Ref. # |
Questions & Answers |
1 |
I'm trying to play the audio/video files on your site but I can't.
Why?
To play the sound files on our site you must of course have the free
RealPlayer software and a computer with
speakers.
If none of the files play then the problem is most likely on your side. Some
of the newer files may not play if you're using an old version of RealPlayer.
You can check for and download the latest version at http://www.real.com/
On rare occassions, if none of the files are playing, we may be updating
or servicing our server in which case, you should wait and try again later.
If there are only some files that don't play while others do, then the problem
is mostly likely on our side. If you write to us specifying the title of
file, reciter, error message that appears, etc., we will notify you as soon
as we have fixed the problem. |
2 |
I'm trying to play to a file online but it downloads instead.
Why?
Instead of clicking on the title of the file, you should click on the preview
icon next to the title which is  for audio
files and  for video files. |
3 |
I'm trying to download a file but it plays online instead.
Why?
You're probably clicking on the preview icon. You should click on the title
of the audio/video file which is usually in blue and underlined (hyperlink).
If your browser still attempts to play it instead of downloading, click the
right mouse button on the title and a small popup menu should appear. On
the menu select "Save Target As..." with a left-click and this should prompt
you to download and save the file. |
4 |
Why do the audio/video files play/download so slowly?
We try our best to create compact audio/video files without losing out too
much on quality. Unfortunately quality and speed are inversely proportional
on the Internet. This means, the better the quality, the slower the speed
and vice versa.
One way in which we try to accomodate most visitors to our site is by assuming
that the majority of our users use a 28.8K modem. Anyone with faster access
is therefore at an advantage. A lot depends on your Internet connection speed
and computer's processor speed. Here are tips to consider:
a) try downloading/playing files at low-traffic hours when the Internet service
in your area isn't congested.
b) go to the "Options" menu on RealPlayer. Select the "Performance" tab.
Move the Playback Performance Slider from "Best Quality" to "Lowest CPU Usage".
Click OK and play again.
c) if you play a particular file often, instead of listening/viewing online,
consider downloading it to your local hard disk and playing it from there. |
Ref. # |
Questions & Answers |
5 |
I know absolutely nothing about creating audio/video files for the
Internet. Where do I start?
One of the most popular formats in which audio/video files exist on the Internet
is the "rm" format. To play "rm" files, you would only need a computer with
speakers and you would need to download the free RealPlayer program from
http://www.real.com/
To capture your own audio/video files you will need a sound/video capture
card (a video capture card can do both of course). If you already have
audio/video files in wav/avi format, you wouldn't need a capture card to
convert them to rm files.
To create rm files or convert files in other formats to rm format,
you will need the "RealProducer" program also available from http://www.real.com/
(see next question also). |
6 |
I know how to create "wav" files. How do I create "rm", "ram", or "ra"
files?
You need to get a program called RealProducer. More information on this is
available at http://www.real.com/
The basic version "RealProducer G2" is
available
for free.
Detailed documentation on how to use the program to convert your wav files
or even create RealPlayer files directly from an audio/video source is available
in form of an
Online
Guide or a downloadable PDF-format file. |
7 |
Can I contribute files to your site?
Yes, provided you understand that whatever you contribute/upload can
and will be downloaded/distributed by others. What you offer us must
therefore not be copyright material or you must be authorized to donate it.
One way to contribute is to lend us or donate any material you may have.
To do this, you should write to us with
more information on what you have to offer (e.g. if it is audio tapes, the
subject, reciter, language, etc) and your location. We will then attempt
to find a member nearest to you and you must be willing to mail the material
to him/her for digitization.
Another way is to digitize the material yourself. For audio/video files,
you must be familiar with how RealPlayer files are created. More information
on this is available elsewhere on this page (see previous question). However,
before you commence digitizing anything, we strongly recommend that you
inform us of what you intend
digitizing. This is to avoid duplication of efforts or digitizing something
that our team may not approve of. |
8 |
Can I put a link on my site to the Islamic Gallery?
Yes provided the site does not encourage anything un-Islamic or against the
teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (s) and his Ahlul
Bayt [a]. |
9 |
I already have a site with audio-visual material online. Would you
consider linking to my site?
Yes we would - especially if your site has a large number of files and/or
unique files that are not a repetition of what we have.
Send us your URL. |
10 |
Where can I find the FAQ on encoding rm files?
Try RealProducer
G2 Frequently Asked Questions. You will also find a lot of documentation
off the Real Home Page. |
11 |
Can I download the audio/video/picture files on your site and distribute
them on a CD/ disks or use them on my own website?
Yes, provided you do so on a not-for-profit basis. If you intend modifying
the files in any way or making money out of them, you must
write to us for permission first.
Note: This permission does not include other non-audiovisual resources
on our site (such as books) or audio/video files on other sites that
are linked to our site. If the URL does not begin with http://www.al-islam.org/
or http://www.al-islam1.org/, then the site is not ours - we have merely
linked to it and you should seek permission from the site owners. |
12 |
Does it make a difference if I create "rm" files directly or if I convert
them from "wav" or "avi" formats?
Not in terms of file size.
Whether you capture audio/video directly to RealProducer or whether you capture
to other programs and save them as wav/avi and thereafter convert them to
rm, the file size will not be affected by what process you used.
Capturing directly to RealProducer saves the time it would take to convert
the wav/avi files. The reasons why people still need to convert wav/avi files
are:
a) some may already have a wav/avi file (but no sound or video capture card)
b) the need to edit a file. Shareware/freeware programs for editing "rm"
files are not too popular yet. If you capture directly to RealProducer, you
wouldn't be able to make changes to the file easily e.g. clipping the start
and end, increasing volume, and other such fine-tuning tasks. In contrast
to this, almost any sound/video editor would let you make adjustments to
your wav/avi file. |
13 |
How can I make changes to my "rm" files?
You'll have to search for and download audio/video editors that allow editing
rm files.
If you're looking for shareware or freeware, try
Tucows,
Shareware.Com,
ZDNet and
The Slaughter House.
If you're interested in purchasing multimedia tools that work with RealPlayer,
try the RealStore. |
14 |
Can I combine audio, video and graphics to make my own movie
clips?
Yes. Using RealPresenter, you can can combine audio, video and MS-PowerPoint
files to create powerful presentations, slide shows and movies for the Internet.
For a detailed guide, go to
Creating Islamic
Presentations |