Help

After looking below, if you are still having problems with video playback, your account, or the site in general, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

Our help desk hours are Mon-Fri from 10am to 5pm. We will do our best to respond to your issue within 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions:

GENERAL

I am having trouble viewing the site, what web browsers are currently supported?

The following web browsers are supported by OntheBoards.tv.

Firefox 3+ (Download latest version of Firefox)
Chrome 3+ (Download latest version of Chrome)
Safari 4+ (Download latest version of Safari)
Internet Explorer 7, 8 (Download latest version of Internet Explorer)

If your browser is among those listed above and you continue to have problems viewing the site, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

How often are new performances added to the site?

We anticipate adding up to 8 new performances each year. These performances will be added to the site as they are ready throughout the year.

How can I be notified when new performances are added to the site?

A great way to be notified when a new performance is added, is by subscribing to our OntheBoards.tv e-news. On the home page, click on the 'Sign up to be notified of updates' link in the orange box in the lower right corner. You will recieve all OntheBoards.tv news, including new performances and updates to the website.

Another way is to subscribe to the 'RSS' feed, found in the same orange box on the homepage. Most web browsers will allow you to view and subscribe to the RSS feed from within the browser. If you use a stand-alone feed reader, you can add a feed to that reader using the URL from the RSS feed page. By subscribing to the RSS feed, when a new performance is added, your RSS feed reader will notify you of the update.

Click here for more information about subscribing to RSS feeds.

How do I find out more about a particular performance?

There are a number of sections on each performance page that provide you with more information about the performance:

About this performance - Located below the purchase / watch options in the right sidebar, this area gives a brief description of the performance. To read the full text, expand the section by clicking on the 'Read more...' link.
Related Links - Located below the 'About this performance' section, this area provides links to external resources that pertain to the performance, like reviews, cast and crew listings, and interviews.
Also of Interest - When available it is located below the 'Related Links' section, this area provides links to additional resources that may interest the viewer, like similar performances or upcoming works by the artist.
Related Media - Located below the performance video player, this area provides additional, multimedia resources that relate to the performance, like audio interviews, podcasts, and trailers.

If you have specific questions about a performance and can not find the information you are looking for, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

How do I find similar performances?

The Tags section on a performance page is a collection of terms that relate to the performance. To find similar performances, click on any of the tag links. This will initiate a search for other performances that share the same tag.

How do I find out more about On the Boards?

You can find out more about On the Boards by visiting our primary website, and by reading our blog.

If you have specific questions that are not answered in any of these locations, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

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VIDEO

I'm having trouble with video playback. What should I do?

Make sure you have the latest version of the Flash player installed. To see if you have the latest version,check here.
Select the version of the performance that is best suited to your computer and connection speed (see next question below)

If you continue to have problems, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

The videos I watch all seem to stutter when I'm watching them, how can I fix this?

Stuttering videos are, unfortunately, among the hardest problems to diagnose. Some general rules are:

If both the video and audio stutter while you are viewing, you are most likely experiencing issues with your internet connection.
If the video stutters but the audio is fine, you are most likely experiencing issues related to your computer's hardware and/or software configuration.

The following are general suggestions that may help:

Are you watching video over a wireless connection and your video is stuttering?
- If so, try it over a wired connection.
Do you experience video stalling problems only during fullscreen mode?
- If so, try lowering your desktop resolution before opening a video in fullscreen mode.
Are you running any bandwidth-intensive applications on your own computer (e.g. Vuze, BitTorrent, Outlook, other downloads, internet phone services such as Skype, Vonage, MagicJack)?
- If so, you may want to pause or quit these applications while watching performances.
Are you sharing an internet connection with other people?
- If so, check to see if they are using any bandwidth-intensive applications while you are watching performances.
Is the CPU usage on your computer unusually high while watching performances?
- On Windows, you can check this by right-clicking on your task bar, launching the Task Manager, and going to the Performance tab. If the CPU usage is above 50%, try shutting down any applications that may be using your CPU.
- On a Mac, go to "Applications," then "Utilities" and launch the Activity Monitor. If the CPU usage is above 100%, try shutting down any applications that may be using your CPU. You may also try the latest Flash Player beta that greatly improves Flash video playback performance on a Mac. The beta Flash Player is located at http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/flashplayer10/flashplayer10_1_rc6_mac_052510.dmg at the time of writing.

If you're still having issues, you can use the following steps to try to diagnose the problem:

If the video is still stuttering, you may be experiencing issues with your CPU performance.
1. Try turning off any CPU-intensive programs you're running.
2. Additionally, you can try running a different browser, or updating your Flash player.
Perform a Speed Test of your connection.
1. This can be accomplished by going to http://www.speedtest.net.
2. Once there, click on the yellow pyramid on the map (if none of the pyramids are yellow, select one that is closest to your geographic location).
3. This will initiate a speed test — once complete, examine the results.
4. If your download speed (indicated by the down arrow) is below 1,000Kbps, then your bandwidth is fairly limited. You may want to consider limiting your viewing experience to the "Regular" performance, as higher-quality streaming will be more to likely stutter.
5. If your download speed is 1,000Kbps or above, your bandwidth should be able to stream HD performances. To best watch our HD performances, we recommend a speed of 3,500Kbps or more.
Perform a Traceroute.
1. If you receive an output with 13 or more hops, the problem is most likely related to how your ISP is routing your computer's requests to our performances.
2. Unfortunately, we are unable to fix this problem — you can try contacting your ISP's support desk to request help.
3. If you receive an output within 1-12 hops, the issue is probably not related to your ISP.

If you continue to have problems, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

Some performances allow me to 'Watch HD' or 'Watch Regular' - which version should I view?

HD Versions of the performances may require a relatively fast processor, higher quality video card and a high-speed Internet connection. If you are having trouble viewing the HD versions, please try the Regular version. The Regular version is optimized for older computers and slower Internet connection speeds.

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PURCHASING

Are transactions on this site secure?

Yes. Your information is protected on our site using an SSL connection to encrypt sensitive data as its sent to our payment processor. No information regarding your credit card account is stored on our server. Your financial information is not shared with On the Boards or any third party.

What credit cards can I use to purchase performances?

OntheBoards.tv accepts payments from Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discovery.

How do I see what is in my shopping cart?

To view the contents of your shopping cart, click on the View Cart link in the upper right navigation menu. The corresponding page will show you if you have any items in your cart.

I had items in my shopping cart, logged out and now they are gone. What happened?

The shopping cart is linked to your user profile. If you are logged into the site and you add an item to your shopping cart, that item will stay in your shopping cart until you remove it, or complete the purchase. You can log out of the site and log back in, and the item will still be in your shopping cart.

If you had items in your shopping cart and logged out, simply log back into the site and the shopping cart items will be restored.

Additionally, if you add items to your shopping cart before you have logged into the site, simply logging in will add these items into your shopping cart associated with your user profile.

If you continue to experience issues with your shopping cart, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

I am interested in purchasing a video, what is "Rent" versus "Own"?

"Rent" gives you streaming access only to the purchased content for 48 hours after the time of purchase. This means that you are only able to view the view using the media player on the website.

"Own" gives you streaming and download access to the purchased performance. You are able to stream the video 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Streaming videos are viewed using the media player on the website. The download options available include the ability to download HD versions, and device (iPod/iPhone/Android/etc.) versions for playback later. Once downloaded, these films can be stored onto your computer and burned onto a DVD for viewing on a larger screen. These files do not contain any digital rights management (DRM) features, and will not expire or have limited use.

If you would like further clarification or have specific questions regarding these options, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

Can I view my order history?

Yes. The 'Orders' tab on your account page will list all transactions you have made on the site. You can view the original invoices, as well as printable copies.

To access this page if you are already logged in, click on the 'My Account' link in the top right navigation of the site. This will take you to your account page. From here you may follow the 'click to view your order history' link, or click on the 'ORDERS' tab.

If you are not logged in, go to the log in page. After logging in to the site you will automatically be taken to your account page. From here you may follow the 'click to view your order history' link, or click on the 'ORDERS' tab.

If you have a specific question regarding one of your orders, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

How do I know when the subscription I purchased is set to expire?

In order to see user information, like subscription expiration, you must first be logged into the site. For more information on logging in, see the User Information section below.

If you are not logged in then log into the site, using the log in page, and you will be taken to your account page. If you are logged in already, click on the 'My Account' link at the top of the page. This will take you to your account page.

Once at your user account page, if you have a current subscription you should see it displayed beneath the 'Subscription Information' heading on the user page. The subscription information should include a message stating when the subscription is set to expire (example: Your On the Boards TV subscription is set to expire on xx/xx/xxxx - xx:xx.).

If you have a current subscription that is not being displayed, or are having problems viewing performances with your subscription, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

The coupon code I entered is not working.

If you are having problems with a coupon code, there are three things to check:

Make sure your coupon code applies to the item in your shopping cart. Coupon codes can be associated with single item or a type of item, and if that item is not in your shopping cart, the code will not work.
Make sure the code has not expired. Coupon codes generally work within a limited time frame, and once that time has passed, the coupon will expire.
Make sure you have entered the code correctly. While case sensitivity is not important, spelling is.

If you continue to have problems, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

What do I do if I have a problem with a purchase?

If you have had any problems with purchasing performances on the site please let us know what has happened and we will help to remedy the problem as quickly as possible. You can contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

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DOWNLOADING

When I click the download button, the performance video plays in my browser. How do I download the file?

If you are not prompted to download when you click the "Download HD" or "Download for Devices" buttons, we recommend right-clicking the button (Control-click on a Mac) and choosing "save target as…" or "save link as..." depending on what browser you are using. You will then be prompted to selection a location on your computer where you would like to save the video.

I downloaded a performance video and now I can't seem to find it, where did it go?

Some web browsers, like Internet Explorer, will prompt you for a download destination, while others, like Firefox, will save downloads to a default directory.

For browsers like Internet Explorer, it is important to make a note of the directory you are saving to when the browser prompts you. Having a specific folder that you always download to helps alleviate confusion with downloads.

For browsers like Firefox, you can modify, or locate the download directory by selecting Options from the Tools menu, and then looking in the Downloads section on the Main tab. If the 'Save files to' option is selected, the destination folder will be displayed to the right of the option. Click on the 'Browse' button to change the directory or get more information. If the 'Always ask me where to save files' option is selected, then, like Internet Explorer, it is important to note the directory, or use a specific directory, when downloading files.

If you still are unsure as to where your downloaded performance has gone, you can search your computer for the file. The following are some links that help walk you through searching your computer for a specific file.

All of the performance videos start with the text "OTB" without quotes. Searching your computer for that text should allow you to find the performance.

How do I get the "devices" version of a video onto my specific device?

We recommend referring to the support site for your device, or the device manual.

For Apple devices, you can find general answers here. Or, check out frequently asked questions regarding videos and iPods. If you are prompted to convert the video when importing to iTunes, please decline the conversion process as the 'devices' version of the video is already in a format useable by iPods and iPhones.

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USER INFORMATION

Does On the Boards use my personal information for anything other than this site?

On the Boards respects your privacy and we would like to asure you that we are not using your information for any nefarious purposes.

For detailed information regarding our privacy policies please check here.

Do I need an account to use the site?

While you do not need an account to view certain aspects of the site (performance trailers, related media content, etc.), you will need an account to:

Make purchases on the site
Comment on performances

Additionally having an account allows you to keep track of your purchases, as well as giving you access to the content you may have purchased.

If you are making a purchase and don't already have an account, one will be created for you during the checkout process. You will be e-mailed the specifics of your newly created user account, regarding user name and password.

How do I sign up for an account?

To sign up for an account, click on the 'Sign Up' link in the upper right navigation menu. On the resulting, enter your desired username and a current e-mail address into the form and click on the 'Create New Account' button. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to you with your user name and a temporary password. Either follow the link provided in the e-mail, or click the 'Log In' link in the upper right navigation menu of the site and enter your log in information.

The first time you log in, you will be asked to change your password. Enter your desired password into the appropriate fields and click the 'Save' button.

You are now registered on the site.

If you are having problems creating an account, please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

I was never emailed a password, how can I log into the site?

If you have signed up for an account, but never received your login information via e-mail, you can request password reset by clicking on the 'Log In' link in the upper right navigation menu and then clicking on the 'Request New Password' tab. Enter the e-mail address you used for your account into the field provided and click the 'E-mail New Password' button.

If the site recognizes your information, it will e-mail you instructions for resetting your password. If the site does not recognize you as a registered user, an error message will be displayed (example: "Sorry, e-mail address is not recognized as a user name or an e-mail address."

If you receive this message you can either sign up for a new account, or if believe you already have an account please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

I've forgotten my password, how can I retrieve it?

If you have signed up for an account, but have forgotten your log in information, you can request password reset by clicking on the 'Log In' link in the upper right navigation menu and then clicking on the 'Request New Password' tab. Enter the e-mail address you used for your account into the field provided and click the 'E-mail New Password' button.

If the site recognizes your information, it will e-mail you instructions for resetting your password. If the site does not recognize you as a registered user, an error message will be displayed (example: "Sorry, user@domain.com is not recognized as a user name or an e-mail address."

If you receive this message you can either sign up for a new account, or if believe you already have an account please contact us at support@ontheboards.org.

How do I change the e-mail address associated with my account?

To change the e-mail address associated with your account, first make sure you are logged in to the site. Next, click on the 'My Account' link in the upper right navigation menu. On your account page, click on the 'Edit' tab. Under 'Account Information', change the e-mail address listed to the e-mail address you wish to use, and then click the 'Save' button. Your e-mail address will now be updated in the system.

How do I change my password?

To change the password associated with your account, first make sure you are logged in to the site. Next, click on the 'My Account' link in the upper right navigation menu. On your account page, click on the 'Edit' tab. Under 'Account Information', change the 'Password' field and 'Confirm Password' field to the new password you wish to use, and then click the 'Save' button.

How do I subscribe / unsubscribe from the newsletter?

There are two ways to change your newsletter subscription status. First, make sure you are logged in to the site. Next, click on the 'My Account' link in the upper right navigation menu. On your account page, click on the 'Edit' tab. Below the 'Edit' tab, click on the 'My Newsletters' navigation link. If you are currently subscribed to the OntheBoards newsletter, the box will appear checked. To change your subscription status, check/uncheck the box and then click the 'Save' button.

Alternatively, if you are already logged in you can click on the 'Sign up to be notified of updates' link at the top of the orange box in the lower right sidebar, change your subscription status and then click the 'Update' button.

How do I add my location so that it appears next to my name when I leave a comment?

To display a location along with your name when you leave a comment, first, make sure you are logged in to the site. Next, click on the 'My Account' link in the upper right navigation menu. On your account page, click on the 'Edit' tab. Below the 'Edit' tab, click on the 'Other Information' navigation link. Enter your geographic location into the 'Location' field and then click the 'Save' button. When you leave comments on the site, your location will be listed next to your name.

How do I log out of the site?

If you are logged into the site, click on the 'Log Out' link in the upper right navigation menu.

It is important to log out of your account, especially on shared machines, so that your account information is not compromised. While no financial information is being stored on the site, someone could potentially alter your login information, preventing you from viewing your purchased content.

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