A Quick Click to Yack: Get There Fast!

To get the most out of Yack's broadband guide, you will need the Macromedia Flash Player. Flash lets you experience animation and entertainment in your Web browser. To download the latest version of Flash, go to the Macromedia Flash site and follow the download instructions.

http://macromedia.com/software/downloads/

Ready to begin…

1) Set your browser to www.yack.com
2) Find the guide that interests you — Click!
3) Find an event by browsing through the categories or by searching — Click!
4) Read all about it and then click "Jump to Event"
5) Enjoy!

What is Yack?
Yack creates guides that make it easy for you to find out what's "on" online. From audio and video webcasts to chats and vast digital storehouses of film and music, Yack's Internet Program Guide(SM) will guide you to the best things to see, hear and do on the Web. Yack also offers content-specific guides to Online Film, Games, Radio, Online Animation and Seasonal Sports.

Is my computer ready for all the Internet can offer?
Almost everyone with a personal computer and a modem can enjoy the entertainment and information options provided on the Internet. The Net, via fast cable and telephone line networks, is moving at an accelerated rate to convergence — a time when the Web, television, video games and your computer will be linked in one lightning-fast connection. Cable, telephone and Internet service providers are racing to bring you the fastest Internet service. The faster the better is the rule of thumb for viewing and hearing events on the Web. With a high-speed modem and a telephone connection, thousands of events are available — with on-demand video, audio and chats taking the lead. As a basic navigating tool, your Internet browser must be at least Netscape version 3.0 or Internet Explorer 4.0.

Add the Flash Player to your computer
The Yack broadband guide was designed using Flash and Dynamic HTML. The Macromedia Flash Player lets you experience animation and entertainment in your Web browser. To download Flash, go to the Macromedia Flash site and follow the download instructions. http://macromedia.com/software/downloads/

How does a browser work to bring me live Web events?
A browser is the application you use to surf the Internet, serving as tool to locate Web addresses. Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer are the two most common browsers. Both of these are known as graphical browsers, which means they can display ../graphics as well as text. Most browsers can present multimedia information, including sound and video, though they may require plug-ins — hardware or software add-ons — to provide these features.

Keep in mind that there are still thousands of low bandwidth options on our site. Almost all chats are simple to join and available to most computer users. If you're hooked up to a high-speed DSL phone line, cable modem or other high speed device, the options are practically limitless.

Which media players will I need?
Yack will always tell you which software is required to see or listen to an event. Most computer users have the tools to take advantage of most, if not all, programs available on the Internet. To listen to streaming audio or video, a media player is necessary. Media players offer streaming capabilities — that is, the ability to hear and see live events. If it's stored in your computer, it's not streaming — but when it's coming live from somewhere else, that's a data stream. Some of these multimedia tools are already included with your computer. Others are available through easy downloads. If you have a Windows-based operating system, you can check your program list at your start menu to see what players or services are already loaded. You can also do this by checking your control panel. See "Add/Remove Programs" to identify which players may be installed on your system.

How do I install a media player or other plug-in?
Media players and plug-ins are easy to use and install, with download instructions available from their sites. There's no screwdriver necessary - most media players can be installed by following a simple series of prompts. Plug-ins are simply hardware or software components that can add features to your system.

Where can I find links to media players?
Yack provides links to player download pages for each event. Media players include software programs like RealPlayer, QuickTime and Windows Media Player that work with your browser, enabling you to view live video and hear sound. Programs like Shockwave and ON2 enhance the viewing experience with ../graphics, sound effects and other viewing options. These companies offer downloadable media players that you may want to add to your system.

Links to primary media players: