Technical FAQ

Getting Started

Q1: What software and hardware is required to use FreedomFlix?

A1. The following technical specifications are required to implement FreedomFlix in a school or public library: FreedomFlix streaming video and animations require a T1 connection or higher and Adobe Flash Player® 10 or higher (this is a free download at www.adobe.com).

For PC: We recommend the following operating systems and browsers

  • Operating systems: Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP
  • Browsers: Internet Explorer versions 8 and 9, Firefox versions 8 and 9 or Chrome versions 17 and 18
  • We also recommend using a 15-inch monitor with the resolution set at 1024 x 768 for best viewing (will operate fine at 800 x 600) with 16-bit colors or higher selected.

    For Mac: We recommend the following operating systems and browser:

  • Operating systems: Macintosh® OS X Leopard 10.5.8 or higher or OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2
  • Browsers: Safari 5
  • We also recommend using a 15-inch monitor with the resolution set at 1024 x 768 with “thousands of colors” selected.

    FreedomFlix includes numerous audio features and therefore requires speakers or headsets.

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    Q2: How can we be certain we meet the technical requirements for FreedomFlix?

    A2. Before you begin your subscription, please click on the following link to make sure every computer that will run FreedomFlix meets the necessary technical requirements: http://FreedomFlix.scholastic.com/browsercheck. After you have completed this diagnostic check you will be ready to begin using FreedomFlix.

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    Q3: How do we access FreedomFlix in our school or public library?

    A3. FreedomFlix is a subscription-based literacy resource for schools and libraries and may be licensed for both on-site and remote access. A variety of methods are used to authenticate these accounts at your district, school or public library. If you are not integrally aware of your network or Web infrastructure, please review this information with the head of your technology department before making your decision.

    1. IP Address: On-site access is most easily provided by authenticating the public IP address or address range (whichever is appropriate) unique to the subscribing institution(s).
    2. Secure Referring Web Page: If your institution maintains a Web site that includes a page accessible only to your students or library patrons (using student ID numbers, passwords, etc. maintained by you), you can place a link to FreedomFlix on that page and allow subscribers to access our service via that link.
    3. One-time Password: If your institution shares IP addresses with nonsubscribing institutions and you do not have a secure referring Web page, we can connect you using the "one-time password" method. This method works well when one or more-but not all-libraries behind a proxy server elect to subscribe.
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    Q4: How do we set up remote access?

    A4. If you choose to subscribe to FreedomFlix with remote access, there are a variety of methods to make this resource available to your students or patrons at home. You may already be using one of the methods below for other databases, including Grolier Online. If you are not integrally aware of your network or Web infrastructure, please review this information with the head of your technology department before making your decision.

    1. Secure Referring Web Page: If your institution maintains a Web site that includes a page accessible only to your students or library patrons (using student ID nos., passwords, etc. maintained by you), you can place a link to FreedomFlix on that page and allow subscribers to access our service via that link.
    2. Library Card Authentication: Library card authentication for remote access can be established provided that library cards are issued with at least three common starting digits and a fixed total length. The licensed site must also have its own web page.
    3. IP Assignment: If you have the ability to assign an IP address to your remote patrons (possibly through a proxy server) we can authenticate those IP addresses for remote access. Please remember that we need to know the IP addresses you are assigning even if they are already authenticated. They need to be coded for remote access to ensure that your usage statistics can be gathered accordingly.
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    Q5: Will FreedomFlix play on my mobile device or tablet?

    A5. FreedomFlix has been developed to play on all current mobile devices and tablets, such as:

  • iPads
  • iPhones
  • Android tablets
  • Android phones
  • The only true way to determine if FreedomFlix is compatible with your mobile device or tablet is to sign up for a free trial and try it out on your device or tablet.

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    Q6: What software and hardware is required to install FreedomFlix at home (remote access)?

    A6. Families will need a DSL, cable modem or higher connection. FreedomFlix will not work with a dial-up connection. Browser and Flash requirements are the same for remote access as they are for school/library use.

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    Q7: Do I need to install FreedomFlix on our school or library’s computers before children can access the program?

    A7. No installation of FreedomFlix is required. The only thing you might need to install is Flash version 8.x or higher.

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    Q8: Our school district has a secure firewall in place. Will I be able to use FreedomFlix?

    A8. To access FreedomFlix you should have ports 80 and 1935 open for best streaming video playback. Streaming will play through port 80 (which is the standard web port), but playback is better with the additional port 1935 open.
    You may also need to add www.scholastic.com, scholastic.fcod.llnwd.net and scholastic.vo.llnwd.net to your list of safe web sites.

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    Q9: How many FreedomFlix videos can be watched simultaneously?

    A9. FreedomFlix delivers videos and other content over the Internet. The number of videos that can be watched by a user simultaneously depends on many factors, including connection speed, the amount of other activity that is taking place on a school or library's computer network at a given time, and whether a school or library has a dedicated Internet connection or shares with other schools or libraries.

    The following guidelines should be used to determine how many FreedomFlix videos can be streamed simultaneously, and what implementation options for FreedomFlix are most appropriate. Note that these are average usage guidelines only. Actual performance may vary based on factors listed above.

    School Connection Speed Maximum # of Simultaneous Videos That Can Be Streamed Recommended Implementation Options (Schools)
    T1 (1.5 MB) 10 Teacher Led, Small Group, Library Learning Center, Small Lab
    Cable Modem (4-5 MB) 60 Teacher Led, Small Group, Library Learning Center
    T3 (44.7 MB) 100 Teacher Led, Small Group, Library Learning Center, Lab
    Gigabit (1000 GB) Unlimited Teacher Led, Small Group, Library Learning Center, Lab
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    Q10: How large are the video and eBook files? I’m uncertain if I have enough storage space to use FreedomFlix.

    A10. FreedomFlix uses streaming media, so there are no files to download to your computer or server.

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    Q11: I don't want my students downloading files to our school or libraries computers. How do I prevent them from doing this?

    A11. FreedomFlix uses streaming media, so there is no way children can download the files to your computer.

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    Q12: Can children bookmark specific titles within FreedomFlix so that they can easily return to a favorite title?

    A12. No, unfortunately you cannot bookmark any links within FreedomFlix.

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    Q13: Can I monitor how often my students or patrons use FreedomFlix?

    A13. Yes, you monitor usage stats for FreedomFlix by visiting http://FreedomFlix.scholastic.com/stats. Existing Grolier Online customers can also view a combined stats report at http://stats.grolier.com.

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    Troubleshooting

    Q14: My username and password does not work.

    A14. Please check your records carefully to ensure that you are entering the correct username and password and that you are typing them using all lower case letters. If the problem is not resolved, please call our customer service line at 1-888-326-6546.

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    Q15: I cannot access FreedomFlix (I do not normally need to login to FreedomFlix with a username and password).

    A15. Any number of factors may temporarily affect your ability to access FreedomFlix. If you are experiencing such difficulties, we recommend that you consult the technical staff at your school or library first, to see if any of the factors listed below applies, then call (or have your technical supervisor call) our customer service line at 1-888-326-6546. We have specific solutions for each of these issues:

    • Has your IP address or address range recently changed?
    • Have you recently changed your Internet service provider?
    • Have you added a proxy server or firewall to your technical infrastructure, either at your site or at the district (or other) level?
    • Are you or your service provider using a cache engine?
    • Have you added Internet filtering software to your system?
    • Have you recently upgraded your technical infrastructure in any other way?
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    Q16: When I go to "Watch It" section all I see is a white screen.

    A16. Your computer is missing the Flash plug-in. Download it for free at www.adobe.com, follow the installation instructions, and relaunch your browser.

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    Q17: When I access FreedomFlix I can hear the audio, but I can’t see the video in the “Watch It” section. How do I resolve this problem?

    A17. While on the title page, right click your mouse on the story and scroll to the bottom of the menu. Here it will tell you what version of Flash you have installed. If you are using anything below Flash version 8, you will need to upgrade to a newer version. To update your version of flash, go to www.adobe.com. This upgrade is free.

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    Q18: I can watch the video, but every so often it pauses and the progress bar stops. Why is this happening and how do I resolve this?

    A18. Your network may be experiencing heavy traffic. To decrease the amount of pauses that you get, right click on the video, and select “Quality” from the menu. Changing this setting from “High” to “Medium” or “Low” may alleviate the choppiness.

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    Q19: I click on the full screen option within the “Watch the Video” but nothing happens.

    A19. You may have a pop-up blocker installed or Javascript has been disabled.

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    Q20: The full screen version of the video is blurry. How do I remedy this?

    A20. FreedomFlix automatically delivers a file that is optimized for your internet connection speed. The full screen option is a scaled-up version of this file, and intended mainly for classrooms or groups of several people watching at a distance. Take a few steps back from your computer, and the picture should appear fine.

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