University of California, Berkeley

Webcasts (FAQ)

Note: Our webcasting system is new and is still in its testing phase. Please bear with us as we work to improve our system. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions that we don’t address below regarding our webcasting, please let us know. Due to different webcasting systems we have used, our FAQ page is divided into 3 sections: General Questions, FAQ for Webcasts from 2004-05, and FAQ for Webcasts from 2006-Present. Our webcasts from 2006-Present differ from those webcasts from earlier years.

General Questions

How much do I have to pay to view your webcasts?
All our webcasts and course materials are available to the public free of charge. It is our privilege and mission to teach and inform the public in order to better prepare them for public health emergencies.

Are your webcasts broadcasted live?
Although some of our webcasts are labeled as "live", they are in fact broadcasted in real time – a 12 to 15 second delay from the actual time something happens. Some webcasts are not offered live. Instead, they are recorded and immediately archived. Please check the schedule of events on the main webcast page to see which webcasts will be offered live.

Where do I find the schedule of events or the next live broadcast?
On our webcast homepage.

Are there commercials?
There are no commercials. We offer you complete uninterrupted showings of our courses.

What if I miss a live broadcast?
No need to worry. After our webcasts are broadcasted in real time, they are archived in the "Archived Content" section. Please give us at most a few days from the time a particular presentation was broadcasted live to the time it would appear on the "Archived Content" section.

What does "Archived" mean?
"Archived" refers to our webcasts that have been recorded and was put online to be seen later. Some of these webcasts were broadcasted in real time previously and stored for our users to view after a given presentation has long been over. We offer this service to you for your viewing pleasure.

Do you offer continuing education credit for these online courses?
Right now we do not offer continuing education credit. In the future some courses will offer it though. We will let you know which courses will offer continuing education credit. All courses that have been approved are ones that require you to sign in whenever you want to view its respective webcasts.

Why must I sign in to view certain webcasts?
Signing in will ensure that you will get credit for your participation in the course. We use the record from signing in to offer continuing education credit. It is highly recommended to sign in 10 to 15 minutes before a scheduled webcast is to be broadcasted as to allow yourself enough time to sign in and view a particular webcast in its complete entirety.

If continuing education credit is not being offered, then why must I sign in?
Although continuing education credit is currently not being offered this semester, we would like the sign-in feature to be thoroughly tested. The sign-in feature is in its beta stage. If we deem it proficient during this testing phase, we will request offering continuing education for online courses for you by implementing this sign-in feature.

I've signed in and viewed a particular webcast. If I want to view it again at a later time, do I have to sign in again?
Yes, you must sign in again. Right now we have no way of structuring our webpage such that it will remember if you have signed in or not. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but after first signing in for a particular course webcast, the sign-in form for all subsequent webcasts for that course (and that course only) will be much shorter.

Why does the video/audio randomly turn off while in the middle of viewing a webcast? Must I watch the webcast from the beginning just to see the rest of it?
Again, streaming video requires a lot of bandwidth. It could be the case that our network was experiencing high traffic at the time when your video/audio stopped working. Fortunately, you don't have to watch the webcast from the beginning just so that you can see the rest of it. There are specific chapters which allows you to jump to specific parts of the webcast.

I'm having trouble with the audio/video with the live webcasts. Why is this happening?
It could be that since it is live, many people are logging in to view the webcast. Many people logging in at once can slow down the webcasting system. Try viewing the webcast after it has been archived. It is also recommended that when viewing archived webcasts, try to view them when there is no live webcast going on. This will ensure that you don't log in while the people interested in the live webcast are also logging in. Remember, the more people logging in will slow down the webcast and make viewing any webcast less pleasant. The peak time when people are logging in is when we have the live webcasts taking place.

I'm having trouble with the audio/video with the live webcasts. Why is this happening?

It could be that since it is live, many people are logging in to view the webcast. Many people logging in at once can slow down the webcasting system. Try viewing the webcast after it has been archived. It is also recommended that when viewing archived webcasts, try to view them when there is no live webcast going on. This will ensure that you don't log in while the people interested in the live webcast are also logging in. Remember, the more people logging in will slow down the webcast and make viewing any webcast less pleasant. The peak time when people are logging in is when we have the live webcasts taking place.

How come the presenter doesn’t answer my questions?
Again, our broadcasts are shown in real time – a 12 to 15 second delay. If 12 to 15 seconds has elapsed without a response, we will ensure that the presenter receive your question and get back to you at a later time in response to your inquiry. Answering your questions is at the sole discretion of the presentor. Sometimes the presentor may not feel the question topic or timing relates to the subject at hand and answering it may change the flow of the presentation.

How come the presenter doesn’t answer my questions?

Again, our broadcasts are shown in real time – a 12 to 15 second delay. If 12 to 15 seconds has elapsed without a response, we will ensure that the presenter receive your question and get back to you at a later time in response to your inquiry. Answering your questions is at the sole discretion of the presentor. Sometimes the presentor may not feel the question topic or timing relates to the subject at hand and answering it may change the flow of the presentation.

How come I hear static?
We are well aware of this problem. Sometimes the quality of the sound lessens when using wireless technology. For the comfort and convenience of our presenters, we have equipped them with wireless microphones, so that they are more apt to present you with the best lecture they can offer. Again, our webcasting system is new, and we are still testing and ironing out the kinks regarding our webcasts.

How come I hear static?

We are well aware of this problem. Sometimes the quality of the sound lessens when using wireless technology. For the comfort and convenience of our presenters, we have equipped them with wireless microphones, so that they are more apt to present you with the best lecture they can offer. Again, our webcasting system is new, and we are still testing and ironing out the kinks regarding our webcasts.

As a webcast participant, where do I find the evaluation forms for specific lectures?
Online evaluation forms can be found on the webcasting interface under the details section. Note that some webcasts do not provide an evaluation form. Evaluations are not needed for these webcasts. You can also find evaluation forms anywhere you'd find a link to view a particular webcast. Wherever it says 'sign in to view', you'll most likely find a link underneath it that says 'eval form'. Again not all webcasts will have evaluation forms.

As a webcast participant, where do I find the evaluation forms for specific lectures?

Online evaluation forms can be found on the webcasting interface under the details section. Note that some webcasts do not provide an evaluation form. Evaluations are not needed for these webcasts. You can also find evaluation forms anywhere you'd find a link to view a particular webcast. Wherever it says 'sign in to view', you'll most likely find a link underneath it that says 'eval form'. Again not all webcasts will have evaluation forms.

FAQ for Webcasts from 2004-05

Why don't the slides switch automatically when viewing the CIDER - Summer 04 webcasts?
Unfortunately we are only able to record the training sessions and offer you the presentation slides. When we had Summer CIDER 2004, we didn't have the webcasting software and this webcasting system up yet. As a result, slide syncrhonization is not being offered for these traning sessions.

What do I need to view the webcasts?
We highly recommend that you use a high speed internet connection (either cable or DSL). Also, we would like you to be using Internet Explorer to view our webcasts. Both Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player come standard in all Windows operating systems.

Where do I find course materials for past and upcoming webcasts?
You can find all course materials and presentation slides for a particular course in its respective "Archived Content" site. You can also find the course materials for a particular lecture on the "downloads" link when viewing that specific webcast.

I don’t see any video when it’s supposed to start playing. What’s going on?
First, try clicking the play button (the button with the triangular shape pointing to the right). If that doesn’t do the trick, you might want to wait a few seconds. Streaming video requires a lot of bandwidth over the network. Sometimes it will take a few seconds before it will start playing, so please be patient. If you are trying to view a live webcast, it could also be the case that you logged into the webcasting a bit early. You may have gotten the webcasting interface, but the lack of video could mean that nothing is being broadcasted yet. When we broadcast a lecture or presentation, we may have put up the sign-in forms and the page that links to the webcast, but we may have not commenced video recording the actual presentation. If that is the case, then just wait momentarily as the speaker and other personnel prepare the presentation. You don't have to go back to the sign-in page and sign in again. Signing in will not make the video to load any faster. As long as you have the webcasting interface, you should be all set to view the webcasts. When the webcast has commenced video recording the training, video/audio to the webcast will not automatically start streaming even though you may already have the webcasting interface. That is why we ask you to keep hitting the play button, so that you can catch the start of the training.

I don’t see any video when it’s supposed to start playing. What’s going on?

First, try clicking the play button (the button with the triangular shape pointing to the right). If that doesn’t do the trick, you might want to wait a few seconds. Streaming video requires a lot of bandwidth over the network. Sometimes it will take a few seconds before it will start playing, so please be patient. If you are trying to view a live webcast, it could also be the case that you logged into the webcasting a bit early. You may have gotten the webcasting interface, but the lack of video could mean that nothing is being broadcasted yet. When we broadcast a lecture or presentation, we may have put up the sign-in forms and the page that links to the webcast, but we may have not commenced video recording the actual presentation. If that is the case, then just wait momentarily as the speaker and other personnel prepare the presentation. You don't have to go back to the sign-in page and sign in again. Signing in will not make the video to load any faster. As long as you have the webcasting interface, you should be all set to view the webcasts. When the webcast has commenced video recording the training, video/audio to the webcast will not automatically start streaming even though you may already have the webcasting interface. That is why we ask you to keep hitting the play button, so that you can catch the start of the training.

How come sometimes when I view the presentations, the slides do not appear and I get "The page cannot be found" in its place.
This most likely occurs when our server is experiencing high traffic. When this happens, your computer doesn’t get the required data from the server because of this high traffic. Try viewing the webcast at a later time.

On your "Archived Content" webcasts how come I can’t fast forward or rewind?
The customized UC Berkeley skin we use to broadcast the video and the presentation slides lacks the fast forward and rewind features. The software we use is unique in that it synchronizes the video with the presentation slides such that as the presenter changes slides, the online webcast that the viewer sees reflects that same change as well. We offer both the streaming video and the presentation slides separately. When viewing this streaming video, you can fast forward and rewind as you please, but, of course, the slide synchronization feature is not offered. Another alternative to fast forward and rewind is if you click on the "Chapters" button on the interface. After doing that, you will see a list of chapters. By clicking on a particular chapter, it will take you to that specific part of the presentation. See the next question/answer for more information on chapters.

On your "Archived Content" webcasts how come I can’t fast forward or rewind?

The customized UC Berkeley skin we use to broadcast the video and the presentation slides lacks the fast forward and rewind features. The software we use is unique in that it synchronizes the video with the presentation slides such that as the presenter changes slides, the online webcast that the viewer sees reflects that same change as well. We offer both the streaming video and the presentation slides separately. When viewing this streaming video, you can fast forward and rewind as you please, but, of course, the slide synchronization feature is not offered. Another alternative to fast forward and rewind is if you click on the "Chapters" button on the interface. After doing that, you will see a list of chapters. By clicking on a particular chapter, it will take you to that specific part of the presentation. See the next question/answer for more information on chapters.

Can I send a question to the presenter?
Yes, you can. For live webcasts, there is a text box on the interface specifically for asking questions.

FAQ for Webcasts from 2006-Present

What do I need to view the webcasts?
We highly recommend that you use a high speed internet connection (either cable or DSL). If you still are committed to viewing our webcasts despite a slow connection, we offer an auxillery link for live webcasts that’ll enable you to hear the presentation and view the slides, but just without the video. This might be better with a slower connection as opposed to viewing a choppy video that skips. Also, we would like you to be using Internet Explorer to view our webcasts. You will need Windows Media Player to be able to see the streaming video. Both Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player come standard in all Windows operating systems. From 2006 to the present, you might be able to use Netscape/Mozilla and Quicktime to view archived content depending on the versions you have and your computer settings. However, you would still need Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player for all live content. Please remember to disable all pop-up blocers as well. Lastly you would need Java installed and enabled on your system.

What do I need to view the webcasts?

We highly recommend that you use a high speed internet connection (either cable or DSL). If you still are committed to viewing our webcasts despite a slow connection, we offer an auxillery link for live webcasts that’ll enable you to hear the presentation and view the slides, but just without the video. This might be better with a slower connection as opposed to viewing a choppy video that skips. Also, we would like you to be using Internet Explorer to view our webcasts. You will need Windows Media Player to be able to see the streaming video. Both Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player come standard in all Windows operating systems. From 2006 to the present, you might be able to use Netscape/Mozilla and Quicktime to view archived content depending on the versions you have and your computer settings. However, you would still need Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player for all live content. Please remember to disable all pop-up blocers as well. Lastly you would need Java installed and enabled on your system.

Where do I find course materials for past and upcoming webcasts?
You can find all course materials and presentation slides for a particular course in its respective "Archived Content" site. You can also find the course materials for a particular lecture on the list of links located on the interface when viewing that specific webcast.

Why is there no video when viewing live webcasts?
Only audio is available for live webcasts. Once archived, the webcast will provide both audio and video.

Why am I having a hard time seeing the screen recording? It's often too small or somewhat blurry.
Try clicking on the full-screen button. That should make the screen recording stream bigger and clearer.

Why do I get a Windows Media Player error message? What does this mean?
When you get a Windows Media Player error message like the one shown, the problem most likely is from your Windows Media Player settings. We recommend you note the error code and look it up on Microsoft's Windows Media Player 9 Series Error Messages page. Here you will find your error code and possible causes and solutions to your viewing problems.

Can I send a question to the presenter?
Yes, you can. For live webcasts, there is a chat box on the interface. Please note that even though you send the presenter a "private" message, your message will still be seen by the live audience attending the lecture. Private messages are meant to be private from the other online participants only.

Webcasts (FAQ)

General Questions

How much do I have to pay to view your webcasts?

Are your webcasts broadcasted live?

Where do I find the schedule of events or the next live broadcast?

Are there commercials?

What if I miss a live broadcast?

What does "Archived" mean?

Do you offer continuing education credit for these online courses?

Why must I sign in to view certain webcasts?

If continuing education credit is not being offered, then why must I sign in?

I've signed in and viewed a particular webcast. If I want to view it again at a later time, do I have to sign in again?

Why does the video/audio randomly turn off while in the middle of viewing a webcast? Must I watch the webcast from the beginning just to see the rest of it?

I'm having trouble with the audio/video with the live webcasts. Why is this happening?

How come the presenter doesn’t answer my questions?

How come I hear static?

As a webcast participant, where do I find the evaluation forms for specific lectures?

FAQ for Webcasts from 2004-05

Why don't the slides switch automatically when viewing the CIDER - Summer 04 webcasts?

What do I need to view the webcasts?

Where do I find course materials for past and upcoming webcasts?

I don’t see any video when it’s supposed to start playing. What’s going on?

How come sometimes when I view the presentations, the slides do not appear and I get "The page cannot be found" in its place.

On your "Archived Content" webcasts how come I can’t fast forward or rewind?

Can I send a question to the presenter?

FAQ for Webcasts from 2006-Present

What do I need to view the webcasts?

Where do I find course materials for past and upcoming webcasts?

Why is there no video when viewing live webcasts?

Why am I having a hard time seeing the screen recording? It's often too small or somewhat blurry.

Why do I get a Windows Media Player error message? What does this mean?

Can I send a question to the presenter?