mpeg-1: These files can be played via just about any media player (including Quicktime). They are nonetheless rather large so hi-speed connections and reasonably fast machines are highly recommended.

mpeg-2: This is a MPEG 2 file and the highest quality. It can only be played on a Windows or Linux machine (ie not Macs). It can be viewed with Elecard MPEG2 player, which you can download here. (Select Elecard MPEG2 Video Decoder v. 2.0 beta Demo). The files are huge (from 45,000 k to 1,000,000 k) and require a hi-speed internet connection.

RA stream: Streaming file viewable with a RealPlayer

What are the system requirements?

For Windows:

• Pentium 400 MHz or faster
• Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, or 2024
• Windows Media Player 6.4 or later

Other operating systems (such as Macintosh) require a similarly fast computer.

Why does my computer hang or give me errors when I try to download a movie?

1. There is heavy traffic to our site. If you experience a delay, please try again later or at a different time of day.

2. You're behind a firewall and the firewall software is attempting to modify incoming bits. Contact your network or firewall administrator (to test, try downloading from outside the firewall first).

3. Your Internet connection went down or timed out. Check with your ISP or network administrator to see if there's a special policy about keeping a connection live.

4. If your browser seems to hang after a "100% downloaded" message, check to see that you have sufficient hard-disk and TMP disk space. Rebooting the system sometimes helps.

If you still have trouble, post your question on the Internet Archives discussion list (moviearchive-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) or write info@archive.org.

How can I resume downloading?

Currently we don't have a resumable download system.

Why do I get errors when I try to play a movie?

1. You are trying to play an MPEG-2 file on a platform other than Windows or Linux. At present, we know of no players that will play MPEG-2 files on the Macintosh. We will update this page as players become available. Please contact us if you have information about players that work on platforms other than Windows.

2. Your player tried to stream the movie. (You may get a display of odd-looking text in the browser involving "application/octet-stream.") Try downloading the file again, but right-click the link to save the file to disk so that the player won't try to stream it. Our files will not stream.

3. Some conflict exists between your computer's configuration and the player you're using. Unfortunately, because PCs can be set up in so many different ways and because different standards exist for playing video, finding a player that will work is a hit-and-miss process. Try Rod Hewitt's evaluations of a number of players.