Watching a Kink.com Live Show with Flash

What software do I need to view the video?

Chances  are good that your web browser already has the Adobe Flash Player  plugin installed and it will work in your browser automatically.  We  recommend the latest version (version 11.3), so if you’re running  version 11.1 or lower, please visit http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ and follow the installation directions.

** To check your Flash Player plugin version, go to: http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

What software do I need to chat?

Our chat client is Flash-based, so the  same Flash Player plugin (which enables you to see our videos) will also  allow you to use our interactive chat

How does pay per minute work?

Pay  per minute - or "PPM" - uses Kinks (aka tokens). After purchasing a  block of Kinks, you can use them to watch live shows.  If you are a  subscriber to a site which offers edited updates and is also hosting a  live show, you get access to the live show along with your subscription,  at no extra charge.  (Note: www.KinkLive.com does not offer edited updates or subscriptions, only live shows.)

You can also buy pre-recorded shoots and watch other pre-recorded videos by the minute on KinkOnDemand.com. You'll be charged incrementally for each minute of video that you watch.

*** If a PPM video is paused, stopped, or just isn't working, then you're not being charged.

Having problems? Here are a few tips!

• Did your video stop working?  Sometimes a simple page refresh will fix the problem.
• If reloading the page doesn't work, then quit and restart your browser.
• Are you using the built-in AOL  browser? That won't work. Please use a stand-alone browser like Chrome or Firefox.
  
• If the video is paused, stopped, or just isn't working, then you're not being charged.

Still having problems, let support know!

• if your chat window is working, send a private chat message to KINK_LIVE_HELP (or KINK_LIVE_HELP1 or   KINK_LIVE_HELP2)
• if chat isn't working, send e-mail to support@kink.com

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Kink.com Flash Player FAQ

1. Do I need to download anything to be able to use the Flash player to stream video in my browser?

Chances  are good that your browser  already has the Adobe Flash Player plugin  installed and it will work in  your browser automatically.  We recommend  the latest version (version  11.3), so if you’re running version 11.1  or lower, please visit http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ and follow the installation directions.

Please pay attention to the system requirements for HD video playback. We feel that these minimum requirements are too  low in terms of the amount of installed RAM and VRAM for playing the  high quality HD content that we offer. We recommend that you have at least 1G RAM, 512MB VRAM and a Core 2 Duo processor for the best  experience.

There are several reasons we switched to a Flash-based player:

• Speed

For  the fastest download speeds, we use a content delivery network (CDN) to  distribute our content to you. This means that all of our content is  mirrored around the world. When you download content, it comes from the  location that is closest to you. By switching to Flash Streaming, we are  able to take advantage of this network.

• Quality

The  Flash stream is of a much higher quality than the Real stream. You have  the ability to switch between different bit rates depending on your  network connection and computer speed. If you have a faster connection  or don't mind waiting a bit longer before you see the video, you can  choose a faster rate and see a higher quality image.

• Security

The  security of your computer system is a major concern for us. Real Player  has had numerous major security holes over the years. Yes, Flash also  can expose computers to security issues (as can any piece of software),  but we feel that fixes and updates to Flash happen more quickly and are  addressed more seriously than they are with Real.

• Compatibility

99% of the computers on the internet have Flash installed versus only 47% for Real. By switching to Flash we are appealing to  more users. Massive sites like YouTube, Vimeo and XTube all use Flash  (and not Real) to play video files.

5. Can I view the streaming videos in high-definition (HD) format with the Flash player?

Yes - if you have a very fast internet connection, you can watch the  high quality stream by clicking the "High" tab above the player. If the  video stutters, then your internet connection or computer is too slow  and you should switch back to medium or low for better performance.

6. When streaming a video, can I view it full screen?

Yes - Click the St Andrews Cross button in the video player for full screen. Use the ESC key to leave full screen mode.

7. How do I open the chat in its own resizable window?

Click on the cogwheel icon in the upper left of the chat window to open the drop-down menu of chat options, then click “Pop out Chat” to move the chat out of your browser window and into a separate window.

8. Can I chat on one monitor while watching fullscreen video on a second monitor?

If you have 2 monitors (and version 11.3 or higher of the Flash Player plugin),  you can drag the pop-out chat window to one monitor (see item #7), and  then watch the video in full-screen mode on the other (see item #6).

9. The video seems to load slowly. How can I know it's really loading?

If  you see the circle spinning, then the player is loading the video  stream. How long this takes will vary greatly depending on your internet  connection. You may try switching to the medium or low quality option  to load the video more quickily.

10. What are the technical specs (bitrate & encoding) of your streaming videos?

Kink.com  has chosen to utilize a Flash-based streaming solution with content  encoded using H.264. Our content can be streamed at the following bit  rates:

• 350 kbits/sec - This is our lowest bit rate solution and the default.

• 700 kbits/sec - This is our medium bit rate solution.

• 1500 kbits/sec - This is our highest bit rate solution.

11. I'm still having problems...

Please post them in our technical support forum or email support@kink.com. Let us know your processor speed, processor type, installed ram, free space on your hard disk, the version of Flash you have installed.

We  appreciate your business. Please keep telling us how the video player  is working for you, and we'll keep working to improve it. Thank you!

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Windows Media Player: Streaming Media Playing Poorly?

SUMMARY: If streaming media files in Windows Media Player 11 start and stop constantly, try this tip.

When playing streaming multimedia content, Windows Media Player 11 (link to even more tips) buffers (locally stores) a small amount of content before playing the media. As the multimedia is played, more content is downloaded in the background.

WMP buffers a few seconds of content to compensate for breaks in Internet traffic. Thus, if network congestion or other problems cause a two second break in downloading, but five seconds of content has been buffered, you should notice no break in the streaming playback. However, network congestion over 5 seconds will result in the playback stopping, restarting once downloading can ensue.

To compensate for slower Internet connections or network congestion you can increase this buffer size. However, there are two downsides:

* Windows Media Player 11 will take a longer period of time before playing streaming multimedia as it has to buffer additional content.

* Buffering content may increase Windows Media Player 11's memory and/or disk usage.

To increase the buffer size:

1. Press "Alt", "T", and then "O" to access the Options menu.

2. When the "Options" multi-tabbed dialog box appears, select the "Performance" tab.

3. Underneath "Network buffering", click the "Buffer" radio button.

4. Next to this radio button, enter your desired number of seconds Windows Media Player 11 will buffer files before playback (60 is the maximum).

5. Click "OK" to close the "Options" dialog box.

(Credit for this tip goes to: http://malektips.com/windows_media_player_11_0006.html)

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#Installing Adobe Flash on Windows Vista systems

The helpful folks over at Adobe are aware that users of Windows Vista may have trouble installing Adobe Flash. They wrote a long document detailing how to resolve the issues that we have condensed below.

We've seen instances of Kink.com customers running Vista who download the latest update to Flash, in order to watch streaming video on their favorite Kink site, only to find that their machines aren't recognizing the installation they've just completed.

Here are the instructions, as laid out by Adobe, for averting this problem:

Windows Vista installation failure

On some Windows Vista systems Flash Player may be installed, but will not display Flash content. In some cases updating to the latest Flash Player using the included utility can correct the User Account Control settings that cause this problem.

To run the utility, find your installed Flash folder:

• Right-click      C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil9d.exe
  The letter changes with each Flash version, so may be "FlashUtilb.exe" or "FlashUtile.exe"
• Select "Run as Administrator"
• Follow the steps to complete the Flash Player installation
• Restart your computer

If you continue to have problems, please read this document.

As always, if you're having trouble implementing this, or you need more technical assistance, please email us at support@kink.com.