Video Issues for IronmanLIVE® coverage

Some solutions to common video problems

In order to view Windows Media content, particularly the live webcasts, you will need Windows Media Player. We recommend always using the latest version; for Windows Vista or XP users, this would be version 11; other platforms will need to use Windows Media 9.

A list of links to the latest versions for various platforms follows:

• Windows Vista/XP:
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx
• Windows 98 SE/ME/2000:
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/player.aspx
• Mac OS X:
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/mac/mp9/default.aspx
• Mac OS X (alternate; Flip4Mac for QT):
  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/wmcomponents.mspx

Problems: Mac OS X

There are two ways to play Windows Media content on Mac OS X: via Microsoft's Windows Media Player 9 for Mac OS/X or via Windows Media® Components for QuickTime, by Flip4Mac™, which will allow you to play Windows Media files directly in QuickTime Player and view Windows Media content on the Internet using a Web browser. Either solution should work, but if you have difficulties with one, we suggest trying the other. Links to both are given in the list above.

Problems: Windows Vista (32-bit)

There are some reports of problems when using Windows Media Player 11 on the 32-bit (consumer) version of Microsoft Windows Vista. Evidently some users cannot connect to a live Windows Media stream and/or may only receive audio, but no video. One reported fix for this is to go to Control panel Internet Options Connections LAN settings (or, or in Internet Explorer: Tools Internet Options Connections LAN settings), and ensure that the "Auto detect (proxy) settings" option is CHECKED. Another suggestion we've seen reported is to ensure that Windows Media Player is set as your default media player (see Control Panel Default Programs Set Your Default Programs and/or Control Panel Default Programs Set Program Access and Computer Defaults).

Additional information and suggestions on this issue are available here: http://www.tipandtrick.net/2008/solution-to-windows-media-player-11-wmp11-cannot-stream-and-play-mms-media-protocol-in-vista/

However, if all else fails, you may simply want to try playing the video in an alternate media player such as VLC: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Problems: Other

If you have problems not covered by the above, you can try emailing us at webcast@ironman.com Keep in mind, however, that if you email us on race day, we may not be able to respond until after the race is complete, so you'll definitely want to try the suggestions above first!