is available if you see a link that says "In Real Player." Network congestion may also cause animation to play in unexpected ways. If you you have tried all the above options, and the animated pages are not playing correctly, you may try viewing the page again later.

This page was last updated February 7, 2008.