Audio and video clips at the CBC ESL Website are currently only available in the Windows Media format. You will need the Windows Media Player plug-in installed on your computer. This is a free program that is often included with newer versions of browsers and computer operating systems. Windows Media Player is regularly updated and it's recommended you have the most recent version installed (Version 7 or higher). You can download it free from the Microsoft Windows Media website.

To view a clip, click on the play button (the black triangle located below the photograph). It usually takes a clip a few moments to start. Use the Windows Media controls to pause or stop the clip.


Recommended internet connection speed
Audio and video clips on the site will play better with faster internet connections. Users with a high-speed connection (DSL or cable) should experience high quality audio and video with relatively few problems (unless the internet is unusually busy).

Users with a dial-up 56 Kbps modems (or slower) and an older computer with less RAM will experience longer delays while the clip buffers before playing, and may experience interruptions as it plays. You should be able to access the audio clips without problem.

Recommended browser
The CBC ESL Web site is optimized for use with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (or higher) for PC or Mac. You'll get best performance with the most recent version of Explorer. The site can also accessed using Internet Explorer 4.0, Netscape 4.0 (or higher), Mozilla, Safari, Opera and other browsers, but some features (such as our video clips) may not function properly.

What is streaming media?
"Streaming media" refers to audio or video that plays while you are connected to the internet. This way you don't need to wait for the entire file to download to your computer before you can start watching. All clips on the ESL Web site are streamed.


Can I save a clip?
No. Due to copyright reasons, clips cannot be saved. You must be connected to the internet to watch or listen to our clips.