BACKGROUND INFO (Read this so you know what I'm talking about later on)

Here's the deal: Most of the time, online RealVideo files are "streaming". What this means is that you click the video link, and the video data starts flowing ("streaming") from the website and playing as it goes along. However, nothing is stored permanently on your computer's hard drive. So if you want to watch the video again, you MUST be connected to the Internet so that the video can "stream" from the source again. We do things a little differently at this website. Here, the RealVideo file is transferred completely to your computer BEFORE it plays (as opposed to streaming, where the video plays WHILE it is being transferred). The benefit of this is that once you have the video on your computer, you can play it at any time without having to connect to the Internet and be subject to all the speed and connection problems that is associated with it. It also allows me to make higher quality videos. The downside is that the initial file transfer can take a long time.

Simple, right? Now for instructions and solutions to problems:

* IF YOU GET JUMBLED TEXT WHEN YOU CLICK THE VIDEO LINKS OR DON'T KNOW HOW TO DOWNLOAD A FILE.

If you get meaningless text when you click the .RM links, or you are unfamiliar with downloading files onto your computer, this is how you correct the problem/download the video:

  • 1) Click the video link using your RIGHT (as opposed to left) mouse button. A menu will pop-up.

  • 2) One of the choices should be "save link as" or "save as" or something to that effect. Choose it.

  • 3) You then will be asked to choose where you want to save the file on your hard disk (you can also change the file name you want to save it as). Make your choices and then choose "SAVE" or "okay" and away you go.

  • 4) The video should then be downloading properly to your hard disk. After it has completed, start up your realvideo player and open the file from wherever you saved it on your HD. Enjoy!

PLEASE NOTE: If you simply click the link with your left mouse button like most Internet links, it might also work. Just like the above process, the video is downloaded to your computer and then Realvideo plays the file. HOWEVER, since you did not choose the location, the video will be saved in a "hidden" temporary directory somewhere on your computer. This is obviously a problem if you wish to find it again afterwards. So, please use the other method listed above.

(Second Note: All of this info is based on the PC version of Netscape. The process should be similar for Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape on Macs.)

 
*IF YOU'VE DOWNLOADED THE FILE PROPERLY, BUT REALPLAYER WON'T PLAY THEM PROPERLY OR AT ALL.

USE GETRIGHT! For some mysterious reason, some browsers will seem to download the videos correctly (even if you've followed the directions above), but end up saving the videos as some sort of ascii files. This is not the right format obviously, and thus the videos will not play on your realplayer software. Getright intervenes before your browser, and ensures the file is downloaded properly. This has worked for many people. The non-streaming (.rm) JET LI videos are known to cause playback problems when downloaded without some sort of download recovery utility like Getright. Note that some download manager/recovery utilities (eg. Gozilla) should also work, but others (eg, Filehound) may not.

Programs like Getright are also useful because it can resume interrupted downloads without having to start all over again. When you consider the size of the files on here, that's a good thing. So, I repeat, use GETRIGHT!

March 17, 1999: MAC USERS! "Monica" is a Mac program that essentially performs the same functions as Getright does for the PC. Some Mac users have confirmed that it does indeed corrects the downloading problems. Please go to http://tucows.op9.com to get it. (Thanks to Marguerite for the heads up!)

July 20, 1998: At least one person using a Getright-clone called "FileHound" has experienced downloading problems which magically disappeared when he switched over to Getright. So, I repeat, USE GETRIGHT! Click here to get it.

* Finally, this one probably doesn't matter, but don't save the files directly into your Realplayer folder/directory. Save it to another directory, then run Realplayer and load the files.

* If you're still having problems, please let me know. -Kevin