FAQs for Streaming

From a viewers' perspective, it's a URL link to a webpage that typically has audio, video and slides all delivered through an online connection. This can be viewed either:

•  ’As it happens’ - where participants watch your event 'live' via a web page
•   on-demand - ‘recorded’ - where participants watch via a web page after your event has happened.

BT offers a host of audio and video streaming services:

Video streaming

BT 's video streaming service can be captured via either:

• video equipment - the most popular way to capture a streamed video event
• satellite
• fibre
• onsite encoding.

Please speak with your BT account manager to discuss the right solution for you.

Audio streaming

BT’s audio streaming service is captured using standard telephone equipment.

What's included?

All standard streaming packages include the following:

• event duration - 1 hour average, can be extended - streaming begins 15 minutes prior to scheduled start time
• stream archiving for 90 days - with a defined number of times the stream can be viewed. (this can be varied with different package options)
• encoding
• a registration page - for people to register to view the stream. This can be customized and also password protected
• user reporting - contains the results of the registration page entries, list of viewers and how long they viewed the event.

Presentation package

BT’s presentation package is a chargeable option that will enhance your audio or video streaming event.

What's included?

The following is included in this package:

• PowerPoint slides - slides can be imported as PPT and are presented to viewers as static images. Animation is not currently supported. Multiple PowerPoint slides can be uploaded and selected as needed
• live, interactive Q&A - usually, if a participant types in a question, the presenter can verbally provide the answer during the Q&A session. Alternatively, the answer can be emailed back to the participant. If the event is configured such that the participant can see the answered questions, then the presenter can respond directly to the participant and every participant viewing the stream will be able to see both the question asked and the answer
• polling - allows the presenter to push a poll to the participants. A pop-up window is displayed to all participants while the presenter has the poll open. The pop-up window is closed once the participant votes, or when the presenter closes the poll. The presenter can also publish the results of the poll if they want
• corrective polling - allows the presenter to pose a question together with some potential answers during the live and on-demand event. When shown in the on-demand event, there’s an option to pause the event playback until all questions in corrective polling group have been correctly answered
• URL broadcast - the presenter can push a URL broadcast so that all participants get to see a nominated URL in a new internet explorer window. The URL can manually be entered or selected from a predefined URL list. Closing the URL broadcast will close all participant viewer windows
• Flash broadcast - the presenter can upload and broadcast a Flash file to all participants. The Flash file will be played over the slide window to all participants currently connected to the streaming event
• content indexing - on-demand indexing can be provided by presentation title slides or client-defined index and timings. Indexing is not supported by Firefox browsers
•  speaker photos - can be displayed in the video window for audio streaming calls. Multiple speaker photos can be uploaded and selected when needed.

Additional services

Including the following (additional charges apply for these services):

•  stream consultation
•  event management - custom productions
•  custom HTML work - changes can be made to registration, launch, and viewer pages
•  additional video encoding speeds

You can book a streaming event by contacting your BT account manager.

To view a streamed event, you’ll need:

•  Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista or Apple Mac OS X 10.3
•  256 MHz or faster processor
•  64 MB RAM minimum/128 MB recommended
•  65,000 (16 bit) colour video display card
•  speakers.

Internet connection

For Windows operating systems, you must have either Microsoft Internet Explorer 6+ or Firefox 1.5+. For the Mac operating systems, you must have Mozilla Firefox 1.0.4.

Browser security settings must have ActiveX and Plug-ins enabled. Please follow the steps below:

• in your internet browser window, click ‘Tool’s >> ‘Internet Options’
• Click the ‘Security Tab’ >> ‘Custom Level’ button
• Scroll down to ‘Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins’ >> select ‘Enable’
• Click ‘OK’.

You must have a streaming media player installed on your computer:

We recommend that you use Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.4 or later* to receive streaming media. Should you experience issues with your current version when viewing a stream, please upgrade to the latest version.

Miscellaneous

Using / viewing advanced features of a streamed meeting

•  You need to have JavaScript enabled to use the advanced features of a streaming webpage, which will depend on the overall streaming package you chose. Please consult your browser documentation on how to enable JavaScript or consult your network administrator
•   You need to have cookies enabled. Please consult your browser documentation on how to enable cookies or consult your network administrator
•   Your streaming webpage makes use of pop-up windows for advanced features, such as URL pushes and exit surveys. Please set your pop-up blocking software to accept popup windows from your webpage
•   You need to have ports 554 and 1755 open. If your media player is configured for port 80, you may still receive streaming media. If you can’t receive streaming media, please contact your network administrator.

Click here to test if your system can receive streaming media.

Consumed bandwidth depends upon the bit rate speed for the streamed event. Usually, this is 22 kilobits per second for an audio-only stream and 300 kilobits per second for a video stream. For viewers connected directly to the internet, this should present no problems, as each participant will have their own dedicated bandwidth. For viewers connected via an organisation’s intranet, you’ll need to consult with your IT department to make sure your network has sufficient internet / intranet bandwidth or support for streaming. For example, 1000 participants viewing a 300 kilo bit per second video stream from an organisation’s intranet will consume 300 Megabits per second unless the network has support for streaming.

Yes, provided your firewall is configured correctly to allow streaming. Please contact your IT department about possible firewall, proxy server, or other security systems in place that may block audio / video streaming media.

Video and audio streams have to be played by standard PC / MAC players and for this reason can’t be encrypted. But, there are several levels of event access restriction that can be applied to make your event more secure:

• the simplest and lowest level of security is to apply a common password protection to your event. This is done via the Visual Webcaster platform, and can be applied and removed by either BT or you
• One level higher is our unique username / password security. Each participant is issued a unique username and password which is a one-time use access code. It will authenticate the PC first used for that event, and won’t work again on any other machine. Usernames and passwords can be provided by BT or you
•  a very popular technique for access restriction is to validate the participant’s IP address against a list of pre-authorised addresses. We can also offer URL referral authentication, whereby you place a hyperlink to your event on an internal, access restricted page (on an intranet or similar access). Only participants clicking on the hyperlink on that page can access to your event.
• finally, you can utilise internal multicasting or unicasting behind the firewall. This makes sure that only users within that network can access the streams.

Please contact your BT account manager who can advise you on pricing for our streaming services.