skip to main content

Digital Media Help Page

On this page:

What is the Digital Media Library?

The Family Medicine Digital Media Library is where you will find many audio and video files involving University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine faculty discussing their areas of expertise. By visiting these pages, you will be able to listen to audio podcasts, view PowerPoint presentations set to audio podcasts, and view other related video projects.

The Family Medicine Digital Media Library consists of the main list page and individual pages for each media file. The main list page displays the title, time, category, and presenter for each file. By clicking on the word Title you may sort the list alphabetically. By clicking on the word Time you may sort the list by length of time. To display only the media files that belong to a certain category, either select the desired category from the drop-down list at the top of the page and click Submit or simply click on the desired category name under the Category field on the list.

When you have found a media file that you would like to access, click on either the title of the file or the picture of the presenter and you will be taken to the individual page.

If it is a video file, there will be options for viewing:

  • an embedded YouTube file for you to view directly
  • a link that will let you download the video/audio to your computer
  • an embedded player for listening to only the audio from the video file
  • a link that will let you download the audio only to your computer

If it is an audio file, there will merely be an embedded player for listening to the audio directly in your browser along with a download link.

Viewing on YouTube

Certain digital media files have been uploaded to a Family Medicine YouTube channel (located at http://www.youtube.com/wifamilymedicine). While on a media file page, if you see a large box with a Play button under the title, Watch Presentation, this is an embedded YouTube video. By pressing the Play button, the video should begin playing instantly. An independent volume control is located on the bottom right of the video box next to the Menu button. If you would like to jump ahead in the file, simply drag the timeline cursor to the desired point and the video/audio should follow. If you click anywhere else on the video box, you will be taken to the YouTube page outside of our website that contains the same video.

Certain media files in the library are too long for a single video on YouTube and have therefore been broken up into two or more parts. For these media files, there will be a link below the YouTube video box that takes you to the subsequent parts. When these links are clicked, the page will reload with the appropriate next part in place of the previous.

Using the Embedded Audio Player

Embedded Audio Player

For both audio and video files in the Digital Media Library there is an embedded audio player that allows you to listen to the audio directly from your browser window. When you press the Play button the player will expand and begin to play. The audio should begin playing through your speakers or headphones right away. If you would like to jump ahead in the file, simply drag the timeline cursor to the desired point and the audio should follow. To pause the audio simply hit the Pause button. If you wish to adjust the volume, you must do so through your computer or speakers as there is no independent volume control for the player.

Downloading Files

Once you have selected a media file you will notice a heading that says Download Media File or Download Audio File. Under either of these headings will be a link to the media file in question. To the left of the link is a small icon that denotes what kind of file it is:

  • denotes an mp3 file which is a very common form of audio file that is recognized by the vast majority of computers and digital media players
  • denotes an mov file which is a video file format associated with Apple. These files require the Quicktime media player which your computer may already have. If not, you may download it at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
  • denotes a wmv file which is a video file format associated with Windows Media Player that you should already have installed on your computer. Many media players are able to play files of this format.

When you wish to download a file, hover your mouse cursor over the desired link and right-click. A drop-down menu will appear. Look for the option called “Save Target As…” or “Save Link As…” and select it. In some cases the file may automatically download to your desktop, otherwise a dialog window will open asking where you would like to save the file. Once you have selected where you would like the file to go, click the Save button and the file will begin to download.

Once the file is on your computer, you should be able to view or listen to it by simply double-clicking it. The appropriate program should open up and begin playing the file instantly.

Subscribing to RSS Feeds

RSS
An RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed is a method of publicizing newly uploaded web content. By subscribing to an RSS feed for the Family Medicine Digital Media Library, you will be alerted whenever a new media file is added to the main list page. Additionally, you can subscribe to a feed that will only alert you when a media file of a specific category is added, such as Musculoskeletal or Integrative Medicine.

In order to subscribe to an RSS feed, you will need to acquire what is called an RSS Aggregator or Reader. Some examples of this kind of program are Google Reader or Microsoft Outlook. You may also subscribe directly to an iGoogle page. If you would like to learn more about RSS feeds and aggregators, simply do a Google search as there is quite a lot of information on the internet about these subjects.

At the bottom of the main list page of the Family Medicine Digital Media Library there is a small orange icon. If you click on this icon your browser should take you to a new page and ask which aggregator you would like to use. Simply select your preferred program from the list or do a Browse and find the program on your computer. Some programs and browsers are not as smooth at subscribing to feeds. As an alternate method, hover your mouse cursor over the orange icon and right-click. Select “Copy Link Location” or “Copy Shortcut” to grab the feed’s URL and paste it into the appropriate place in your preferred aggregator program.

If you would like to narrow your RSS subscription to a specific category of media file, first select the desired category from the drop-down box at the top of the page, click Submit, and then proceed with the same steps detailed above with the orange button at the bottom of the new page.