Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

Please make a choice from the following list of records...

Question	Last Updated	Hits
What is my username and password?	4/1/2011 - 10:04:37 AM	159523
I just added a class that uses Catalyst. When can I login?	5/11/2010 - 04:52:51 PM	143271
Classes haven't started. When can I login?	5/11/2010 - 04:54:14 PM	133969
How do I login to etudes? (Foothill College)	5/11/2010 - 04:56:33 PM	121272
Where can I find my instructor's email address?	5/11/2010 - 04:55:03 PM	120999
The video streams don't work; what can I do?	4/16/2012 - 11:11:55 AM	109499
I'm having trouble with online registration and/or MyPortal!	1/5/2012 - 09:16:04 AM	106283
Which web browsers are supported? Do I have to use Firefox?	5/11/2010 - 04:57:25 PM	106154
How do I "whitelist" emails from deanza.edu?	5/11/2010 - 04:58:24 PM	79448

Q: The video streams don't work; what can I do?

If your course uses the standard Quicktime streams...

Quicktime Videostreaming Help:

Q: What browser works best with the Quicktime Videostreams?
A: All web browsers support the embedded Quicktime videostreams, but some browsers are more responsive during active viewing. We have found that Apple's Safari web browser appears to offer the quickest response to the user during viewing. We have also noticed that some versions of Firefox on Mac OS X can freeze up.

Q: How do I know if I have Quicktime on my computer?
A: Many computers ship with Quicktime pre-intalled. If you have an Apple Macintosh or a windows machine with iTunes, you have Quicktime installed already.

Q: How do I get Quicktime installed on my computer?
A: If you use an Apple Macintosh computer, you already have Quicktime installed by default. It should "just work" with no additional work required on your part. If you use a Windows computer and you have not already installed either Quicktime or iTunes (which also installs Quicktime), please visit the Quicktime Download page at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ to download Quicktime. If you uncheck the "Keep me up to date" toggle, you do not need to use an email address to complete the download. The "Free Download" is all that is required - you do NOT need to puchase the $29.99 upgrade to Quicktime Pro.

Q: Something broke while I was watching a video, and now I don't get the audio (or video, or captions). What can I do?
A: To resolve missing media problems, please clear your Quicktime cache.
Close your web browser, and then perform the steps for your type of operating system:

Clearing the Quicktime Cache on Windows:
1) Launch the Quicktime Application via the Start menu.
2) From the Edit Menu, select Preferences->Quicktime Preferences.
3) At the top of the window, choose the "Advanced" tab.
4) Under the "Download Cache" heading, click on the button labeled "Empty Cache."
5) Optional: For advanced users, you can also adjust the cache size here, but be sure to click the "Apply" button if you do so.
6) Restart your browser

Clearing the Quicktime Cache on an Apple Macintosh (pre-10.7):
1) Click on the Finder option in your Dock.
2) Under "Places" select your account (probably the first option).
3) Go to Library -> Caches, and drag the "Quicktime" folder to the trash can.
4) Restart your web browser

Clearing the Quicktime Cache on an Apple Macintosh (10.7 and later):
1) Click on the Finder option in your Dock, or click on your desktop, to show the Finder menu.
2) Under the "Go" menu, select "Go to Folder...", a Finder window will appear with a dialog box.
3) Enter "~/Library" into the text field and submit with the "Go" button.
4) Go to Library -> Caches, and drag the "Quicktime" folder to the trash can.
5) Restart your web browser.

Q: How do I configure Quicktime to work with RTSP streams?
A: For most users, you should not need to adjust the Quicktime settings. However, if another video play is configured to handle RTSP streams, you may need to manually modify these Quicktime settings. Please open Quicktime and go to the Settings menu option. Locate the file association labeled "Streaming Video, RTSP" and make sure there's a check mark next to it.

Q: I tried to do something and Firefox just stopped working! What did I do wrong?
A: Firefox on the Mac has been shown to hang while attemping to view Quicktime Videostreams. If you experience this error, please try a different browser.

Q: I keep getting a "security warning" in Internet Explorer about "Secure Content," is this safe?
A: This message usually indicates there is unencrypted content on an encrypted page. This error showed up occasionally in the past when a user had modified their security settings manually to be more restrictive. Please use the contact information at the bottom of this FAQ to send us a note so we can help you troubleshoot this error.

Q: The web page isn't working for me, how can I view the videos in Quicktime directly?
A: Under the "Now playing" notice on every page is a set of two links: one for medium quality, and one for high quality. To open a video in Quicktime....

Right-click on either the medium or high quality links and select "copy link" or "copy shortcut" (depending on whether you are using Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer).
Launch Quicktime directly (Quicktime can be found under the "Start" menu on Windows or in the "Applications" folder on a Macintosh.
In Quicktime, select File -> Open URL and paste in the coppied link.
Press the "OK" button.

NOTE: QTSS does not support the streaming of Closed Caption data, If you use Quicktime Player without the web interface, you will be unable to view syncronized captions while watching the videos.

Q: Any time I move my mouse the video windows changes to a big green box. What's going on?
A: Some users of Firefox with the Noscript plug-in installed have reported this error. The only work-arounds at this time are using a different browser, not moving the mouse over the image or, disabling the Noscript plug-in.

Q: Why does the caption text not line up with the audio?
A: The caption text you are viewing is pulled from television close captions, which are historically a few seconds delayed. We are aware this is not conducive to video search, and we are working to more accurately syncronize the text.

Q: Why does the video start and stop a lot?
A: If you do not have enough bandwidth available on your Internet connect, the video may appear to "studder" or pause and rebuffer frequently. If this happens, you may need to use a lower bandwidth stream or turn off other services on your network that require a lot of bandwidth (for example: Netflix downloads, other users on Youtube, bittorrent, etc).

Q: The captions don't work; the system just says "preparing captions" but the video never starts.
A: This error usually means your computer is unable to connect to the caption server and the video simultaneously; it typically occures when bandwidth is limited. If this is the case, you may need to use a lower bandwidth stream or turn off other services on your network that require a lot of bandwidth (for example: Netflix downloads, other users on Youtube, bittorrent, etc).

Q: HELP! I tried everything above and none of it worked! What do I do now?
A: First, please reboot and see if that resolves the issue. In about 70% of the cases we have tested, this will resolve the issue. If that doesn't work, please use the tech support system identified below. We'll need to know the following to help you most effectively:
* Your operating system (Windows XP, Mac OS 10.5, etc)
* Your brower (Firefox 3.6.2, IE 7, Safari 4.0.4, etc)
* Problem description, including any error messages you may be receiving.
* If we require additional information, screen captures are incredibly helpful. On windows you can take a screen capture with control-printscreen, then paste the picture into an email. On Macintosh computers, you can use Command-shift-3, then attach the "Screen shot" file that appears on your Desktop.

You may request technical support via the standard tech support request at http://catalysthelp.deanza.edu/

If your course uses Real Player streams instead of Quicktime streams...

Real Player is required to view these files. Real Player is a free download, and is available for both Windows and Mac OS computers. To download the free player, go to http://www.real.com/realplayer. You can verify your computer is able to view the streams on De Anza's server by clicking on the following URL: Test Video Clip. Additional help may be found on the real.com website help page.

Video Stream Frequently Asked Questions:

If you have trouble viewing the video streams, please review the videostream FAQ below.

Q: When will the reviews be viewable?
A: The reviews for courses that are streamed are usually available within 1 to 2 days of the on-campus review session. If the review does not appear to be available at that time, feel free to Contact Us and we'll make sure it gets up as soon as possible.

Q: Can I download these video streams?
A: Unfortunately, the streaming videos are are not available to be downloaded to your computer. As part of the license agreement we have with our content providers, we must ensure that course content is protected. You may be interested to know that some courses may have DVDs or video tapes available in the Open Media Lab for checkout. Check your course syllabus for more information.

Q: Can I watch these on Dish(tm)?
A: Unfortunately, due to the high cost of airtime we are unable to offer courses via satellite providers. We do however offer online video streams for some televised courses. Please check the Schedule of Classes or Course Syllabus to see if your course has a streaming component. You may also want to check your computer's compatibility at http://distance.deanza.fhda.edu/streams/ as well.

Q: I'm getting a "Timeout" error. What can I do?
A: Generally this is caused by one of four things:
1. Hardware DSL or Cable ROUTER/FIREWALL configuration issues. Your router/firewall will need to be configured properly to run streaming video.
2. Software firewall / personal security software. Software firewalls must be configured to allow real.exe two-way access to the internet.
3. Corporate firewall blocking. Corporate local area networks (LANs) or commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often use a firewall or proxy to limit traffic and protect their users' computers from unauthorized access. If these ports are specifically restricted by your firewall, you will need to configure your Connection Preferences to use your firewall’s settings.
4. Pop-up blocker or anti-spyware/malware/virus/trojan software issues. These types of programs will often cause the real program to not function properly by preventing it from sending date to (or in some cases receiving data from) the internet.

Real.com has more on-line help available for troubleshooting these kinds of errors. You can visit their page at:
http://service.real.com/realplayer/streamhelp/

Q: On my Mac, the video area is black with a play button icon. When I use the play button, the video runs in Real Player with mixed success and the slides may or may not display in separate windows.
A: This can happen in Apple Mac computers with the Firefox or Safari web browser. You need to set your browser to 32-bit mode:

If an icon for your browser is in your dock:
1) Log out of Catalyst and quit the browser and Real Player if they are running
2) Put the cursor over the browser icon, hold down the Control key, and single click on the icon. That should bring up a contextual menu
3) Click on Options | Show in Finder
That should reveal and select the application in the Applications folder
4) Click on File | Get Info
5) Click the checkbox to Open in 32-bit mode
6) Close the Get Info box

If the browser icon is not in your dock:
1) Log out of Catalyst and quit Firefox and Real Player if they are running
2) Get to the Mac desktop (you can click on the blue Macintosh face in the dock or click on the desktop background)
3) Click on File | New Finder Window
4) In the left column, click on the Applications folder
If there is no Applications folder there, look for it by clicking on the Macintosh HD icon, then the Applications folder
5) Click once on the Firefox icon
6) Click on File | Get Info
7) Click the checkbox to Open in 32-bit mode
8) Close the Get Info box

Restart the browser and try accessing the lectures again. You'll notice that even the older presentations work better, without the need to run in a separate RealPlayer window.

Q: Nothing is working! What can I do?
A: Here are some questions which may help us isolate the problem.

1. Are you able to view other streams? Can you view this real audio/video stream at real.com:
http://service.real.com/learnnav/testrams/realvideo10_256.ram

2. Can you view a different stream on our server, such as:
rtsp://dastream1.fhda.edu/deanza.rm

If you are not able to view any streams, it's likely that you have either:

a. A configuration issue on your computer keeping you from playing these files.
b. A firewall or other router blocking access to realplayer files.

If 'a' is the case, it likely means your computer has pop-up blocking, software firewall or spam-blocking software enabled. Try disabling all of these kinds of programs and then see if you can access any of the files. If there is another computer on the same network, you may want to try accessing the files from that computer also. You may also need to change RealPlayer's RTSP preference settings (see real.com's help page for more information on these settings).

To trouble shoot the firewall or router issue (b above), please go to the Distance Learning page at: http://distance.deanza.fhda.edu/streams/ and click on each of the port links at the end of the first paragraph. If all of them say "Success" then you likely do not have a firewall/router issue. If you get an error viewing these pages, you will need to contact your network administrator and ask that you be given access to these ports to view your courses.

3. Are you getting any kind of numeric error code?'

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