- What are the minimum system requirements?
- I'm having trouble logging in, what's wrong?
- How do I play video and what bit rates are represented by Medium, and High
- What is a License?
- Can I access my purchased movies from any computer, anywhere at anytime?
- How do I purchase credits?
- What billing methods are supported?
- Where can I find titles I have purchased?
- How do I size my player window?
- How do I rate a movie?
- What is the technical quality of the content on AMC?
- There's a lot of Nollywood rubbish out there - will you be peddling such?
- What kind of movies are shown on AMC?
- How do I search for desired content?
- What delivery methods are supported?
- Why can’t I get video playback working?
- What is the AMC refund policy?
- Do you recommend any specific broadband ISP provider and what kind of service one needs to subscribe to for best viewing experience?
- Are there any Set-Top-Boxes I could use to view your service?
- How can I connect my computer to a TV or television screen?
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What are the minimum system requirements?
The video broadcast is optimised to be viewed using the following:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- A Windows based operating system (Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000, XP, XP Pro and Vista)
- Microsoft® Windows Media® Player Version 9 Series or later
- Broadband connection which can download at a data rate greater than 1Mbps
If you are having problems viewing the video broadcast there are a number of things that you should consider when diagnosing the problem. These can be grouped under the following sections:
- Operating System
- Internet Browser
- Media Player
- Broadband connection
If you make any changes to your settings please then refresh your browser and re-connect to the video stream.
Operating System
The video broadcast is best viewed on a Windows based PC using the any of the following operating systems:
- Windows 98 SE
- Windows Me
- Windows 2000
- Windows XP
- Windows XP Pro
- Windows Vista
These operating systems support at least Windows Media Player Version 9 which is a minimum requirement to view the video stream.
Mac Users
Unfortunately Mac users may experience some problems and are not fully supported at this time. Many Macs users can successfully view the video content using Windows Media player for MAC or other compatible players such as flip4mac but some may still have difficulties.
Please be conscious that the broadcast is being implemented in Windows Media format and whilst there are a number plug-ins for Macs which enable you to play these files they can be unstable.
To download Windows Media Player for Macintosh please click here:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/windowsmediaplayerformacosx.html
Internet Browser
Only Microsoft Internet Explorer is supported at this time.
To download and install Internet Explorer please follow the instructions at the following link:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx
Media Player
Our stream uses Microsoft® Windows Media® Player version 9 or later. To prevent any potential problems it is not essential but it is always useful to have the latest version of the player installed on your computer.
To download and install the latest versions of Microsoft® Windows Media® Player please click the following link and follow the online instructions.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/
Broadband Connections
If you are having problems viewing the stream continuously and there is regular "buffering" or the video stream is freezing there is likely to be a problem with your broadband connection.
The video is being streamed at two different data rates:
If you are viewing the stream at the higher data rate labeled “High”, you need a minimum broadband connection of 2Mbps. If “buffering” or the video stream is freezing, then please select the alternative lower data rate stream labeled “Medium”.
Please note that the quality will be reduced somewhat at this lower data rate but the experience should be continuous.
I'm having trouble logging in, what's wrong?
Please make sure you enter the correct username and password. If you continue to have difficulty, please request your password be resent to you.
How do I play video and what bit rates are represented by Medium, and High
Search for your desired content and purchase movie. Once movie purchase has been successful, go to My Account and select desired movie by clicking on the required quality link. You will be prompted to acquire a license and once the license has been delivered successfully, playback will start automatically.
Supported bit rates are:
High - standard definition at 1Mbps comparable to consumer DVD. You need minimum broadband connection speed of 2Mbps.
Medium - medium quality at 500kbps comparable to S-VHS tape. You need a minimum broadband connection speed of 1Mbps.
Our site uses licenses to protect content. This allows us to offer streams to you legally. After you choose which video you want to watch and the desired quality link (Medium, High), we deliver an electronic license for the film to your computer.
Each License has a specific viewing period. Typically our movies are licensed for three viewings within a 72 hour window from the time the license is successfully delivered to your PC. The viewing period for each video you purchase is displayed in My Account under My Movies. If you don’t watch a film at all after purchase, it remains in your My Movies indefinitely.
Can I access my purchased movies from any computer, anywhere at anytime?
A movie can only be watched on the PC where the license has been delivered. This can be any PC anywhere at anytime.
Click on My Account link and then Buy Credit. Select the credits package that best suits your desire and proceed to finalise transaction on secure WorldPay payment system. Minimum credits purchase is £5 for 50 credits. Significant discounts are offered for larger packages.
What billing methods are supported?
All major debit and credit cards are accepted including Mastercard, Visa, Visa Delta, Visa Electron, Visa Purchasing, Amex, JCB, Solo, Switch/UK Maestro. You can also make payment using your Paypal account.
Where can I find titles I have purchased?
Titles you have purchased can be found in My Account under My Movies.
How do I size my player window?
Simply click on desired size link on the media player – NORMAL, LARGE, FULL SCREEN. You can also go Full Screen by double-clicking the video.
Some computer manufacturers disable Full-Screen mode (e.g. double-clicking the video) by default.
To Re-enable Full-Screen mode:
- Load Windows Media Player
- On the menu bar, select “Tools” then “Options”
- In the Performance Tab, select the “Advanced” button
- Ensure “Enable full-screen mode switch” is selected
- Click the “OK” button
To exit full screen simply double click on the screen.
To rate a movie select your opinion and click on the star(s).
Ratings levels are:
1* - Bad
2* - Normal
3* - Good
4* - Great
5* - Outstanding
You need to log in to rate a movie.
What is the technical quality of the content on AMC?
AMC movies and other content are sourced direct from the original master DV Cam or digi beta versions, thus guaranteeing very good audio and visual quality, far exceeding what you currently get with VCD's. And too, AMC movies have been encoded at bit rates that are higher than what is commonly available on the internet to enable full screen quality experience.
There's a lot of Nollywood rubbish out there - will you be peddling such?
No way!! We can proclaim that with such aplomb and gusto because every content that end's up on the channel has been carefully hand-picked and scrutinized, to ensure that it fulfils at least 3 of the following 7 criteria - must be original/intelligent, interesting, stimulating, educational, entertaining, inspiring, and have a positive message.
What kind of movies are shown on AMC?
Movies from the Nigerian movie industry and from other major African movie production houses like Ghana, South African etc. All our movies are in English or otherwise sub-titled in English.
How do I search for desired content?
Simply enter a keyword in the Search box and then press enter button on your keyboard. Search results are displayed as specified. You can also use the Advanced Search option for more specific search by Title, Actor, Director, and Synopsis across Genre.
Other method of searching is by simply clicking on metadata links, like director or Actor, which will automatically execute search for all movies in database from the selected director or actor.
What delivery methods are supported?
- Free-to-view streams for registered users only
- Microsoft DRM encrypted streams
Why can’t I get video playback working?
Please check that your broadband internet access is working by browsing to our portal and refreshing the screen with F5. Then please check that you meet our minimum system requirements as shown above.
Also you might want to logout and then log in again.
What is the AMC refund policy?
AMC will honor any refund request that is related to a problem in delivering a stream to the end user. Please send email to info@africanmoviechannel.com.
Do you recommend any specific broadband ISP provider and what kind of service one needs to subscribe to for best viewing experience?
We recommend unlimited access with minimum speed of 2Mbps or higher. Please note to check your agreement terms to be sure your monthly fee is fixed and not linked to the usage. Some ISPs are promoting un-metered unlimited usage service, but terms might have exception clauses like Fair Usage Policy, therefore please read small print to ensure that there will be no interruptions to your internet access where ISP could apply speed blockage to your account.
Are there any Set-Top-Boxes I could use to view your service?
Most of the STB manufacturers announced Internet TV compatible set-top-box which will provide internet browsing and Windows Media playback; however we only recommend boxes which are based on Windows CE operating system and have embedded Windows Media Player version 10 or above.
How can I connect my computer to a TV or television screen?
In order to connect your computer to a television set, you need the correct video output hardware on your computer. This can be composite video (a yellow RCA jack), S-video (a black 4-pin connection), or on newer models, a DVI port. These connections are usually found on the video card on the back of the computer, though some multimedia PCs have the ports on the front. If your computer does not have any of these ports, you will not be able to connect your computer to your TV unless you buy a multimedia video card. If you do have a composite, S-video, or DVI connection on your computer, you are in luck. Most TVs have composite input, which uses a yellow connection for video, and a white and red connection for the left and right audio signal. Just connect the three cables from the computer to the TV, and you are set to go. S-video works the same way, but takes the place of the yellow cable in a composite connection. DVI is the highest quality connection, but will only work if your TV has a DVI input. Like S-video, you will need to connect the red and white audio cables as well if you want audio to come from the television. Once you have connected your PC to the TV, you can use the Display Control Panel in Windows to activate the output to the television. You can either "mirror" the display of the computer on the TV, or you can "extend the desktop" onto the television and have two separate displays. If you are using a Macintosh, open the Displays System Preference for the same options.
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