Technical help
The page doesn't ever seem to change
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I can't hear any sound from the sermons pages!
The way that computers play sound files from the internet depends on their operating system, the internet software and audio software they use and the way that all these are set up. We have provided two alternative ways to access the audio files from this blog and the vast majority of users should be able to find at least one that works for them.
Note that you should be able to hear sermons from the current and previous month. However, because of web hosting limitations, we can't make the audio available online without doing some archiving from time to time. See here for more details.
First, let's check the basics:
1. Have you been looking at the right pages? The sermons each have their own page on this site. You can find them under "sermons" on the sidebar, and by looking through the archives. Each sermon page has the date and topic of the sermon, so they're easy to spot.
2. Does your computer have sound capability? I know it's a little fundamental, but if you haven't plugged any speakers into your computer and turned the volume up and switched them on, you're not going to hear much. Most laptops and some displays have built-in speakers - make sure they're not turned down.
3. Check that you can hear sound through your computer from other sources. Do you hear notifications for system events (e.g. when the computer starts, shuts down, or finds an error)? If you don't, check that sound is enabled and that any volume control software isn't muted or turned right down.
4. Okay, let's assume you can hear sounds from your computer, just not the sermons from this site. With one click, you should be able to stream the sermon using an external media player (i.e. one that's not embedded into the browser). Streaming is a clever process that allows you to listen to the beginning of the sermon while your software is still downloading the rest of it from the internet. This is why you'll usually prefer to stream, if you can - you don't have to wait ages to start listening. Try clicking the "streaming" link. This should open a tiny file on the website that tells your media player where to find the .mp3 file. Within a moment or two of clicking the link, your media player software should open in a new window. Give it chance to settle down and to find the file it's looking for on the internet. Within 5-30 seconds, the media player should begin playing the sermon.
5. Okay, maybe streaming isn't going to work for you like this. Try clicking the "download" link instead. On some setups (e.g. Firefox with a Quicktime extension) this will actually begin streaming in a new web page.
If this doesn't happen, you'll see a message which invites you to download the file sermondddddd.mp3. (All those d's will be numbers, corresponding to the date of the sermon). Save the file to a location on your computer where you'll be able to find it again (e.g. the desktop, if your using Windows). Depending on the speed of your internet connection, getting a 5Mb sermon could take a long time! My broadband connection lets me download a 20 minute sermon in about 5 minutes, but it could be a lot slower on a dial-up connection.
Now, look at the location where you saved the file and open it. Your computer should start its media player software and begin to play it.
6. You can download latest versions of media player software like Windows Media Player and iTunes for free. If you prefer to avoid these big names, there are many more great programs available.
This is all a bit of a hassle each week, can I subscribe to a podcast to make my life easier?
Yes, as of 9 April, you can use iTunes or other podcatching software to subscribe. More details.
Your browser software may be fetching an older version of the pages from the cache in your computer. Simply click "refresh" or "reload" to see current posts.
I can't hear any sound from the sermons pages!
The way that computers play sound files from the internet depends on their operating system, the internet software and audio software they use and the way that all these are set up. We have provided two alternative ways to access the audio files from this blog and the vast majority of users should be able to find at least one that works for them.
Note that you should be able to hear sermons from the current and previous month. However, because of web hosting limitations, we can't make the audio available online without doing some archiving from time to time. See here for more details.
First, let's check the basics:
1. Have you been looking at the right pages? The sermons each have their own page on this site. You can find them under "sermons" on the sidebar, and by looking through the archives. Each sermon page has the date and topic of the sermon, so they're easy to spot.
2. Does your computer have sound capability? I know it's a little fundamental, but if you haven't plugged any speakers into your computer and turned the volume up and switched them on, you're not going to hear much. Most laptops and some displays have built-in speakers - make sure they're not turned down.
3. Check that you can hear sound through your computer from other sources. Do you hear notifications for system events (e.g. when the computer starts, shuts down, or finds an error)? If you don't, check that sound is enabled and that any volume control software isn't muted or turned right down.
4. Okay, let's assume you can hear sounds from your computer, just not the sermons from this site. With one click, you should be able to stream the sermon using an external media player (i.e. one that's not embedded into the browser). Streaming is a clever process that allows you to listen to the beginning of the sermon while your software is still downloading the rest of it from the internet. This is why you'll usually prefer to stream, if you can - you don't have to wait ages to start listening. Try clicking the "streaming" link. This should open a tiny file on the website that tells your media player where to find the .mp3 file. Within a moment or two of clicking the link, your media player software should open in a new window. Give it chance to settle down and to find the file it's looking for on the internet. Within 5-30 seconds, the media player should begin playing the sermon.
5. Okay, maybe streaming isn't going to work for you like this. Try clicking the "download" link instead. On some setups (e.g. Firefox with a Quicktime extension) this will actually begin streaming in a new web page.
If this doesn't happen, you'll see a message which invites you to download the file sermondddddd.mp3. (All those d's will be numbers, corresponding to the date of the sermon). Save the file to a location on your computer where you'll be able to find it again (e.g. the desktop, if your using Windows). Depending on the speed of your internet connection, getting a 5Mb sermon could take a long time! My broadband connection lets me download a 20 minute sermon in about 5 minutes, but it could be a lot slower on a dial-up connection.
Now, look at the location where you saved the file and open it. Your computer should start its media player software and begin to play it.
6. You can download latest versions of media player software like Windows Media Player and iTunes for free. If you prefer to avoid these big names, there are many more great programs available.
This is all a bit of a hassle each week, can I subscribe to a podcast to make my life easier?
Yes, as of 9 April, you can use iTunes or other podcatching software to subscribe. More details.
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