To open up your firewall to accept streaming content, refer your network administrator to the Firewalls page on the Real Networks FAQ index. The Real Player will try several ways to connect to the Internet, even when behind a firewall. You should have a minimum configuration of a 28.8kbs modem and a Pentium 100 Personal Computer to view this webcast. RealPlayer uses varying configurations depending upon the firewall setup. Go to RealPlayer for more information.
Packet loss occurs when information is unable to successfully travel from one server to another.
Previous RealPlayers have interpreted lost information as rebuffering, hissing, crackles, and skips. In the newer RealSystems, the RealEncoder creates streams of varying bandwidths. When a RealPlayer connects to a RealServer serving the variable bandwidth content, the server detects the Player's connection speed and sends the best stream possible for that connection. As the Player's connection changes due to packet loss, the RealServer sends lower bandwidth streams. This causes a difference in the audio quality, but eliminates the rebuffering, hissing, crackles, and skips.