Quicktime Troubleshooting FAQ

Below are the most common solutions for people who have had trouble viewing streamed QuickTime movies...

  1. I have Quicktime installed on my computer, but I can't view the videos. Why?

  2. I've installed the latest QT plug-in, but I still don't get the video. Now what?

  3. I've tried the first two solutions in this FAQ and I still don't see the video.

  4. I get an error that says that I am not permitted to view the video. Why?

  5. Why do the videos play very choppy often times with no sound?

  6. I get video but no sound on my Mac when I try to play a video from the streaming server. My system sounds and other audio work fine. Why don't I get sound from QT movies?

  7. I get an error that says "Unsupported Media Type" or "Disconnected" when I try to play it from the streaming server, but the video plays fine on my computer before I upload it. What's going on here?

  8. When I try to upload a video, it gives me an error stating that no media was uploaded. Why is this happening?

  9. I accidentally deleted one of my videos from the streaming server. Can I have it restored from backup?

  10. Can I download videos from the streaming server to use in my account?

  11. The person who owns the video on the streaming server has left the university or is no longer available. How can I get access to the video I want to use?

  12. My problem was not listed here. How can I get help?





  1. I have Quicktime installed on my computer, but I can't view the videos. Why?

    Get the latest QuickTime plugin from http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download. This most often solves people's problems.

  2. I've installed the latest QT plug-in, but I still don't get the video. Now what?

    Once you have the latest plugin installed, if you still do not see the videos, or you get only either the sound or the video and not both, check your mime settings to make sure they are set properly for streaming video. Sometimes other movie players will take over as the default plugin for streaming video.

    On Windows you can check your mime settings by opening your QuickTime Player and under the Edit menu, select Preferences --> QuickTime Preferences..., then click the File Types tab at the top. Make sure the top checkbox next to Streaming - Streaming movies is checked. If it was not, check it and click the Apply button. You must then restart your computer to make the changes occur.

    QT for Windows Preferences settings

    On Mac computers, open your QuickTime Player and under the QuickTime Player menu, select QuickTime Preferences..., then click the Advanced tab at the top of the preferences window. Then click the MIME Settings... button. Make sure the checkbox next to Streaming - Streaming movies is checked, and that both SDP and RTSP are checked. If not, check them and click the OK button. You will need to restart your browser to make the changes take affect.

    3. QT for Mac Preferences settings

  3. I've tried the first two solutions in this FAQ and I still don't see the video.

    If you are still not getting video, it may be that you are behind a firewall or that your computer's built-in firewall is enabled. If this is the case, you should still be able to view the videos, but you will have to wait until the video downloads enough to display. This could take some time with larger movies. You may notice the QT Player will say "Switching transport modes". This means that the video could not get through via normal streaming channels and is switching methods. It should eventually play. Your other option would be to temporarily turn off your comptuer's built-in firewall until you are done watching the videos and/or try to access the videos from a location or computer that is not behind a firewall. Any of the computer labs on campus should be able to display the videos.

  4. I get an error that says that I am not permitted to view the video. Why?

    You are not on the access list to view the videos. If this is the case, you will get an error message after login that says:

    "You (xyz123) do not have access to the video you requested (moviename.mov). If you believe you reached this page in error please contact streaming@psu.edu."

    Please notify your instructor that you are not included on the access list. Your instructor may have neglected to or not have properly set the permissions for each video.

  5. Why do the videos play very choppy often times with no sound?

    You may not be getting enough bandwidth throughput to your computer. For example, if you are trying to view the videos with a 56k modem connection, you may not see anything. Or, if you are "piggybacking" your connection from someone else's connection, you may not be getting sufficient bandwidth to view the videos. You should try to get a direct connection to the Internet if that is the case. The other problem could be that the video was saved at a data rate that is too high and will not play smoothly. Content producers should make sure videos are saved to the following encoding specifications for best results for most connection speeds (DSL and above).

  6. I get video but no sound on my Mac when I try to play a video from the streaming server. My system sounds and other audio work fine. Why don't I get sound from QT movies?

    Mac users (OS 10.3 or later) may run into an issue where they see the video, but don't get any sound. This could be caused by another application that has changed the default audio setting to a higher range. The system sounds will work, but QT audio will not. The solution is to open Audio MIDI Setup (/Applications/Utilities/), then check the Audio Output setting. Change the Audio Output to 44100.0 Hz, then quit Audio MIDI Setup. This sometimes occurs after recording audio.

  7. I get an error that says "Unsupported Media Type" or "Disconnected" when I try to play it from the streaming server, but the video plays fine on my computer before I upload it. What's going on here?

    If a movie is not saved with a "hinted" track for streaming, it will not stream in the browser. An error of "unsupported media type" or "disconnected" may appear in the QT player plugin within the browser. The movie must be deleted from the server and a hinted track added to the movie. This can be done using QuickTime Player Pro. Export it from QuickTime Player Pro as "Movie to Hinted Movie", then re-upload it to the server.

  8. When I try to upload a video, it gives me an error stating that no media was uploaded. Why is this happening?

    If you are getting errors when you upload a movie to the streaming server, make sure you do not have apostrophes, spaces, or some other non-alphanumeric character in the file name before uploading. It is okay to use these when filling out the Title field in the upload form, but they cannot be in the actual name of the file as it resides on your computer.

  9. I accidentally deleted one of my videos from the streaming server. Can I have it restored from backup?

    It would be a good practice to keep a backup copy of your media files locally in case you accidentally delete a file from the server or wish to make edits to a file. Media files uploaded to the PSU Streaming Video Server are backed up once nightly. If the movie was deleted the same day that it was uploaded, the automated backup system would not have had a chance to backup the file. If a movie that was deleted was backed up over night, then it might be possible to recover the file, if the following guidelines are followed:

    • You notify the streaming server team as soon as possible after the file was deleted. The sooner that we are notified, the better the chance of recovering the file(s). Movies that were deleted will be stored in our backup systems for up to 30 days, but then after, they're no longer recoverable.
    • Provide the userid that uploaded the file, the filename if possible, and the date and time when it was uploaded. Please note that the userid should be the userid that uploaded the file, not a proxy userid, etc.
    • Please allow up 1 week for the recovery process.

  10. Can I download videos from the streaming server to use in my account?

    No. Streamed videos cannot be downloaded from the streaming server. This is how we prevent unauthorized access to videos. Otherwise they could be downloaded and distributed illegally. To get movies from the streaming server, you will need to contact and ask them to manually download them for you.

    • Provide the userid that uploaded the file and the filename if possible.

  11. The person who owns the video on the streaming server has left the university or is no longer available. How can I get access to the video I want to use?

    You will need to contact and ask them to manually download them for you so you can upload them into your account.

    • Provide the userid that uploaded the file and the filename if possible.