Minimum Requirements
This page gives details of the minimum system requirements needed to make use of VMS QuickViewSM. If you are unable to find the information you need here, please contact the VMS QuickView helpdesk on 1-800-867-0331 or by email at QuickViewHelp@vmsinfo.com.
PC minimum configuration
VMS QuickView requires the ability to play streamed Windows Media files.
The minimum configuration needed to play VMS QuickView properly is as follows:
Pentium III or better
64MB RAM
VGA Card capable of 1024 x 786 (recommended)
Sound Card and Speakers
Windows 98 SE / Windows 2000 / Windows XP
Media Player 7.1 or 9.0
IE Explorer 5.0+
You can check your setup using our System Test page.
Macintosh minimum configuration
The current version has not been tested on the Apple Macintosh platform.
Connection to the Internet
Your Internet experience will vary dependent on your connection to the Internet. The time search results take to return to your computer and the quality of your audio and video streams depend upon your connection.
VMS QuickView files stream at 100Kps. DSL to T1 connections give the best results. Talk to your IT department about adding bandwidth to your PC if your performance is not suitable.
Browser configuration
At the present time, VMS QuickView is only supported on Internet Explorer, version 5.0 or later. The current version of VMS QuickView has not been tested for compatibility with other browsers such as Netscape.
We recommend that the resolution of your screen should be set to 1024 x 768 or greater.
Internet Explorer can be downloaded for free from:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/
Media Player configuration
VMS QuickView requires Windows Media Player version 7.1 or higher. A free version of the player can be downloaded at:
http://www.windowsmedia.com/download/
Choose version 7.1 and follow the download instructions.
Firewalls
A firewall is used to prevent unauthorized access to a network. A network can be made up of a company's local area networks, wide area networks and the Internet, or it can be just an Internet Service Provider preventing inappropriate access to the files of its customers. Firewalls create barriers in order to prevent unauthorized access to a network. Think of the Internet as a series of hallways. Firewalls are the security doors through which some people (i.e. data) may pass and others may not.
The firewall's role is to ensure that all communication between an organization's network and the Internet, in both directions, conforms to the organization's security policies.
In general, firewalls permit one-way access to the Internet. Because Windows Media needs to establish two-way communication to stream and receive media content, firewalls may reject Windows Streaming attempt to establish this connection, and the request for a clip will "bounce" off the firewall.
Windows content usually passes through these barriers without trouble, but sometimes it is necessary to change your configuration settings. With the proper configuration settings, you can enjoy Windows Media video.
Additionally, some firewalls will restrict certain attachments in e-mails. If your firewall rejects attachments, contact your System Administrator. They may be able to "open up" access of these files from VMS specific servers.
VMS technical personnel are on always at hand to discuss any issues with you or your Information Technology staff.