Streaming is accomplished by way of web browser plug-ins, which decompress and play the file in real time; a fast computer and fast connection are necessary.
For best results a high speed broadband connection is recommended, although the videos will be viewable with the older dial-up modem connections but will be likely to freeze regularly!
Connection speeds can also vary depending on the time of day and level of traffic on the Internet. As network or web congestion occurs, the playback quality can degrade to the point where the video freezes, continually rebuffers and the audio breaks up.
If, like me, you have a slow broadband connection you might find you get a better result by using a video accelerator such as SpeedBit. This can be downloaded here.
To play videos on this website, the Macromedia Flash plugin (preferred) or the Apple Quicktime plugin must be installed on your computer. You can download the latest version of the Macromedia Flash plugin here, and the latest version of the Apple Quicktime plugin here.