How to Watch Video on eHow

If an eHow has a video clip, follow these simple steps to watch it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computers
• Web Browsers

Watching the Video

1. Look at the top of the eHow. If the eHow has a video clip, a little green TV icon appears below the title, with a pop-up menu next to it that reads "view this video."

2. If you have the latest version of RealPlayer, choose your connection speed from the "view this video" menu: 28.8-kbps modem, 56.6-kbps modem, ISDN line, or T1 or DSL line. (If you have a cable modem, choose T1 or DSL.) RealPlayer opens and the video starts playing automatically.

3. If you don't have RealPlayer software, follow the steps in the next section to download it.

Installing RealPlayer

4. Click the Download RealPlayer link to the right of the "view this video" menu.

5. Scan the Real.com home page for a link to the free player (currently RealPlayer 7 Basic). There will be larger, splashier links to the deluxe version, which you have to pay for, but look for the Basic link and you'll find it.

6. Click the RealPlayer Basic link.

7. Fill out the required information, then click the Download Free RealPlayer button. A page appears, recommending a version of RealPlayer for you to install. Some versions have more features but take a longer time to download.

8. Accept the recommended version or click a button for a different one.

9. Click the Download Free RealPlayer button at the bottom of the page.

10. On the page that appears, click the link for the location closest to you.

11. In the box that appears, click "Save this program to disk," then click OK.

12. Choose a location to save the program (the desktop or a Downloads folder would be good choices) and click Save. Note the program's name (something like "rp7_setup") so you can find it later.

13. Wait for the setup program to finish downloading, then find the downloaded program on your hard disk and double-click it.

14. Follow the instructions on your screen to install RealPlayer.

15. Return to the eHow and choose your connection speed from the "view this video" menu. If RealPlayer asks you to "configure" it, provide the required information and click OK.

Tips & Warnings

• If you get a message that RealPlayer can't open this type of document, or if RealPlayer opens but with a blank window, you might not have the latest version of RealPlayer installed. Reinstall RealPlayer following the instructions below.
• If you have the correct software but the video plays jerkily, try defragmenting your hard disk (see Related eHows for instructions). Your computer's processor (processors with MMX capabilities and Pentium III processors work best), your connection speed, and general congestion on the Internet can also affect performance.