ISC "How To" instructions:

How to Create Streaming Audio Presentations for Your Blackboard CourseInfo Web Site

Before beginning:
Please contact the ISC to have your web site server account enabled to publish streaming PowerPoint presentations. You will not be able to complete Part 6 unless your account is properly enabled.

Note: These directions assume you are using Microsoft FrontPage 2000 as your web page editor. If you are not using FrontPage 2000, please contact the ISC for additional instructions.

Part 1: Install the Microsoft Windows Media Player (only needs to be completed once)

You (and your students) will need to install the Media Player to view the presentations you will be creating.

Note: The Windows Media Player is available for both Windows and Macintosh computers.

1. Link to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download
2. Download the latest version of the Microsoft Windows Media Player. Macintosh users should download the Microsoft Media Player for Macintosh.
3. Double-click on the file once it is downloaded to install the Media Player.

Windows users please note: You may receive the following warning after installing the Media Player:

"Windows Media Presenter DCOM Warning:
Distributed COM remote connections are disabled...
Do you with to enable remote connections?"

Select Yes at this message, and Yes at the prompt to restart your computer.

Part 2: Install the Microsoft Windows Media Tools (only needs to be completed once)

Note: The Windows Media Tools are only available for the Windows platform.

1. Link to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download
2. Download the latest version of the Windows Media Tools (version 4.0 beta as of the date of these instructions).
3. Double-click on the file once it is downloaded to install the Tools.
4. Restart your computer to complete the installation.

1. Start the Windows Media Encoder.
2. Select Custom Settings from the Welcome menu and click the OK button.
3. Select Live source and click Next.
4. Uncheck the box next to Video Capture (if it is checked) and select Next.
5. Select Internet 28.8 for the network bandwidth and select Next. This optimizes the audio file’s quality vs. speed of transmission for 28.8 modem connections.
6. Click Next on the following screen to accept the defaults for codec and compression formats.
7. Select "To a local ASF file" for where the data will be sent and click Next.
8. Click Browse to select a location and name for the new audio file.
9. Select the down arrow next to Look In and select a location for the file.
10. Click in the file name box and type a descriptive name for the file, then select the Open button.
11. Click the Yes button to create the new file.
12. On the next screen, leave Maximum Size and Maximum Duration unchecked and Automatic Indexing checked.
13. Click the Finish button. You are now ready to record the new audio file.

1. Click on the Start toolbar button to begin recording audio (the Start button looks like a black arrowhead pointing to the right, as on a cassette or CD player).
2. Click on the Stop toolbar button to stop recording audio (the Stop button looks like a black square).
3. Close the Media Tools Encoder window. Select No when prompted to "Save Changes to Untitled" (the file is already created and saved at this point).

1. Double-click on the new audio file to hear it. It will open automatically in Windows Media Player.

1. At the top of the Windows Media Encoder screen, click on the Volume Control toolbar button (looks like a yellow speaker with sound coming out of it).
2. Select the Options menu, then select Properties.
3. Select Recording and click OK.
4. Adjust the Microphone slider to the optimum setting.
   
   Hint- Position the Recording Control and the Media Recorder windows so you can see both. Press the record button. As you speak into the microphone you will be able to see the level displayed in the Recording Control’s Recording section. Green means a good microphone level. Red means the microphone level is too high- reduce the microphone level to avoid distortion.

1. Start FrontPage 2000.
2. Click on File, Open Web.
3. In the Folder Name box, type in http://isc.temple.edu/netshow, and click on the Open button.
4. When prompted, enter your username and password and click on OK.
5. In the Views pane on the left, select Folders.
6. In the Folder List pane, double-click on your folder to open it.
7. From the menu, select File, then Import.
8. Select Add File, browse for and select your new ASF file on your computer, then click on the Open button.
9. Click on OK to upload the ASF file to your directory.

Certain web browsers do not recognize ASF files and do not know how to play them, even if you have the Windows Media Player installed. In the following steps you will create an ASX file, which acts as a "pointer" file that points to the actual location of the ASF file. The ASX file has code in it that tells the web browser how to process the ASF file it is pointing to and stream its content to your computer. In Part 7 you will then create a hyperlink to the ASX file.

1. Right-click here and select Save Link As (or Save Target As) to download an ASX file template that you can save to your computer and modify. Save it to your Desktop.
2. Select Start, Programs, Accessories, Notepad.
3. Select File, Open.
4. Select Desktop from the Look in dropdown box.
5. Select All files from the Files of Type dropdown box.
6. Select the template.asf file you just downloaded and select the Open button.
7. Replace the text your_folder with the name of your folder in the Streaming Multimedia web that you accessed in Part 5, and your_filename with the name of the ASF file you created in Part 4 as follows:
   
   <ASX version = "3.0">
   <Entry>
   <Ref href = "mms://isc.temple.edu/your_folder/your_filename.asf" />
   </Entry>
   </ASX>
   
8. Select File, Save As and rename the file your_filename.asx.

Hint:  Keep the original template.asx file on your computer to use with future presentations.

Part 8: Upload the ASX pointer file into your CourseInfo course.

You will now create a hyperlink to the ASX file you created in Step 6, which points to your narrated PowerPoint ASF file.

1. Log into your CourseInfo course and select the Control Panel.
2. Select the location for your presentation under Page Editors.
3. Select Add Document.
4. Under Enter Information, select or type in a Document Title.
5. Under Select Options, click the Browse button
6. In the File Upload window, select All Files in the Files of type box.
7. Select the ASX file you created in Part 6 and click Open.
8. Type a Name of Link to File. For example: "Click here to view the presentation".
9. Select Submit.

Your audio file is now complete and linked from your CourseInfo course.

© 1999 Instructional Support Center, Temple University