Streaming Media FAQs
Below are frequently asked questions about Streaming Media:
“Streaming media” refers to any number of types of multimedia that use "streaming" technology to deliver content over the Internet or intranet. This can be full-motion video, audio-only presentations, animations, narrated slide shows, etc. There are two basic types of streaming:
Live Webcasts are events that are broadcasted live (like a real-time news report). At PeopleSoft, live Webcasts take the form of PSRadio and PSTV. Note: Live events can be recorded and viewed at a later date as on-demand.
On-demand - which is recorded and is available for re-use. On-demand streaming is a way of serving a file to a user in a continuous stream rather than downloading the entire file before playing it from the user’s hard drive. On-demand streaming can take several forms at PeopleSoft:
Streaming audio — just an audio presentation, no visuals, like a phone call
Illustrated audio or slide show — narrated slides like a PowerPoint or Web Conference that’s recorded
Screen Captures — a screen recording of a software demo
Full-motion video — video presentations such as a corporate communications from executives, department managers, or sales/marketing pieces
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How do I view streaming content?
You need Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series to view PeopleSoft streaming content. This version is standard on all employee computers. If you don’t have this version, or if it’s not working properly, please submit a Northstar ticket or contact Technical Support Operations.
Every employee who has access to the PeopleSoft network has access to streaming content; however, several variables affect what you actually get on your computer:
Whether the content was created as high and/or low bandwidth
The available bandwidth at your site (high or low)
Your connection speed if you’re connecting remotely (RAS or VPN)
See the What is bandwidth section below for more information.
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What is high or low bandwidth ?
The type (high or low) of on-demand content you receive depends on how you’re accessing the PeopleSoft network and from where.
The main (publishing) streaming server is located in Pleasanton, and a series of approximately 30 other streaming servers have been set up at the larger offices around the world to serve streaming files to their local users. When a user clicks on a video link, special code determines where the user is geographically located and redirects the request to their local streaming server for the on-demand content. This means that employees in Denver get their content from a Denver server, and players in Mexico City get their content from a Mexico City server. This improves performance and reduces WAN bandwidth utilization for this service.
Users in larger hub offices such as Pleasanton, Denver or Madrid will receive high bandwidth (up to 300K) as well as low bandwidth (up to 40K) streams. These employees will receive a streaming presentation at its highest quality. Note: This only applies to full-motion video. The quality of other on-demand content (such as PowerPoints and software demos) doesn’t improve between low and high.
Users in smaller, satellite offices will be redirected to their local network hub (e.g., Cincinnati goes to Chicago, Monterrey goes to Mexico) for their content and will mostly receive low bandwidth. Low-bandwidth content includes audio-only streams, narrated slide shows (PowerPoints), software demos, and videos in smaller windows.
Note: There is limited total bandwidth available for streaming content at satellite offices. When this bandwidth is exceeded, the system will display a message stating that the server is busy. This is not an error, but rather the throttling device doing its job to save bandwidth for your other applications like email. If you receive this message, please try the link again later.
Users connecting remotely via RAS or VPN will receive low bandwidth versions.
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Created by the PeopleSoft Knowledge Management Team.
Copyright © 2004
All rights reserved.
Created: jw 04/27/2004