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Technical Troubleshooting FAQ

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1. Which Media Player do I need to play media on MLSnet.com?

To listen to live and archive game feeds, you need the Windows Media Player installed on your computer.

2. How do I download and install the Windows Media Player?

  1. Go to www.microsoft.com.
  2. On the left, click on Downloads.
  3. On the left, click on Windows Media.
  4. From the list of downloads, select the Windows Media Player Series 9 for your operating system.
  5. On the right, click on the Download button.
  6. After the download, open the installer (MPSetup.exe) and complete the installation.

3. What are the optimal configurations for my media player?

For the Windows Media Player Series 9, use the following configurations:

  1. Pull down the Tools menu of your Windows Media Player (or right-click on the embedded video screen) and select Options.
  2. In the Player tab, be sure the "Download Codecs Automatically" box is checked.
  3. Also, be sure the "Connect to the Internet (overrides other commands)" box is checked.
  4. In the Performance tab, select Detect Connection Speed (recommended).
  5. Below in Network Buffering, check the Default Buffering (recommended) option .
  6. Select the Network tab.
  7. Uncheck the top two Streaming Protocol circles: Multicast and UDP. Leave TCP and HTTP checked. (You can also try and uncheck TCP.)
  8. Below in the Streaming Protocols section, click on the HTTP protocol.
  9. Click Configure.
  10. Change the Proxy Setting to Do Not Use a Proxy Server.
  11. Click OK to the Configure Protocol window.
  12. Click Apply.
  13. Click OK to the Options window.

DISCLAIMER REGARDING CHANGING YOUR COMPUTER'S CONFIGURATION: Changing configurations of your computer is done at your own risk. In no event shall SOE or any other MLS entity be responsible or liable for any damage, failure, interruption or error to your computer and/or software or operating system with respect to any changes made based on the above suggested configurations.

4. How do I clear my cache, delete Temporary Internet files, Delete Cookies and/or Clear History on my browser?

If you are having difficulty accessing MLSnet.com, then you should clean out your browser. If you receive a "Page Cannot Be Displayed" or a similar error, deleting cache, Temporary Internet files and history on your browser should solve the problem. Here is how to clean the most popular browsers supported by MLSnet.com:

  1. Internet Explorer Version 6
    1. Pull down the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
    2. Click Delete Files. (Click OK to the Delete Files window.)
    3. Click Delete Cookies. (Click OK to the Delete Cookies window.)
    4. Click Clear History. (Click Yes to the next window.)
    5. Click OK.

  2. Netscape 7.1
    1. Pull down the Edit menu and select Preferences.
    2. On the left, open the Navigator submenu and select the History category.
    3. On the right, click on Clear History.
    4. On the left, open the Advanced submenu and select the Cache category.
    5. On the right, click on Clear Cache.
    6. On the left, open the Privacy and Security submenu and select the Cookies category.
    7. Click on the Manage Stored Cookies button.
    8. In the list of cookies, highlight a cookie and then click Remove Cookie (or click Remove All Cookies).
    9. Click Close.
    10. Click OK.

  3. Safari on Mac
    1. Pull down the Safari menu and select Empty Cache. (Click Empty to the ensuing window.)
    2. Pull down the Safari menu and select Preferences.
    3. Select the Securities category.
    4. Click Show Cookies.
    5. In the list of cookies, highlight a cookie and then click Remove Individual Cookie.
    6. Click OK.

  4. Netscape 7.1 on Mac
    1. Pull down the Netscape menu and select Preferences.
    2. On the left, open the Navigator submenu and select the History category.
    3. On the right, click on Clear History.
    4. On the left, open the Advanced submenu and select the Cache category.
    5. On the right, click on Clear Cache.
    6. On the left, open the Privacy and Security submenu and select the Cookies category.
    7. Click on the Manage Stored Cookies button.
    8. In the list of cookies, highlight a cookie and then click Remove Cookie (or click Remove All Cookies).
    9. Click Close.
    10. Click OK.

Also, we recommend that you always type "www.mlsnet.com" directly into the address box of your browser, as opposed to using favorites or bookmarks.

5. I know I need to enable cookies for MLSnet.com to function properly. How do I enable cookies on my browser?

  1. Internet Explorer Version 6
    1. Pull down the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
    2. In the Privacy tab, slide the bar on the left down.
    3. Recommended setting is Accept All Cookies or Low.

  2. Netscape 7.1
    1. Pull down the Edit menu and select Preferences.
    2. On the left, open the Privacy & Security category and select Cookies.
    3. Recommended setting is Enable All Cookies or Enable Cookies Based on Privacy Settings.
    4. If Enable Cookies Based on Privacy Settings is select, click View and set the Level of Privacy to Low or Medium.

  3. Safari on Mac
    1. Pull down the Safari menu and select Preferences.
    2. Select the Security tab.
    3. Recommended cookie setting is Always or Only From Sites You Navigate To.

  4. Netscape 7.1 on Mac
    1. Pull down the Netscape menu and select Preferences.
    2. On the left, open the Privacy & Security category and select Cookies.
    3. Recommended setting is Enable All Cookies or Enable Cookies Based on Privacy Settings.
    4. If Enable Cookies Based on Privacy Settings is select, click View and set the Level of Privacy to Low or Medium.

6. I am using Firefox as my browser and viewing older Archived games with Windows Media Player and am having trouble seeing the video, or the video disappears when I access controls within the player. How can I stop this from happening?

Unfortunately there is an existing issue when using Firefox and Windows Media Player that may impact video playback based on certain configurations.

This issue is referenced here (link to here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_Media_Player#Video_is_invisible_or_disappears_when_you_click_a_control).

To improve your viewing experience, we recommend that you do the following:

  1. When the player is active, right-click on it and select "Options..."
  2. At the bottom of the window should be a "Video Acceleration" option. Change it from full to half by moving the slider.
  3. Select "Apply" to confirm this change.

7. Can I access MLSnet.com audio and video on a Macintosh?

Yes, MLSnet.com audio and video will work on Macintosh OS 9 and OS X (all versions).

8. How can I improve the quality of my video feed?

When playing an MLSLIVE.TV live or archive game, if the media player continues to buffer or reconnect or shows only a frame-by-frame "choppy" feed, then there may a problem with the bandwidth. Our broadcasts are streamed at 350Kbps and your bandwidth must be consistently pulling 350Kbps to receive a high-quality video feed.

First, test your bandwidth. For an accurate reading, use a reliable bandwidth-testing website (such as http://tech.msn.com/downloads/speedtest.armx). Bandwidths continually fluctuate, so perform three or more tests. Again, the recommended bandwidth for video is 400K and above. A user connecting below 400K may get the video, but will likely experience choppy feeds. If you are not consistently testing above 400K, you may want to contact your Internet Service Provider.

Note: MLSnet.com does not support any specific bandwidth-testing website. Please see Disclaimer above, regarding changing your computer's configuration.

Second, be sure your Windows Media Player bandwidth is set properly.

  1. Right click on the video screen and select Options.
  2. Click on the Performance tab.
  3. Set the Connection Speed to the appropriate value as per your diagnostic test.

Third, clean out your browser cache by deleting Temporary Internet files and Clearing History as detailed in FAQ #8.

Lastly, if the above troubleshooting steps do not improve the quality of the feed, heavy Internet traffic may be the problem.

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