FAQs | Getting Started | Troubleshooting *
IPTV FAQ
- What is IPTV?
- IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. It’s television that uses Brown’s data network to send programming to your computer in the residence halls. In addition to the entertainment channels provided in the dorms, course instructors can use it to make video materials (movies, clips, etc.) available to their students. A partnership of Campus Life, the Dean of the College, UCS, and CIS brought this service to Brown.
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- Which Brown facilities have IPTV access?
- IPTV can only be accessed from residential halls on the Brown campus.
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- The Video Furnace Viewer is confusing. What do all those buttons do?
- After you select a channel logo icon in the Channel Guide, the Video Furnace Viewer loads and video controls appear in the "dashboard." This "dashboard" is divided into five sections:
TV/On Guide: At the far left of the Viewer is a TV button that toggles between Guide view and full-window mode. There is an identical button under the Guide view preview screen. In Guide view, the Viewer window displays text listings of IPTV channels currently playing. (Think of it as “IPTV Guide.”) When Guide view is off, IPTV appears in full-window mode and the button reads On Guide.
Channel controls: To the right of the TV button, on the left side of the dashboard, are controls that change the channel being displayed. Clicking either the plus or minus above the CH button incrementally raises or lowers the channel. Clicking the CH button changes the current channel to the most recently viewed station.
Station logo: The logo of the station being viewed is displayed in the upper left corner of the dashboard.
Volume controls: The slider to the right of the station logo controls the volume directly, allowing for larger changes in sound levels. Clicking the speaker icon mutes the sound. Selecting this icon again returns the volume to its previous level.
Play/Stop: On the far left of the dashboard are the Play/Stop (triangle/square) buttons. Clicking the Play or Stop button starts and stops the video.
Information (lowercase "i"): Located in the middle of the dashboard, below the volume slider, is the information button ("i"). Clicking the Information button displays various status messages.Back to top
- What are some shortcuts for IPTV?
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Keyboard shortcuts for IPTV*
In the Dashboard Guide View, users can toggle between the channel list and the program list, and then use the arrow keys to move up and down either list. Program descriptions are available under the Channel Program Guide.
Watch IPTV: Ctrl + G
Volume Up/Down: Crtl + (left/right arrows)
Change channel: Crtl + (up/down arrows)
Mute: Ctrl + M
Closed Captioning 1: Ctrl + H
Closed Captioning 2: Ctrl + Shift + H
Dashboard: Crtl + D
Adjust video screen keyboard shortcuts*
Minimize: Ctrl + 0
Thumbnail: Crtl + T
Small Screen: Ctrl + 1
Medium Screen: Ctrl + 2
Large Screen: Ctrl + 3
Full Screen: Alt + Enter
* Macintosh users must use the "command" key rather than the "control" (Ctrl) or Alt key.Back to top
- I can barely see IPTV. Why is my Video Furnace Viewer so small?
- To view IPTV in full-window mode, click the TV button in the upper left corner of the program guide window. To
increase the size of the Video Furnace Viewer, drag the lower right
corner of the viewer to the desired width/height. If you right-click
(Windows) or control-click (Macintosh) on the Viewer, a menu with
pre-defined viewer sizes appears. The largest size is equivalent
to full screen on a PC and full screen with menu bar on a Mac.
You can also toggle between the views by pressing Cmd-G (Mac) or Ctrl-G (Linux). In Guide view, right-click (Linux) or Ctrl-click (Mac) to display a contextual menu that allows switching to Live view.Back to top
- I have multiple monitors. Can I use IPTV?
- If your computer has multiple monitors attached, you may experience strange behaviors if you attempt to place the Video Furnace Viewer on a display other than the primary one. You may not even be able to move the window to a non-primary display. Microsoft has discontinued Windows-level support of multiple monitors, and driver-level support varies widely among video card manufacturers.
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- My system meets the minimum requirements, but IPTV still suffers from poor video quality. Why?
- If your computer is running other applications besides the Web browser and the Video Furnace Viewer, there may not be sufficient processor power available for smooth video performance. If you experience a blocky picture, low frame rates, discoloration, or a jerky picture, try closing all background applications.
The second most common cause of poor video quality is out-of-date video drivers. Video drivers determine how video card hardware is utilized by operating systems and applications. Be sure you are running the latest version of the drivers for your video card.
Windows 2000/XP users can check their drivers by right-clicking the My Computer icon, selecting the Hardware tab, then selecting Device Manager. In the Device Manager, your video card will appear below the Display Adapter listing. Right-click on your video card and select Properties. From this menu, select the driver tab and write down the Driver Provider, Driver Date, and Driver Version of your video driver. The Driver Provider is the company that makes the driver for your video card. By visiting their Web site, you should be able to find the most recent driver they have released for your video card. If the release date or version number of the newest driver is more recent than your current driver, consider updating to the newest driver.
Windows users should also check to see if the latest version of DirectX is installed. DirectX is software that instructs video cards how to display 2D and 3D graphics. You can find information on your version of DirectX in the Windows control panel. Consult Microsoft's DirectX Web site for upgrade information and the latest versions of DirectX.Back to top
- Can I record an IPTV show on my computer to watch at a later time?
- This service is not currently available.
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- Can I use VPN (Virtual Private Network) to connect to Brown's network and use IPTV?
- No. To use IPTV, you must be on the Brown campus and connected to the network in one of the residential halls.
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- Can I use IPTV through a hub/router/firewall?
- A personal firewall is the name given to a software application that attempts to restrict unsolicited access to your computer. Today there are many software products that offer firewalling capability for Windows, MAC, and Unix based systems. Firewalls work by enforcing a set of rules, sometimes referred to as a security policy. The simplest and most common rule for an average workstation is, "Don't allow a computer to talk to my computer unless I have talked to that computer first." This rule requires that your computer initiate any communication it has with any other computer or server on the Internet.
Running a personal firewall is a recommended practice to help secure your computer from Internet threats such as viruses and worms.
Windows XP users who have downloaded Service Pack 2 (SP2) and have administrator rights do not have to make any modifications to their firewall settings for IPTV to work. The Video Furnance Viewer allows the player to automatically interact with Windows XP's SP 2's built in firewall Application Program Interface (API).
For Windows XP users who have not upgraded to Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP has a built-in personal firewall that is turned off by default. If you have not enabled this feature and have no additional firewall software, IPTV should not be blocked.
For all other users with a personal firewall enabled such as Zone Alarm, Black Ice, or an enabled Windows XP's built-in firewall, you will need to configure it to allow IPTV. The specific steps to do this vary from product to product, but in each case rules must be created that allow data traffic with a source IP address of 138.16.63.0 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.128 to the destination ports 7000 and 7070.
The built-in Windows XP firewall currently only offers the ability to create rules that open or close a specific port without the ability to filter on IP addresses. As such, the following rules will allow access to IPTV.Description: IPTV - Channel Guide
Windows XP has a built-in personal firewall that is turned off by default. If you have not enabled this feature and have no additional firewall software, IPTV should not be blocked.
IP Address: 127.0.0.1
External Port: 7000
Internal Port: 7000
Protocol: UDP
Description: IPTV - Video Streams
IP Address: 127.0.0.1
External Port: 7070
Internal Port: 7070
Protocol: UDPBack to top
- Why is IPTV now using mono mode instead of stereo mode for sound?
- Mono mode is being used because implementing stereo
would require additional bandwidth and could affect performance.
An upgrade to stereo will be considered at a later date.
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- How can I search for a particular program?
- To search for a particular program you must first select the channel that you wish to search, then type a specific program title into the search field located above the program guide. It will then search that channel's program lineup and descriptions. You will see the results displayed at the top of the channel's program lineup. Only the channel selected will be searched.
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- Will IPTV provide closed captioning?
- Closed captioning is available within IPTV for programs that offer it. Hold down the control key (Ctrl) and the "H" key. For programs with a second language option (e.g., Spanish), hold down the control key, the shift key, and the "H" key.
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- Will there ever be times we can't access IPTV due to server maintenance?
- Yes, occasionally. Maintenance will normally be scheduled from 6:00 a.m.- 8:00 a.m. on weekdays. You will notified of any scheduled maintenance.
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Getting Started
If you have additional questions or comments after you read this documentation, please call the Help Desk at 863-HELP.
- How do I enable IPTV on my computer?
- I have an older computer. Will it run IPTV?
- I use Netscape on a Mac. Why won't IPTV work on my computer?
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- How do I enable IPTV on my computer?
- Your computer must have a working network adapter card (NIC) and be connected to the campus network in a residence hall with IPTV activated. In addition, you need either Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or
Netscape Communicator installed with the latest Java libraries. Almost all systems purchased within the last few years come with this software pre-installed and will be "IPTV enabled" as soon as they are connected to the network.
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- I have an older computer. Will it run IPTV?
- A computer must meet certain minimum system requirements to run IPTV. If your system does not meet these requirements, IPTV may malfunction or not run at all. The minimum requirements are:
Windows 2000/XP:
Pentium III or Celeron CPU (or equivalent), 750Mhz
Java Virtual Machine
Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher, or Netscape Communicator
Mac OS X 10.1.5 (10.2x preferred):
PowerPC G4, 533MHz or faster
OpenGL-capable video card (ATI Rage 128 or Radeon, any nVidia card)
Safari, Firefox, and Mozilla are the preferred browsers
RedHat (Intel) Linux 7.3:
Intel PIII 850MHz processor
24-bit graphics enabled
Properly configured and enabled audio card/module
Mozilla v0.9.9/v1.2a with Java Plug-in (i.e., v1.3) enabledBack to top
- I use Netscape on a Mac. Why won't IPTV work on my computer?
- Currently, IPTV is not enabled for Netscape on the Mac. Safari, Firefox, and Mozilla are the preferred browsers.
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Troubleshooting
My computer meets the minimum requirements and I'm connected in a residence hall, so...
- Why does it take so long for IPTV to display on my computer?
- Why does the Video Furnace Viewer display "Waiting for Broadcast," "Tuning In," "Connecting," or "Retrieving guide data," and then do nothing?
- Why is the Video Furnace Viewer showing only static or a blue screen?
- Why does my cursor flash or disappear during playback? (Windows only)
- Why does it sometimes take a while for the video and audio to start up again when I click Stop, then Play?
- How long should it take for video to start playing after I select a channel?
- Why does IPTV not look exactly like regular TV?
- (Windows only:) Sometimes my browser crashes instead of loading IPTV, or the Java applet will load but nothing happens. Why?
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- Why does it take so long for IPTV to display on my computer?
- Be sure you have the latest version of your Web browser and the latest video card drivers for your computer. You also need the latest version of Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This is available from the following sites:
- Microsoft Java Virtual Machine
- Macintosh Runtime for Java (Mac OS 9)
- Sun VM for Windows
- If you are running Windows XP and need a JVM, Microsoft recommends installing SP1 for Windows XP. See http://www.microsoft.com/java/xp.htm and http://www.microsoft.com/java/.
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- Why does the Video Furnace Viewer display “Waiting for Broadcast,” “Tuning In,” “Connecting,” or “Retrieving guide data,” and then do nothing?
- Your machine has a problem receiving multicast traffic. Multicast is the video distribution technology used by Brown to broadcast IPTV. If you encounter one of these messages but IPTV never begins streaming, you may have a software issue that prevents IPTV from being downloaded to your system.
Multiple Network Interfaces: You may encounter problems if your computer is configured to use several different connections to the Internet--if you have a wireless card, for example. Disable settings for non-essential connections (i.e. network bridges) and try opening IPTV again.
Firewalls: If your computer has a personal firewall such as Zone Alarm or Black Ice installed and configured to “Block Internet Servers,” you cannot receive IPTV, even if you are multicast enabled. Firewalls limit the ability of other network users to send you data, making it impossible for you to retrieve IPTV video streams.
To enable IPTV on a system with a firewall, you can either remove the software by going to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs (Windows), or reconfigure the firewall program to “Allow Internet Servers” in an option menu. Your firewall must be configured to allow the IP address of 138.16.63.0 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.128 to the destination ports 7000 and 7070
Windows XP has a built-in personal firewall that is turned off by default. If you have not enabled this feature and have no additional firewall software, IPTV should not be blocked.
Windows XP users who have downloaded Service Pack 2 (SP2) and have administrator rights do not have to make any modifications to their firewall settings for IPTV to work. The player automatically interacts with Windows XP's SP 2's built in firewall Application Program Interface (API).
For Windows XP users who have not upgraded to Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP has a built-in personal firewall that is turned off by default. If you have not enabled this feature and have no additional firewall software, IPTV should not be blocked.
NAT Routers: If you are behind a NAT (Network Address Translation) router, you will probably not be able to receive multicast traffic. This should not concern students in residence halls unless they have brought their own networking equipment to campus.Back to top
- Why is the Video Furnace Viewer showing only static or a blue screen?
- If you see nothing in the Video Furnace Viewer
window but solid blue or plain static, this indicates that Brown has
probably lost the television signal from our provider. Click the
“i” in the top right corner of the viewing screen to see
if this is the case. Be assured that the content provider is working
to restore the system as quickly as possible. In the meantime, please
be patient and try viewing again later.
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- Why does my cursor flash or disappear during playback? (Windows only)
- In some cases, current Windows video drivers will
cause mouse pointers to flicker or disappear when the IPTV Viewer
is running. If this happens, try changing the properties of your
mouse pointer in the control panel to “Normal pointer”
and turn off the Enable pointer shadow option. These options
can be found by navigating to the control panel (clicking the Start
Menu > Settings > Control Panel), selecting the mouse icon,
then clicking the Pointers tab.
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- Why does it sometimes take a while for the video and audio to restart when I click Stop, then Play?
- Your computer has to leave and rejoin the multicast
group for that channel, and there is buffering of the video as well.
This may result in a slight delay.
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- How long should it take for video to start playing after I select a channel?
- After selecting an IPTV channel, there is a slight
pause before video begins to play. If the video hasn't appeared
in 30 seconds, there is a problem. It could mean your system’s
resources are being used by other applications. Close all unnecessary
programs and try to restart IPTV.
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- Why doesn't IPTV look exactly like regular TV?
- There are technical differences between regular analog video displayed on a television set and digitized video displayed on a computer monitor. The digitization process that converts the video to a digital signal can introduce fuzziness into the picture, especially around sharp edges or in areas of fast motion. This situation can be exacerbated by the fact that the dots that make up the screen (pixels) on computer monitors are rectangular, while the pixels on an analog television set are round. This effect is more pronounced on LCD (flat panel) displays than on CRT (cathode ray tube), or television, displays.
Another important reason is that standard TV screens have a resolution of approximately 460x360 pixels, whereas most computer monitors have a resolution of 1024x768 pixels or higher. As you enlarge the player window to fill your monitor, the image is stretched past its intended resolution, which amplifies “fuzziness.”Back to top
- (Windows only:) Sometimes my browser crashes instead of loading IPTV, or the Java applet will load but nothing happens. Why?
- Be sure to install all Critical Updates (http://www.windowsupdate.com). The Critical Update package includes an up-to-date Java Virtual Machine (JVM) from Microsoft which should fix this problem.
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- * Thanks to Northwestern's Information Technology department for most of the content on this page.