Q. I uploaded a video file to be compressed and I received an email stating that my compression could not be completed. Why did my compression not work?

A. Though our compression system can compress most any video file, occasionally there are formats and/or codecs that have proven incompatible and for the time being, must be addressed by the client. Below are some codecs and formats that we have experienced problems with, and solutions specific to each case.
*ISSUE: AVI files compressed using Indeo 5.1 or greater fail during compression.
SOLUTION:- Transcoding/conversion of these files typically solves the issue.
When compiling the final edit of your video (AKA exporting/Make Movie/etc) please make sure to use a different codec and format. WMV most often provides the best quality as well as a smaller size which will, in turn, reduce upload time.
If your software package does not support other formats, you can also use Quicktime Pro to convert the file to a .mov file format using Sorenson Video codec. Quicktime Pro costs approximately $30, but is well worth it.
Another possiblility is to open the file using Windows Movie Maker, ( included FREE with Windows XP ) and export or SAVE MOVIE as a wmv file. Again, the WMV format creates a superior quality file with a very small compressed size, saving time on the upload while maintaining high quality approaching that of Quicktime file format using Sorenson Codecs.

*ISSUE: MPG Files compressed using Sony Software fail to compress properly.
SOLUTION: Certain types of MPG files combine or interleave the audio and video tracks into one track, which is known as MUXING. Though the audio will play using Windows Media Player, it is wholly incompatible with our system and must be pre-converted or exported again using another comnpatible video format. You can either re-export the file to another file format using your software, by using Windows Movie Maker or Apple's i-Movie. ( also Included free with the purchase of OSX.0 or greater.

Q. This video stops and starts a lot. I thought it was supposed to play immediately and continuously?

A. Typically this is representative of a poor connection, a slow connection or a badly bottlenecked network. If you are attempting to connect over dialup to receive the stream, please note that i2iAuction™ is recommended for use only over a 128K or greater connection. If you are connected to a network that is, in turn, connected to the internet and are experiencing these problems, then a poorly or misconfigured network is likely the problem. Occasionally older browsers can contribute to the issue, make sure also that your email client is the newest possible version to prevent any future problems and ameliorate present ones.
Please click here to update your Flash plugin to the latest version.

Q. There is a big white box where the video should be. what is causing this?

A. This is a simple and very fast fix. Most likely you have an old version of the flash plug-in and need to update it in order to make things work correctly.
Please click here to update your Flash plugin to the latest version.

Q. The picture quality is lousy, blocky, and it appears to be dropping frames.

A. The most likely problem at work here is the processor speed of your computer is either too slow or you have too may applications running simultaneously. If you are indeed running too many applications at the same time, please quit the others completely and try viewing the video again. If you feel your computer may be too slow, try either adding RAM, upgrading the processor or replacing the computer itself. To verify this, you can try viewing that email on someone else's computer. Most computers newer than a pentium II 300MHz or Apple Macintosh G3 350 MHz or greater have no problems at all with decoding or encoding the video stream fast enough. However a faster computer will increase the quality of the encoded/decoded video stream and make life generally more tolerable.

Another likely problem is that your connection speed is less than the recommended minimum of 128kb or greater and you have chosen to play the video at 56k. The only real solution in this case is to upgrade your connection to broadband: cable, DSL or satellite. Many broadband providers offer connectivity packages for less than $30 a month.

Please note also that recording video at 56K is not recommended and i2iAuction video is not intended for use with connections lower than 100k upload and download speeds

Q. I get the video screen to appear in my browser, but when I press the play button nothing happens.

A. One of two possible issues may be preventing the video from playing.
1. are you connected to the internet? You must be connected as the video is streamed only when requested.
2. If you are on a network you may have to have your System Administrator check your dns settings, and/or flushdns

Q. My video appears to be washed out and low quality, what can I do to make it better?

A. Several things can affect picture quality when recording (encoding). The cheapest factor is the quality of your light source, how you are lighting it, and the camera settings themselves. Plain old daylight is the best, but somewhat impractical. Flourescent lighting, most common indoor lighting, is probably the worst type of light to use, though usually it can be accounted for by changing your settings in the camera control panels. Most cameras have settings for flourescent or indoor lighting, so try changing these settings to match your environment. If you have light sources behind the subject, that can adversely affect it as well, and again most cameras have a backlight option which can reduce the blowout effect. Lastly, the camera itself may be an inferior or older model. Today's cameras are much clearer, more colorful and have better drivers than their predecessors. Not to mention, most can be purchased for under $100 at your local computer or office supply store.
Most newer webcams are compatible with i2iauction, so it will not be difficult to find an inexpensive one that suits your needs.
Please check our webcam compatibility matrix before you buy.
As noted above, you may also upload a preproduced file to your auction at no extra cost. The quality of a precompressed video file is greater than that of a video recorded through a webcam and there are fewer dropped frames, artifacts, and incidents of blocking. Most video files take only a few minutes to compress, and are then made available to your auction moments thereafter. With a broadband connection, this is a quick process and typically takes only a few minutes to upload and process. You are notified by email when this process is completed, so you are informed immediately when the process is complete.
We do not necessarily recommend this process for dial-up users as uploads are often and easily interrupted when using analog telephone lines. That is not to say the process cannot work, but it will take significantly longer for a 56K user to upload their file.

Q.Does i2iAuction™ work through a firewall?

A. Provided your firewalland network is correctly configured, there should be no issues with your video recording and reception.