IdahoSports.com has partnered with one of the best third-party streaming providers in the country
in order to guarantee unlimited viewers across several different media platforms, such as:
- Windows-based operating systems
- MAC-based operating systems
- iPhones
- iPads
- Android mobile devices
- Kindle devices
The best idea is to watch IdahoSports.com GameStreams using Internet Explorer. However, we understand that
you might use some other browser, and that's fine. Here are some tips to help if you are having trouble with them.
"My browser says I need a plugin..help!"
This message is coming from your browser, not IdahoSports.com.
If you allow websites to use plug-ins and your particular browser detects that you're missing a plug-in needed to
play Windows Media files, it will prompt you to install the plug-in at the top of the webpage.
Here's more information about installing the Windows Media Player plug-in on different browsers:
Or, you can do a Google search for "Windows Media Player Plugin for *your browser*". That should give you what you need.
Having issues that aren't plugin related? Here are some of the more common issues you could possibly run into when trying to watch live or archived GameStreams.
1. There is a lot of "buffering", the video keeps freezing, or there are starts and stops.
This is either a problem on your end with receiving the stream, or on the producer's end with
sending the stream. If you see bufferring messages, or your video is freezing, this is almost
always on your end. It means that you do not have enough bandwidth to receive the stream consistently.
An analogy is that you are trying shove a marshmallow through a straw.
You can run a speed test (try www.speedtest.net) and see what type of download bandwidth you are
registering. It needs to be around (1.5 mbps) to be safe.
If the problem is on our end, it means that the Internet at the location is having troubles. If we can
switch to another Internet source we will. Otherwise, we will continue to broadcast the game as if it were live
in order to provide a good copy for the archive. Either way, if it is on our end, you can be sure that we are aware of the issue and getting 200 emails
about it will not speed up the ETA on getting it fixed.
2. You are getting a red 'X" where the player should be.
This means that your Windows Media Player embedded player object is not installed for Internet Explorer.
When this happens, you should see an alert near the top of your browser window asking you to install
the add-on. Look very closely, it can be hard to see.
It would be inside the website window but at the very top. This is not an
IdahoSports.com alert, but rather a Windows system alert.
3. My screen is black, I am getting message about blocked content, or it plays for a quick
burst and stops.
This could be an indication that your workplace or location has blocked
streaming media at the firewall. This is common at workplaces and schools.
Check with your network person if this is a possibility.
4. I am on a municipal wireless Internet system, or on a satellite system.
These systems usually contain lots of data latency issues.
That means that your bandwidth comes in bursts and is not a consistent flow.
This doesn't work well with streaming media, especially live streaming media.
It is not necessarily about total bandwidth, but rather consistency of bandwidth.
Try the speed test above, but also note that even if you have pretty good speed,
you might still have problems due to latency.
5. Why isn't the game playing at exactly the listed start time?
First, check and see where the game is being played. Is it in a different time zone?
The time listed is LOCAL time, not the time you happen to live in.
Second, was a game being played at the same location before this game? Odds are the game went long
and the game you want to watch just hasn't started yet.