What is Windows Media Player?

Windows Media Player is a free video program made by Microsoft that is already installed on many PC's. Windows Media Player can play live internet video streams, display closed captions and display Windows Media Videos that are embedded in web pages. It can also play internet videos that you have downloaded to your hard drive. If you need to download or update Windows Media Player, click here. There are also versions of Windows Media Player available for Mac users, but they usually will not play videos that are embedded in the content of a web site.

Can I view the video archives using Firefox?

Yes. When you view archived pages using Firefox you will be able to see the embedded video, and use the agenda to skip to the different segments of the video, but you will not be able to watch the closed captions unless you double click on your video player to make it take up the full screen. If you need to download Firefox 3, click here.

How do I turn the Closed Captions on in my chosen video player?

For Windows Media Player users

• Turn on captions by performing the following steps:
  • Press Alt+P to activate the Play menu (this hotkey combination will work even if the application menu is not visible)
  • Select Captions and Subtitles
  • Select On if Available

  Note: In version 10, the above steps can be executed with a single hotkey combination: Ctrl+Shift+C.

• In version 10, an additional step is required because Windows Media Player's security settings block the display of captions by default. To assure that the display of captions is permitted, perform the following steps:
  • Press Alt+T to activate the Tools menu (this hotkey combination will work even if the application menu is not visible)
  • Select Options
  • Select the Security tab
  • Check the box beside "Show local captions when present"
  • Select OK

For Real Player users

• In the Windows version, select Tools > Preferences from the menu bar.
• In the Mac version, select Real One Player  > Preferences from the menu bar.
• Several Preferences categories appear in the left column. From these categories, select Content .
• Under Content , there is a section titled Accessibility , which includes two checkboxes, one for toggling captions, and one for toggling descriptive audio. Check the box toggling captions.

Can I view live video using a Mac?

Yes. You will first need to have the Flip4Mac installed. There will always be a link that allows you to open video in default media player. When you click this link your computer will decide what media player to use, and open it up automatically.