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How to Use Films on Demand (FOD)

Access thousands of high quality academic, technical and archival streaming videos 24/7 on or off campus.

Video Playback Tips

FOD

In most cases you will be able to stream FOD videos without have to change anything on your computer or device, including iOS, Android, but here are some tips to make things run more smoothly. FOD videos can also run on Kindle Fire, but there are some steps you need to take if you have not already enabled Flash.

Kindle Fire

On Demand videos do not play on the Kindle Fire until Flash has been enabled for the Amazon Silk web browser. On Demand videos use Flash content, and Flash content viewing is not enabled by default on the Kindle Fire. To enable viewing on the Kindle Fire:

  1. Open the Amazon Silk web browser.
  2. Tab on the <Menu> icon at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Tab the <Settings> option.
  4. Tab the arrow next to <Enable Flash> and select your preferred behavior: "Always On", "On Demand", or "Off".

How to Set the Streaming Bit Rate

Streaming bit rate settings are associated with your personal user account. If you'd like to set the streaming bit rate, you must be signed in to your user account. To set the streaming bit rate:

  1. If you have not already done so, sign in to your user account.
  2. Click User Options in the top right of the screen.
    If you have not signed in to your user account, User Options will not appear on the screen.
  3. Click My User Preferences on the User Options pop-up menu.
  4. In the User Preferences section of the screen, select a rate from the Streaming Bit Rate drop-down menu. By default, the streaming bit rate is set to "Automatic Switching" to ensure that you are getting the highest possible bit rate for your bandwidth. Higher bit rates deliver excellent resolution when video is viewed in full-screen mode or projected. Lower bit rates may be better choices in limited-bandwidth environments.
  5. Click the Save Changes button in the User Preferences section of the screen.

Streaming Video Optimization Tips

To optimize performance of streaming video and improve the speed of your video playback, we recommend you:

    Update your Flash plug-in: If you are not using the latest version of the Flash plug-in for your preferred web browser, we recommend you update to the latest version. Clear temporary internet files: Clearing your cache can lead to increases in performance. Steps taken to clear your temporary Internet files vary by browser. Consult your browser's help file for the best instructions to clear cookies, temporary Internet files, etc. Check the streaming bit rate: By default, the streaming bit rate is set to "Automatic Switching" to ensure that you are getting the highest possible bit rate for your bandwidth. If you are experiencing video playback issues, try adjusting the bit rate setting. Lower bit rates may be better choices in limited-bandwidth environments. Higher bit rates deliver excellent resolution when video is viewed in full-screen mode or projected. You can change the streaming bit rate setting in your user account.

If you have followed the above recommendations but videos do not load properly, you may need to unblock or prioritize our server information for streaming service.