Be a virtual guest at Annual Conference

For the first time, you can go online and watch a live broadcast of the Oklahoma Annual Conference, May 30-June 2 in Tulsa.

The Internet makes it possible for you to have a virtual front-row seat.

The technology is called "live streaming." The experience will start when you access www.okumc.org, the homepage of the Oklahoma Conference, from your computer or smart phone.

On that page, find the section titled "FOR YOUR INFORMATION." Look for the colorful conference logo; choose the link beside it to begin live viewing.

You will find an agenda on page 4A of this newspaper. Not every event will be broadcast; for example, the early-morning Services of Word and Table.

Ourchurchvideos.com enables use of this technology.

These are the computer requirements to successfully view live streaming:

1. PC or Mac computer with Flash Media Player installed;

2. A high-speed Internet connection (dial-up speeds are too slow);

3. A newer computer should perform better;

4. Speakers for audio; and

5. Web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox is preferred.

The live stream will utilize the Flash Media Player (also known as "Flash"). Flash is the gold standard for Internet video at this time. Nearly 99 percent of computers are configured with the Flash Media Player already installed.

Troubleshooting:

• Can’t see or hear the video? Please note that the video and audio will play only when an event is being broadcast.

• Trouble viewing ANY parts of the video or hearing ANY of the audio? You may not have the right media player installed. You may download the software for free at: http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about.

Going to this website should perform a "test" of your system. You may be prompted to install a new media player version. Simply follow the installation steps shown and you should be able to view content. After completing your installation, you should be able to watch the live stream whenever available.

Still not successful? You may want to visit another website that uses the same technology. We suggest www.youtube.com.  If you visit this site and can watch ANY video, you can be assured that you have the right technology. If you CAN watch videos on www.youtube.com,  but CANNOT see the live stream of the conference, then you may be trying to watch one of the sessions not scheduled for broadcast.

• Video choppy or slow?

1. Visit www.speedtest.net  and perform a speed test. Remember that although your Internet provider may advertise a certain download speed, that speed can be affected by the amount of "traffic" on that network or in your neighborhood. Many factors can impact your viewing.

Generally, if your download speed is 500k or higher, you will not have problems.

2. If you are running other applications on your computer at the same time, please shut down any that are not required. This will help your viewing experience.