Jozsa-w- laptopTips for Optimizing Your Webinar Experience

These guidelines will help you have the best possible webinar experience:

  1. Please try to sign on to the webinar 10 minutes before we begin in case you need to address any problems.
  2. Keep your unique webinar link handy. Use the link provided in the confirmation email(s) you received from us.
  3. If you get bounced from the webinar for any reason, click on your original link & rejoin.
  4. If you can’t see or hear me (Sheri), refresh your screen by clicking the blue ‘reconnect’ button in the dark bar at the bottom of the screen.
  5. Prepare your browser. We use a webinar platform that’s built on Google’s Hangouts application. Google recommends the Chrome Internet browser for Hangouts. If you don’t have Chrome and want to use it, follow the download instructions listed here:
    1. Download Google Chrome for your DESKTOP or LAPTOP here.
    2. Download Google Chrome for your ANDROID device here.
    3. Download Google Chrome for your iPhone or iPad device here.
    4. If you use the Explorer, Safari or Firefox browser, please install the latest version of the Google Hangouts browser plugin before you connect to the webinar. You can download that here. You will need to have the latest version of the Hangouts plugin if you want to raise your hand and speak during the webinar.
  6. Optimize your Internet connection. Our webinar technology works on almost any device that is connected via a high-speed Internet connection (including smart phones & tablets). However, there are ways to improve the experience:
    1. Hardwire if possible. Webinars are best viewed on a device with an Ethernet connection (in other words, a hard-wired, not wireless, connection.) If you attend the webinar on a wireless connection, you may possibly experience some buffering and pixelation issues or see blurry video, especially if you have other apps running at the same time.
    2. Limit bandwidth-intensive uses. Streaming video places a heavy burden on your Internet connection. You’ll optimize your webinar experience by keeping as much bandwidth available as possible. We suggest asking people who are on your same connection to refrain from downloading large files or streaming video (this includes Netflix or Xbox live) for the duration of the webinar. This will greatly improve your picture and audio quality.
    3. Close other programs. Close down all software, apps, and browser tabs on your device, except what you are using to view the webinar. This will insure that you don’t have any hardware or software conflicts that could bounce you off the webinar. It also frees up your machine/device’s resources for the best possible viewing experience. Some programs that can impact the quality of your picture are apps that run in the background, like Dropbox, Google Drive or Evernote. For best results, turn them off during the webinar.
  7. Google Hangouts. After you log in, you’ll get a pop-up that says, “You are about to join a Hangout On Air.” Click the checkbox to agree to their terms and then the Join Nowbutton below that. Disregard their statement that the webinar will be public. The class series will be recorded as a private YouTube video, available only to students of the class or subsequent purchasers of the recorded product.
  8. Attendee Control Panel. During the webinar, you will have access to a control panel that allows you to do things like chat and refresh the webinar if there is an issue. To learn more about these controls, visit here.
  9. Accessing the replay. If you cannot join us live, you will receive a replay email with your links to watch the session whenever you like. Anyone can also replay the entire presentation using the same link you got when you registered.

This can seem overwhelming. It’s not. You need to do only a handful of things to optimize your experience, like closing down programs you’re not using, making sure you have the latest version of Google Hangouts, telling the kiddies to hold off on that movie, and hardwiring in with an Ethernet cable if it’s possible.

Thanks, and see you at the webinar!

Sheri Winston and the Center for the Intimate Arts team