General Membership Questions
Q. Which membership level do I qualify for - home, school or small business?
A. The best way to determine which membership level you should register for is to refer to this table, which breaks out the different membership levels and benefits associated with each. Still have questions? live@ted.com
Q: When and in what time zones are TED2013 and TEDGlobal 2013 respectively?
- TED2013 Feb 25 - Mar 1, 2013 Long Beach, California
GMT 7 hours later United States Pacific Daylight Time - TEDGlobal 2013 June 10-14, 2013 Edinburgh, Scotland
GMT 5 hours later than New York, 8 hours later than LA
Q. I live in a different time zone from the conferences in Long Beach and Edinburgh. How can I tune in?
A. The beauty of the Live membership is that it is world-friendly. You can tune-in from all over the world whenever is most convenient. You can use our active video archive (AVA) that lets you pause and return to the stream later, or to start watching any number of time zones earlier/later in the same exact sequence of how the conference is unfolding. What is even more exciting is Live members have permanent access to the conference archives so they can revisit their favorite talks and sessions whenever they want weeks, months, and even years down the road.
Q: Can I get a TEDLive membership, including the iPad mini, delivered by December 24th?
Yes! As long as you order by December 15, we can ensure delivery.
Q. Can I give a TED Live Membership as a gift?
A. Yes. If you would like to give a membership to someone else just send an email to live@ted.com with as much information as possible such as number of memberships, names of recipients, their contact info, etc, and we'll contact you to complete your gift transaction.
Q. I live in a different time zone from the conferences in Long Beach and Edinburgh. How can I tune in?
A. The beauty of the Live membership is that it is world-friendly. You can tune-in from all over the world whenever is most convenient. You can use our active video archive (AVA) that lets you pause and return to the stream later, or to start watching any number of time zones earlier/later in the same exact sequence of how the conference is unfolding. What is even more exciting is Live members have permanent access to the conference archives so they can revisit their favorite talks and sessions whenever they want weeks, months, and even years down the road.
Q. Which conferences do I have access to if I sign up for membership prior to TED2013?
A. The TED Live membership is a yearly membership that includes the next two consecutive conferences after you register. For example, if you sign up prior to TED2013, you have access to TED2013 and TEDGlobal 2013. If you sign up prior to TEDGlobal 2013, you have access to TEDGobal 2013 and TED2014.
General Rules
Q. Is there a cutoff date to register?
A. There is no cutoff date for TED Live registration unless you wish to give it as a gift in which case we'd need to hear by the first week in February. The earlier you register, the more opportunities you have to connect with other members via our Facebook group, and enjoy your iPad mini. You will also have more time to test your a/v computer, ipad and/or TV setup and your webstream video.
Q. If I have a home membership, can I watch the conference from work?
A. You may watch it from work, as long as you are abiding by all other Home membership rules. You can share the experience with up to 9 friends, for a total of 10 viewers, and view from one computer source only. The Home membership is not intended to be with a whole office. If you would like to view the conference with other co-workers, consider registering for the Small Business membership, and view the conference with up to 49 individuals, for a total of 50 viewers.
Q. With my home membership, can I show it to more than 10 people at one time?
A. The Home membership allows for the same 10 people to view from one stream. You must buy another membership for every 10 individuals.
Q. With my home membership, can I show it to a bunch of different people over the course of day, but only 10 at any given time.
A. The Home membership allows for the same 10 people to view from one stream. You must buy another membership for every 10 individuals.
Q. With my home membership, can I show it to 10 people in multiple locations?
A. No, the feed will only stream to one address. We use IP identification technology to detect whether multiple computers are accessing the web stream from one account. Logging in from more than one location is in violation of the terms and conditions, and access to the conference and membership will automatically be revoked if access to one account from multiple sources is detected.
Q. I don't live in the US. Can I still get an iPad Mini
A. Yes. However, since some international members may incur excessive duties, and others may already have an iPad mini, we will be offering a $200 Amazon gift card as an alternative choice. You can choose only one of the two options. Members are responsible for their own duties.
Q. Can I re-gift my iPad Mini?
A. Yes, you can, however you may not charge money for it or post it for sale online.
Q: Which iPad mini are you sending?
iPad mini 16gb wifi, black.
Q: Can I get a white one or a more expensive version of the iPad if I pay the difference? Is there LTE wireless capability?
Unfortunately we can only offer that one model. There is not LTE wireless capability included, but anywhere there is wifi, you are good to go.
Q. With my school/small business membership, can I hold viewings in multiple rooms if there are a total of 50 people watching?
A. No, the viewing must take place in one room from one computer source. We use IP identification technology to detect whether multiple computers are accessing the web stream from one account. Logging in from more than one location is in violation of the terms and conditions, and access to the conference and membership will automatically be revoked if access to one account from multiple sources is detected.
Q. Is there a discount for nonprofits?
A. Not at the present time.
Q. My business has more than 100 employees. How can I share the conference with my organization?
A. If your business has more than 100 employees, please contact live@ted.com and we can work with you to figure out the best solution for your organization.
Q. My office has less than 100 employees, but we are a branch of a larger organization. Can I purchase the TED Live membership just for my office?
A. We view that as a large business and can work with you to determine the best way for your group to access the conferences. Please email live@ted.com and we can work with you to figure out the best solution for your organization.
Q. Can I use the TED livestream online archive to hold a fundraiser for my school or other nonprofit?
A. Not at the present time.
Financial and Distinction Questions
Q. What is the difference between TED Live and
TEDxLive?
A. TED Live is a year-round membership program managed by TED that provides members with virtual seats to each of the four days of both the TED and TEDGlobal conferences, along with a host of other member benefits, such as an iPad Mini or a $200 Amazon gift card.
TEDLive is a TEDx license that allows an organizer to host an event around one day of an official TED conference TED or TEDGlobal. These events are free to the public. Some events include local programming. In order to host a TEDxLive event, you must apply for a license, be approved by the TEDx team, and adhere to the TEDx and TEDxLive rules for executing this event.
Q. I'm not on Facebook and don't plan on getting an account. Is there another way to join the Facebook Group?
A. If you want to watch TED in real time, every talk and everything that happens in between, with backstage access, and including an iPad mini we feel that has enormous worth, and our members who renew year after year agree. If you want to wait, you can get free access to many of the talks after the fact, one at a time with the wonderful, free TEDTalks. If you have 10 people watching for the individual and school membership, or 50 with the university/small business, if you divide the price by the number of viewers, times two conferences, we feel like TEDLive is a great value.
Q. How much of my membership fee is tax deductible?
A. As TED is owned by the Sapling Foundation, a private 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation registered in the State of New York, $650 of the TED Live membership fee for home and school and $2,150 of the TED Live membership fee for college and small business may be tax-deductible; Fair Market Value is $350. Please check with your tax professional. We issue tax receipts at the end of each year.
Q. I already have a device with Kindle software for reading eBooks (a different Kindle, iPad, Android, etc.). Can I get my TED Books subscription on that device instead of the Kindle Fire?
A. Absolutely. When you register, we'll get in touch with you to determine the best way to deliver the TED Books to you. You can read your TED Books on any device that has Kindle software and is connected to your Kindle account.
Q. I used to get TED Books but now it isn't included. Why aren't they a part of the membership anymore?
A. Though our books continue to be available on Kindles, Nooks and iBooks, we recently launched our own book app for the iOS platform (i.e. iPhone, iPad). Due to App Store policies it is not possible to send books to an individual's app without charging you for them, however, we've made the price for the books so inexpensive that you might enjoy giving it them a try regardless!
Q. I'm interested in becoming a member, but I wonder if the Talks will all end up online for free anyway?
A. The TED Live membership gives you access to the live streams of the TED and TED Global conferences and all Talks in their unedited format. Shortly after each conference we begin carefully editing and releasing some on TED.com - but remember not all end up online. The timing and sequence of talks coming online is not predetermined. The online talk archive for Live members however, lets you watch whenever you get a chance and re-live the conference at any time.
Q. My question isn't answered here.
A. Email live@ted.com -- and thanks to those who've written already to seed this FAQ!
Technical Questions
We are here to help you through every stage of setting up and planning your viewing experience. Check back closer to the conferences for instructions and tips on your remote connection to the Conference.