What software do I need to play back audio and video?

If multimedia content is featured on this product, the most common format will be Adobe Flash.

While we make every attempt at providing multimedia in cross-platform formats, we cannot guarantee that the files will play in every configuration. In addition, some files may be supplied by the original author in a format that cannot easily be converted. These files will be provided "as-is" on this product.

Why doesn't anything happen when I click on a link to audio or video?

Most products use a Javascript pop-up to play media in a new window.

• If you have Javascript turned off, you will need to enable it.
• If you have a pop-up blocker installed, you will either need to disable it temporarily or add this product to its list of "allowed" sites. Your pop-up blocker software should have documentation on how to do this.

Can I play a Windows Media file on my Mac?

There is a free QuickTime plug-in called Flip4Mac that can play many Windows Media formats. You can get the plug-in from Microsoft's Windows Media® Components for QuickTime page.

Why is my video playback poor or "choppy"?

Quality video playback is very dependent on several factors:

• The speed of your computer's processor
  Video requires fast computers (PCs with processors over 2 GHz or Macintosh computers over 1 GHz).
• The speed of the delivery system
  For best video playback, a fast (8x speed CD-ROM/DVD-ROM player or faster) is recommended. If you are viewing video from over the Internet, the faster your connection, the better your speed will be.
• The speed of the media
  If this product is on media other than CD or DVD (such as a USB drive), the speed of the media itself is a major factor.
• The size and amount of compression
  This is usually determined by the video's author.

Do I need to pay for the full version of QuickTime?

No, you do not need to upgrade to QuickTime Pro in order to use multimedia on this product.

If you need QuickTime to play back multimedia content, you may be prompted occasionally to upgrade to the Pro version (though never more than once per day). The Pro version gives you more options for editing and saving QuickTime multimedia in different formats. As QuickTime is provided free of charge by Apple Computer, the upgrade message cannot be disabled or removed.

I can play a sound or video, but I don't hear anything.

Your computer needs the appropriate hardware in order to play audio. All Macintosh computers ship with basic audio hardware, but not all Windows computers do. If you know you have a sound card or other audio hardware, check if your volume settings are off or set too low. Mac users should make sure the Mute box is unchecked in the Sound preference panel (Mac OS X).