Answers
Why is the streaming video feed gray?
Weather on Mount Erebus can be like anywhere else -
good and bad. On the bad days, clouds and/or the volcanic plume can obscure the
view of the crater and lava lake. Additionally, rime ice can gradually build over the lens of the camera, giving the appearance of cloud and plume cover. The poor visibility can last anywhere from minutes to days. Check again later.
Why is the streaming video feed solid green, blue or pink?
This probably means that the video transmission from the summit of Mt. Erebus to McMurdo station has been interupted. This may only be temporary, but it may also indicate that the camera/transmitter/power supply have been damaged by cold/ice/snow or volcanic bombs. Alternatively, the network link between McMurdo station and New Mexico Tech may be temporarily down. Network outages are rare and last only a few hours. If you see a green, blue or pink streaming image, please contact esser@mailhost.nmt.edu.
The QuickTime window says that it is "buffering". Why don't I see any video?
Apple's QuickTime Broadcaster transmits the Erebus crater video via a satellite link from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Bandwidth on the satellite is limited and it must serve other needs in to and out of McMurdo Station. During high traffic periods the QuickTime streaming video may not be reaching our server at New Mexico Tech where it is then disseminated to client computers. High traffic periods are difficult to predict when they will occur and how long they will ast. Please try again later. If the video is unavailable for a long period of time, please contact esser@mailhost.nmt.edu.
The QuickTime window says that it is "ready". Why don't I see any video?
Apple's QuickTime Broadcaster transmits only one video stream from McMurdo Station, Antarctica to the streaming server at New Mexico Tech. The streaming server is capable of determing the end-user's internet connect speed and adjusting the data-rate and video quality. The video stream works best with faster internet connections (e.g. cable modems and higher). Unfortunately, the video stream to slower connections (56K modems and lower) sometimes are not scaled properly by the server and do not reach the clients computer. An alternative to the streaming video of the Mt. Erebus crater can be found HERE.
Why am I getting the message "Plug-In not installed"?
The live Mt. Erebus video stream is captured and transmitted over the internet using Apple's QuickTime technology. QuickTime must be installed on your computer for you to properly view the live video. It is available as a free download from www.apple.com/QuickTime.