fire-stream

Fire-stream is available through weekly access or annual subscription. Once you have purchased access, you will receive your access codes by email. Log in using your user key and password.

In the 'My videos' tab, your subscription will appear, listing the videos that you are entitled to view.

Click on the 'View' button to stream the video; or right-click on the 'Download' button and save the file to your desktop or network. Downloading the files can take several minutes, but you will only need to do it once during the subscription period.

If you let us know your IP address(es) for your workplace when you subscribe to fire-stream, your staff can access video downloads without neededing to log in. Simply download the video(s) to a shared server or intranet and any employee in your organisation who uses the IP address specified will be able to access the video download straightaway.

If you need to access a video download at a location where you may not have internet access then don't worry - we have a solution for you too. Download the video from fire-stream to your laptop in advance of your visit to that location, and you will be able to view the video dowload four times before being required to log in (and need internet access) again.

PLEASE READ IT REQUIREMENTS BELOW BEFORE PURCHASING OR ACCESSING VIDEOS.

How can I buy access to the videos?

There are different purchase options depending on how many videos you'd like to view, how many users will be viewing them, and the length of time you would like the videos to be available. To find the best option for you, click on this button and follow the steps.

How to buy

What are the IT requirements for streaming or downloading?

You will need the latest version of Windows Media Player (WMP). Please ensure that any other media players set as default on your system are disabled.

Download the latest WMP security patch before streaming/downloading for the first time: http://drmlicense.one.microsoft.com/Indivsite/en/indivit.asp?force=1

Videos are streamed at multi-bit rates so they should adapt according to the power of your servers; however please be aware that streaming uses bandwidth and it is advisable to check with your IT department to ensure that multiple users streaming simultaneously will be manageable. Videos being streamed will buffer initially - and they will buffer during the programme if your bandwidth is not strong enough (this can occur when multiple users are streaming the same video).

Downloading the videos is a straightforward option, should streaming not suit your IT set-up. Please note that, especially for the longer programmes, downloads can take several minutes. However, download only needs to take place once. Access to the internet is required for the initial download, and briefly at the beginning of each view in order to retrieve the DRM licence - see below - after which the video can be viewed offline. Downloading may the best option if you want to view videos repeatedly, as the file can be downloaded to your network and accessed by multiple users without impacting internet bandwidth use.

Downloads are protected by WMP digital rights management (DRM). The DRM licence is accessed each time a video is streamed OR viewed from a download, so wherever you save the download, it will retrieve a licence on each viewing. Fire-stream will collect statistics on all user viewings.

Users should only need to log in once to fire-stream, however if using Windows Vista or Windows 7, users may be asked to log in for each viewing (WMP single sign on does not work with these versions).

Where can I get the latest version of Windows Media Player?

Just click here and follow the installation instructions.

How do I know if my version of Windows Media Player is the latest version?

In Windows, click on Start and then Run. Enter "wmplayer" and press ENTER. Windows Media Player will start if you have it installed. Click on Help and About Windows Media Player. The version will be displayed. Be certain that you have version 7 or higher. Otherwise, click on the Windows Media Player icon above to install.

My video won't play. What should I do?

Right click on the black video screen. If "Error Details" is enabled, you have an error. If the error seems to be that the file is not found, you are not connecting to the Internet properly. A likely problem is a Firewall Problem. Speak to your IT team who will control firewall settings.

If you are NOT using Media Player version 9 or greater, your problem may well be that the codec (decompression) software is not current. To update your Media Player to the current codec software, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/format/codecdownload.aspx to download the proper updates for your version of Media Player.

If you are using Mozilla Firefox, make sure you have the current version of the Mozilla Firefox plug-in for Media Player which will fix problems such as a) the video will not play, b) the video quality is poor, c) the bookmarking feature does not work, and more. To install the Mozilla Firefox plug-in for Windows XP and Vista, go to http://port25.technet.com/pages/windows-media-player-firefox-plugin-download.aspx

What are the proper Media Player network settings for me?

The answer depends upon your Internet firewall.

There are three methods of streaming video; 1) RTSP real time streaming protocol, 2) MMS Microsoft Media Server protocol, and 3) HTTP. The server is configured to try RTSP first, then MMS, then HTTP.

In your Windows Media Player, click on tools and then options. Click on the Network tab. The default settings are probably the best. There should be check marks for UDP, TCP and HTTP.

However, if your network uses a Proxy Server, additional settings are needed. For each of the three protocols, you can set the proxy settings to your proxy server.

Is my Internet connection fast enough to stream?

Your connection speed is important and your speed is dependent upon others who share your connection. We find that you will need about 300Kbps for medium quality (320x240) and 900Kbps for high quality (720x480) video. For example, if your organisation has a T1 line, you have a 1400Kbps speed connection; but, if there are others using this connection then you will not be using the entire speed. You share with others making your effective speed lower.

Try the Speed Test to check your download connection speed.

What if the colour doesn't look right?

The videos will look best if you are using 32 bit colour if at all possible. Otherwise, use the highest colour setting available with your video card. On your desktop, right click and go to Properties. Then, Settings.

I am not getting sound from the videos. What could be causing this?

Verify that sound is working properly on your computer. Click here to play the Microsoft sound test. If this does not play, you need to verify all of your sound settings and possibly have your computer serviced.

How can I correct ragged and uneven video?

This is the result of a slow computer or a slow Internet connection. You may be using a high quality (high resolution) video which your computer just can not handle. Or, your Internet connection is overcommitted with traffic from other users.

What is a codec and do I need any special ones?

A codec is software for translating the video and audio to what you see and hear. If Media Player senses that it needs codec software to play a video, it will be downloaded from the Microsoft site automatically (you may be asked to confirm the download).

If you are NOT using Media Player version 9 or greater, your problem may well be that the codec (decompression) software is not current. To update your Media Player to the current codec software, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/format/codecdownload.aspx to download the proper updates for your version of Media Player.

I get poor quality or excessive buffering or freezing while "buffering", "waiting", or "connecting".

This may be caused by some cable or digital subscriber line (DSL) modems that use Network Address Translation (NAT). Some NAT devices do not properly forward UDP packets. A similar behaviour may be caused by personal firewall software.

To resolve this problem, make sure that UDP protocol is disabled for the Windows Media Player on the client computer. If UDP protocol is disabled, the player connects to streaming content through TCP or HTTP.

To disable the UDP protocol, follow these steps in the Windows Media Player:

On the Tools menu, click Options.
Click the Network tab.
Under Protocols, clear UDP

Does my computer meet minimum hardware and software requirements?

Windows XP with Service Pack 2, or Vista
Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher; or Firefox 2 or higher
Media Player version 10 or higher
1.2 GHz processor
512 MB RAM
sound and video capability
an active broadband connection to the Internet

Streaming troubleshooting

Step one: Are you working on a local network? If not, go to step two. In this step, you need to determine if the issue is with your PC or common to all PCs on your network. Go to one or two other PCs in your group. Are you able to stream on the other machines?

If other computers are working fine, you should try to download a new version of Media Player.

Step two: It could be that your network is blocking certain "protocols"; change your Media Player settings to a basic protocol. Click on Start, then All Programs, and then Windows Media Player. Do you see the menu at the top with File, View, Play, Tools? If not, right click on the Windows Media Player icon at the very top, left of the window. Click on Tools and then Options. Click on the Network tab. Uncheck the check boxes that says "RTSP". Verify that the check box that says "HTTP" is checked. Click on OK. Now, try to do the medium resolution test again. Does it now work?

Step three: Right click on the black video screen. If "Error Details" is enabled, you have an error. If the error is the file is not found, you are not connecting to the Internet properly. This could be a problem with a proxy server if you have one, or this could be another problem with your Internet connectivity. See your local support people for assistance.

Does my local company network inhibit my playing of streaming media?

Possible issue one: Your local network could inhibit the UDP protocol or the RTSP ports?Let's change your Media Player settings to a basic protocol. Click on Start, then All Programs, and then Windows Media Player. Do you see the menu at the top with File, View, Play, Tools? If not, right click on the Windows Media Player icon at the very top, left of the window. Click on Tools and then Options. Click on the Network tab. Uncheck the check boxes that says "RTSP". Verify that the check box that says "HTTP" is checked. Click on OK. Now, try to do the Medium Resolution test again.

Possible issue two: Your IT people could configure the firewall to trap and discard video. If this is the case, there is nothing that you can do other than to contact the IT folks to find out if this is being done. They may be able to open up the firewall to the fire-stream service without compromising any security that they might have in mind. Ask them.

What is meant by "DRM"?

DRM is a Digital Rights Management scheme developed by Microsoft to protect video and audio from unauthorized and illegal usage. Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a platform to protect and securely deliver content for playback on computers. Content providers can deliver videos and other digital media content over the Internet in a protected, encrypted file format. These files can be either streamed or downloaded to the consumer's computer.

When video is played using fire-stream, the video is streamed to your computer to be played by Microsoft Media Player. Media Player will detect that the video is protected. It first looks for a play licence in the DRM repository on your PC. If not found, Media Player will contact the fire-stream servers over the Internet to download the play licence to your PC. Once this is complete, the video will play.

Did you receive a message saying "A Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) component encountered a problem"?

If you are running an early version of Windows Vista and in particular a beta version, you should upgrade to the commercially released version of Vista.

I received a message saying "You do not have the rights to play this file".

If you receive that message, you need to change your Media Player options.

Open Media Player. Click on Start, Programs and then Windows Media Player.
Click on Tools, Options and then click on the Privacy tab. Check the "Download usage rights automatically when I play or sync a file". This must be checked. Then, click on OK. Note: this setting is being changed back to its original default setting.
Try playing the content again.

I get an Error C00D2762 "Unable to contact the server for the requested operation".

This is caused by a Group Policy Setting in your Windows registry. You may need to discuss this with your IT folks as they may be setting this policy for their own reasons. This registry setting turns off the ability of Media Player to acquire play licences.

Apparently internet access for windows media player was switched off in the registry. The solution is to change your registry setting. Use RegEdit and find the following key. Change the value from 1 to zero; alternately, the entire registry key can be deleted.

The key to be modified is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WMDRM\DisableOnline set to 0 (to acquire licences).

Already got a login key?

Click login on the panel above to access your videos now.

Click through to download a short presentation to help you convince budget holders that fire-stream is an invaluable resource for your organisation.

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