There are two main ways to locate videos on how2heroes. You'll find both in the header bar at the top of the page. In your first row of options you'll see "Videos." Clicking that will take you to a main category page, but just mousing over "Videos" will display a drop down menu that you can use to choose a specific category. Below the first row is a search box. Like any standard search, just type what you're looking for, press enter (or return on a Mac) and we'll show you what we've got.

When watching a video, you can obtain HTML embed code for use on your own web site or blog by clicking the "Get Code" button in the bottom right corner. Simply copy and paste this code into the source code of your web page and you're all set. Please note, some online services such as MySpace may prevent you from posting the code for security reasons. In these cases, you will have to link directly to the video on the site.

If you feel any content on the site is inappropriate and should be removed, please contact the support team to let us know. Be sure to include a link to the video or a description of the advertisement so we are aware of the content in question.

While you may get by with something less, below is a set of what we believe are the minimum requirements for quality viewing:

Windows 2000, XP or Vista

• 768Kbps or higher broadband connection (if you're not sure of your connection speed, test your bandwidth)
• 1GHz or faster Intel Pentium III processor
• 256MB of RAM
• 1GB (or more) of free hard drive space
• Flash Player 9 or higher (you can upgrade via Adobe's web site)
• Internet Explorer 7+, Firefox 3+, or Chrome

Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later

• 768Kbps or higher broadband connection (if you're not sure of your connection speed, test your bandwidth)
• 1GHz or faster G4, G5, or Intel Processor
• 256MB of RAM
• 1GB (or more) of free hard drive space
• Safari 3+, Firefox 3+, or Chrome
• Flash Player 9 or higher

how2heroes requires Flash Player 9. Flash Player 9 Update 3 or higher is recommended, as higher-quality video can be provided.

how2heroes supports all standards-compliant browsers, and is tested for proper functionality in Safari 3+, Firefox 3+, Chrome, Internet Explorer 7+, and Opera 9+. Firefox 2 and any other standards-compliant browser should also work, but is not fully tested by our QA team. Internet Explorer 6 is no longer supported. If you are still using IE6, please upgrade to the latest version or switch to another supported browser.

Flash Player 9 or higher is required to view video on how2heroes. If you do not have Flash 9 installed, you can get the latest version from Adobe's Flash Player Web site. If after installing the latest version of Flash you are still unable to play videos, you may have ad blocking software installed that's preventing data from loading. Please temporarily disable all ad blocking software to see if it resolves the problem. If it does, you may need to alter your settings to allow files from how2heroes.com.

First, check the volume on the player. If the blue dot on the volume controls is all the way to the left, drag it to the right. If you still don't hear sound, check to make sure you do not have any headphones or other devices plugged into the computer that might be rerouting your audio. If this doesn't help, and other applications don't make sound, check your system preferences to make sure your audio is not muted.

On Mac OS...

• Open System Preferences and click Sound.
• Click on the Output tab.
• Make sure that Built-in Output is selected, that the output volume is turned up, and that Mute is not checked.

On Windows...

• Go to the Start menu and choose Run
• Type "sndvol32"
• Click OK
• Make sure that "Master Volume" and "Wave" are turned up, and that neither is muted.

If you're still experiencing issues, please contact our support team.

If video playback is choppy, chances are that your connection is having difficulty downloading the video fast enough to play it in real time on your computer. You can see how much of the video has downloaded when looking at the progress bar. The lightest bar shows the length of the video. The darkest bar is how far along you are in the video. The bar in between those two, with a medium gray tone, displays how much of the video has loaded so far. If you pause the video and wait for that bar to get a bit farther you'll have an easier time watching without stuttering playback.

There are several ways you can contribute to the how2heroes web site. If you already have a video, or plan to make one, you can sign up to be a hero and submit your video for review. If we feel it's a good fit for the site, we'll post it (and possibly make it a feature as well). If you don't know how to make a video but you do know a thing or two in the kitchen, you can always contact us and let us know. We're constantly in production with several talented people to create content for how2heroes and are always looking for new people to bring to the site. If you're not a chef and don't know your way around a camera but nonetheless have an idea for a great video, you can send us your idea, too. We'll do our best to make it a reality if it's a popular suggestion. If none of these apply to you, but you still want to help, tell your friends and family about the site! Spreading the word can be one of the most valuable things you can do to help out how2heroes and make it a great success.

Even if you don't have a lot of expensive equipment, you can shoot a quality video with things you probably already own. We will have a video available soon that shows you how you can create a great instructional with minimal equipment.

First, if you have some equipment and a little knowledge you should watch How to Shoot a Great Video for some additional tips on creating a great production with things you probably have at home. If you're not ready to become both a star and a video producer, please contact us. We shoot many of the videos on how2heroes and we're always looking for new talent to bring to the site.

The following instructions will help you get a good export out of iMovie. Please note that these instructions pertain to version 6 and may vary with older and newer versions of the application.

1. Navigate to the "Share" menu and choose "Quicktime."
2. From the "Compress Movie For" drop down menu, choose "Expert Settings."
3. Click "Share", then click "Options."
4. Uncheck "Fast Start for Internet Streaming."
5. The audio settings are less important, but AAC at a rate of 128kbps is a good choice for stereo audio. If your video only has one person talking, choosing mono instead of stereo, and a rate of 64kbps. Once you've made these changes (if necessary), click "OK."
6. Now, underneath the "Video" header, click "Settings."
7. Under the "Compression Type" drop-down menu, choose "H.264."
8. Keep the frame rate at the current frame rate. While the "Data rate" will be set to automatic, you'll want to choose "Restrict to" and type in 2132 for the data rate. Keep "Optimized for" set to "Download." Next, change the Quality slider to "Best" and decide if you want to encode two passes or one. Two passes will take twice as long but give you a slightly better quality video. If you have the time, this is recommended. Lastly, you will have to specify the key frame rate. If you have a 29.97 or 30 frames per second video, which is most common in iMovie, a key frame every 300 frames (or 10 seconds) is sufficient. When you're done, click "OK."
9. Ignore the "Filters" button. You may want to resize your movie to 480x360 to conserve space. To do so, click the "Size" button and enter 480 for the width and 360 for the height. In the event you have a widescreen (16:9) movie, you'll want to set the height to 270 instead of 360. When you're done, click "OK."
10. Click save.
11. Wait patiently.

Not all videos uploaded to how2heroes will be posted on the site. We first review the videos for quality, then prepare them for the site. This includes an editorial write-up and some graphical preparation. You will be notified if your video has been posted to the site or if we need more information from you in order to get your submission online. In the event we feel your video will make a good feature, we may ask for a picture of you and a picture of your dish as well. Preparing these elements ahead of time and providing us with as much detail as possible during the submission process will make your submission more appealing. Nonetheless, a quality production, regarding both the technical elements and the content of your video, is paramount. For more information on getting better results with equipment you already have around the house, please check out our article on Shooting a Great Video.

If you're uploading video, which is generally quite large, you should make sure you have a fairly fast upload speed. Dial-up would not be suitable for this task. You should also try to avoid doing lots of other stuff on your computer while you are uploading, and make sure that you close any peer-to-peer filesharing software that you might have open before starting the upload. If all else fails, you can always contact the how2heroes support team.

You can if it's absolutely vital, however we encourage you to refrain from suggesting a specific brand as it may not be easily available to all viewers. If it is vital to the recipe, please also suggest an alternative for those who are unable to obtain it.

Submissions should be limited to 100MB or less. Accepted video formats are listed on the video sharing page. Please provide the highest quality source possible; videos recorded with a cell phone are unlikely to be posted to the site due to their intrinsic low quality.

Vaguely, we're looking for videos that pertain to the culinary world. More specifically, if you have a great recipe to share or techniques you believe others will benefit from we're interested. Of course, recipes and techniques that are not yet on the site will be more valuable.

If it makes sense to use a particular song in your video, go right ahead, but be aware that you must either own the copyright to the work or be able to provide proof that you have been given the right to use the music in your production by its copyright holder.

Please consult our terms and conditions for more information regarding the proper protocol for filing a DMCA complaint.

Please contact us and let us know what you want to do so we can discuss it.

If you want to get ahold of us regarding advertising, you can contact us via the about page. Just look under the "HOW TO ADVERTISE?" heading.

If you want to get ahold of us, you can find that information on the about page. Just look under the "PRESS INQUIRIES" heading.