A: If you don't already have the QuickTime plug-in (a "plug-in" is a piece of software),
you can download it, free of charge,
from Apple Computer. It takes just a few minutes to download it onto your hard disk and install it.
From then on, it will open automatically whenever you access QuickTime movies or QuickTime VRs (often
shown as "QTVR"), wherever you are on the Web. QuickTime software is available for
Windows 95/98/NT and for Macintosh.
A: The Cracking the Code of Life chapters
make use of QuickTime's auto bandwidth detection to allow the web server to send you the QuickTime video most
appropriate for your internet connection speed. Check your QuickTime Settings control panel to see what connection
speed your QuickTime software currently expects. Alternatively, see the Advanced Options page,
where you can select individual higher- or lower-bitrate versions as you like. The files won't download any faster, but you will see a higher-quality
version of the video. The Advanced Options page also has links to full-screen versions
of the highest-quality clip.
A: Your computer system is configured to try to play QuickTime files in Windows Media Player instead of in QuickTime. Windows Media Player
will not be able to play the "Cracking the Code of Life" chapter QuickTime movie files. Reinstall QuickTime; we recommend downloading a fresh
copy of the current version using the links above.
RealVideo Get the free RealPlayer software
The RealMedia streaming file format allows you to listen to sound files or see video files over the net without
having to wait for the whole file to download. You have to wait only a few seconds while a little bit of
audio (or video) file information is "buffered" to account for lapses in network speed, and then the file
begins to play, with no more waiting, even for a file of 45 minutes or more in length. RealAudio or RealVideo
requires the RealPlayer plugin,
available for free download from Real.
A: All versions of the RealPlayer allow the user to turn captions on or off.
Select the View menu, and choose "Preferences...". Select the Content tab, and click
on the button labeled "Settings..." at the bottom of the window. A dialog box will pop
up, and you can either check or uncheck "Use accessibility features when available".
To toggle the captions on and off in the browser version of the RealPlayer...
MacOS:
First stop the video (you must press the stop button, not the pause button on the player). Hold down the CONTROL key and then click and hold over the video. Choose Preferences... from the context menu. Choose the Content tab and click on the Settings... button at the bottom of the dialog box. Check the accessibility features checkbox and make sure the show captions radio button is depressed. Choose OK to close the accessibility settings dialog, then click OK to close the Preferences... dialog. To turn the captions off, stop the player, go back into Preferences... and uncheck the accessibility features box.
Windows:
First stop the video (you must press the stop button, not the pause button on the player). Choose Preferences... from the context menu. Choose the Content tab and click on the Settings... button at the bottom of the dialog box. Check the accessibility features checkbox and make sure the show captions radio button is depressed. Choose OK to close the accessibility settings dialog, then click OK to close the Preferences... dialog. To turn the captions off, stop the player, go back into Preferences... and uncheck the accessibility features box.