Help with Learn.AutomationDirect.com

1. I am having trouble viewing the video content on the site?

The videos on the learn.automationdirect.com site are in "flv" (flash live video) format, so you'll need the latest version (or at least version 8.0) of the Adobe Flash Player, a browser plug-in, to view them. Versions of the Adobe Flash Player prior to version 8.0 will not display the video content correctly. The Adobe Flash Player is free; click here to download Adobe Flash Player.

If you see the message "Connecting to Media, please wait..." in the black video window you either don't have the latest flash player plugin or you don't have the latest ActiveX control installed. Once you have installed the latest flash plugin and ActiveX control you may have to reboot your computer before the flash player plugin will work properly.

2. What is ActiveX?

ActiveX is the name Microsoft has given to a set of "strategic" object-oriented programming technologies and tools. The main technology is the Component Object Model (COM). Used in a network with a directory and additional support, COM becomes the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM). The main thing that you create when writing a program to run in the ActiveX environment is a component, a self-sufficient program that can be run anywhere in your ActiveX network (currently a network consisting of Windows and Macintosh systems). This component is known as an ActiveX control. ActiveX is Microsoft's answer to the Java technology from Sun Microsystems. An ActiveX control is roughly equivalent to a Java applet.

2. I can't see the whole video on the screen?

This site is best viewed at a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher. For instructions on how to change your screen resolution please click here. [Note: The site is still viewable at 800 x 600 but some extra scrolling will be necessary.]

3. How do I get a video to play?

To begin watching a video stream simply click on the title of the video in the play list and press the play button located under the video window.

3. The sound of the video is too low?

Because the tutorials on this site were created through many different avenues the sound quality may vary. Please ensure that you turn your speaker volume up and slide the volume slider to the right to increase the volume level.

3. What is the technology used for this site?

This site utilizes Adobe's Flash Media Server 2 technology. This scaleable media server allows for streaming of interactive media applications.

4. Why aren't there any videos of the product I am interested in?

Learn.automationdirect.com is a work-in-progress e-learning site. The site will be frequently updated with new content as it becomes available. The welcome (home) page of the site will have information about new titles and where to find them once they are released.

If you have a suggestion or would like to offer feedback on the content contained within the site please visit this page.

5. Can I download your online tutorials?

The training videos on this site are streaming and can only be watched online. However, it is possible that in the future the training videos will be released on CD-ROM.

6. Will you be releasing training books on the content that appears on this site?

At this time there are no plans to publish printed books and all content will be supplied online in digital format (lengthy write-ups will be delivered in PDF format).

7. I have the latest Adobe Flash plugin and ActiveX control but I still cannot see the video?

There are a limited number of user licenses available for concurrent streams of videos on the site. We are monitoring the traffic closely and will add more licenses as necessary. If you are experiencing delays, please be patient with us as we grow the library of tutorials and assess the server demand.

Please wait a few minutes and try again.

8. I am on a dialup connection; can I still view the multimedia content on the site?

For optimum performance, our videos are best viewed through a broadband connection, such as DSL or cable modem access. The site is designed so that every streaming video will load with minimum buffer time. This is accomplished by streaming videos peculiar to each viewers connection speed. The Adobe Flash Media Server pings the users connection speed and delivers the appropriately encoded video.

9. The technical issue or question I have isn't answered here?

Contact the webmaster with other questions, feedback, or issues so that we can better serve you.

10. Who is Doug Bell?

Doug Bell has spent over 20 years implementing hardware and software to develop control system solutions. His nationwide PLC training courses have been attended by thousands of PLC users of all experience levels. Doug’s energetic teaching style makes the course interesting and thorough.

Click here for more information about Doug Bell's training courses offered through his company, Interconnecting Automation, Inc.