Customer Service > iLumina 1.x FAQs > Running iLumina > Media Performance

I encounter media performance problems while using iLumina (audio, animation, virtual tours, charts, print, screen resolution, etc.).

I can't play any animations.

I can't run any of the Virtual Tours or Point in Times.

I can usually hear audio in other applications, but not in iLumina.

Audio and video are out of sync when playing the animations.

When I'm playing the animations, the audio or video pauses intermittently.

The text in iLumina displays improperly and overlaps some of the interface elements.

The Bible Charts and Atlases don't come up when I click on them.

I can't print any maps or pictures.

Which version of Adobe Acrobat do I need in order to view the Charts and Atlases?

The program's graphics are too wide to fit on my monitor.

How do I adjust my monitor to be able to see all of iLumina?

Is there a version of iLumina that will fit on my screen?

"The media problem I'm experiencing isn't listed here."

I can't play any animations.
This indicates that either your computer has an older version of Windows Media Player installed or that you don't have Windows Media Player installed at all. You need to have at least version 6.4 or later installed. Please follow the steps below to determine which version you currently have installed:

1. Click on your "Start Menu" and go to "Programs" then "Accessories"
2. In "Accessories" go to "Entertainment" then launch "Windows Media Player"
3. Under the "Help" menu in Windows Media Player, click on the link that says "About Windows Media Player"
4. In the little window that pops up you'll see a version number listed. The average computer will display a version number similar to this: "7.00.00.1440".

If the version number you find is less than 6.4 then follow the steps below to update or install the latest version of Windows Media Player.

1. Click on the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download
2. Select "Windows Media Player" from the first dropdown list.
3. Select "Player 7.1 for Win98, Win2000, Win Me" from the second dropdown list.
4. Download and install Windows Media Player, then restart your computer.
5. Try iLumina again.

I can't run any of the Virtual Tours or Point in Times.
The Virtual Tours and Point in Times are a user-interactive area of iLumina. Unlike the animations, nothing will automatically move on the screen until you, the user, interact with it. When you go to the Virtual Tours, by default you see the "Temple." Put the mouse on top of the Temple, click and hold the mouse button, and drag the mouse to the left or right. You'll notice that the image moves. The same happens with the Point in Times, but instead of seeing the Temple by default, you see the "Last Supper."

If this doesn't happen then we need to find out why. The Virtual Tours and Point in Times use QuickTime. To view these properly you need to have at least version 5 of QuickTime installed. Follow the steps below to determine which version you currently have.

1. Click on your "Start Menu" then "Settings" then "Control Panels"
2. In your "Control Panels" folder, open up the "QuickTime" panel by double clicking on it. (If you don't see one, then you don't have QuickTime installed and need to install it.)
3. In the menu at the top of the QuickTime window, select "About QuickTime". You'll then be presented with the version number.

1. Click on the following link: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
2. Select "Win 98/NT/Me/200/XP"
3. Then click "Download" and follow the instructions to install QuickTime as the instructions appear on your monitor.

I can usually hear audio in other applications, but not in iLumina.
iLumina does not touch anything related to your computer's audio output level; it's probably just that your audio settings need adjustment. Please try a few tests in order to determine what's happening.

1. TEST 1: Play a music CD
   This will test the external audio connections between the computer and its multimedia speakers. Make sure your speakers are properly connected and turned on.
   
   Insert an audio CD into your drive and play it. If you can't hear the sound, make sure your system's cables are connected to the correct inputs and outputs on your audio card, then go to TEST 2. If you hear sound from the CD, that's a good sign. The cables are properly connected and the speakers are on; this means your external connections are working right.


2. TEST 2: Windows Volume Control Panel
   This test will check your Windows audio playback settings. Adjust the volume levels for each item so that they are at 90%, and make sure none of the items have the MUTE box checked. Follow these steps to check your VOLUME Control Panel:
   1. Click the START button
   2. Scroll up to PROGRAMS
   3. Click ACCESSORIES > ENTERTAINMENT > VOLUME CONTROL
   
   
3. TEST 3: Sound Card Settings
   It's possible to have a music CD working and hear sound when you reboot your computer, but still not hear any of iLumina's audio. That may very well be what's happening on your computer.
   
   If the "Preferred Playback Device" in your Multimedia Settings Control Panel is set incorrectly, then it's probably only a matter of adjusting these settings. Here's how:
   • Windows 98: Click START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > MULTIMEDIA
   • Windows ME: Click START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > SOUNDS AND MULTIMEDIA (click the AUDIO tab)
   • Windows 2000: Click START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > SOUNDS AND MULTIMEDIA
   • Windows XP: Click START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > SOUNDS AND AUDIO DEVICES (click the AUDIO tab)
   In the SOUND PLAYBACK section, make sure your sound card is properly selected. If you have the option to "Use any available," you must select one of the available sound cards. To do this, click the dropdown menu and select the proper sound card from the menu. Then reboot your computer and run iLumina again. Go to the Media Center and try an animation.
   
   If "Use any available" is the only option in your dropdown list, you need to install the proper drivers for your sound card. While you're able to play an audio CD in your computer, many multimedia applications require the driver that is made specifically for your model sound card. These drivers are provided by your sound card's manufacturer. Drivers are provided to the public on their websites and are free to download. Please refer to your manufacturer's website for instructions on updating your sound card's drivers.

Audio and video are out of sync when playing the animations.
A number of factors could be causing uneven video playback, where the animations' audio and video are out of sync. Factors include:

• Are you running iLumina on a laptop computer?
• Did you install from the CD-ROMs or from the DVD?
• Did you do a TYPICAL or COMPACT installation?

Pick from the list a situation that closely matches yours:

• I'm using a laptop to run iLumina.
  If you're using a laptop computer, make sure its Power-Saving mode is off. Laptops often revert to Power-Saving mode when running on battery power, and video playback performance can be significantly degraded in Power-Saving mode. Check the Power Options Control Panel on your computer.


• I chose the Typical install.
  Let's perform a simple test:
  1. Right-click the iLumina icon and select PROPERTIES
  2. Click the FIND TARGET button (this opens the iLumina folder)
  3. Double-click the ANIMATION folder to open it
  4. Double-click the VIDEOFILES folder to open it
  5. Double-click the "21_Religious_Leaders.avi" file
  6. Note whether the video plays well now.
  *************
  If you did a DVD install
  If the video doesn't play well and you have a computer that is 3 years old or newer (in other words it exceeds the minimum system requirements), then you may need to update your Windows Media Player (click 'Check For Player Upgrades' on Windows Media Player's HELP menu).
  
  If you computer is older than 3 years and/or doesn't exceed the system requirements by a decent amount then it may be an issue of your computer's performance capabilities. Computers that do not exceed these minimum system requirements simply do not have the capabilities to handle the quality of video that the DVD Typical installation offers. If your computer at least meets the minimum system requirements then what we would suggest is that you uninstall iLumina and reinstall from the CDs using the "Typical" installation. The video files used in that installation may be more suited for your computer's specs than the DVD versions.
  
  Follow these steps below to see if your computer would be better suited to run the CD "Typical" installation:
  1. Insert CD-ROM disc 2 into your CD-ROM drive
  2. Double-click its icon to open it
  3. Double-click the ANIMATION folder to open it
  4. Double-click the VIDEOFILES folder to open it
  5. Double-click the "21_Religious_Leaders.avi" file
  6. Note whether the video plays well now. If it doesn't, update Windows Media Player (see above). If it does, you may need to uninstall iLumina, and re-install it from the CD-ROM discs.
  If the video does play well, it's a video playback bug. The bug will be addressed in a version 1.1 update, which will be available for download on www.ilumina.com. If you registered your copy of the program, we'll notify you by email when it becomes available.
  
  If you did a CD install
  If the video doesn't play well and you have a computer that is 5 years old or newer (in other words it meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements), then you may need to update your Windows Media Player (click 'Check For Player Upgrades' on Windows Media Player's HELP menu).
  
  If your computer is older than 5 years and/or doesn't meet the minimum system requirements then it may be an issue of your computer's performance capabilities. Computers that do not meet these minimum system requirements simply do not have the capabilities to handle the quality of video iLumina offers.
  
  If your computer at least meets the minimum system requirements then there may be other factors that are affecting the performance of the video playback. These factors could include what type of processor is in your computer, how much RAM you have, which version of Windows you're using.
  
  If the video does play well, it's a video playback bug. The bug has been addressed in a version 1.1 update. To download it, CLICK HERE. If you registered your copy of the program, we'll notify you by email when it becomes available.


• I chose the COMPACT installation option
  You need to contact our Customer Support service through the online form. Be sure to describe the problem in detail, and indicate that you have already conducted the above tests.

When I'm playing the animations, the audio or video pauses intermittently.
This is a similar case to the "My video/audio is out of sync" issue. This is an indication that the computer's capabilities simply aren't enough to play this quality of video. Click here to view the resolution.
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The text in iLumina displays improperly and overlaps some of the interface elements.
For users of Windows 2000 and XP there is a known bug with the software product that iLumina was developed in regarding the font's not displaying correctly. If a user is not granted Administrator privileges then iLumina is not allowed access to the fonts it needs.

Here is a temporary resolution to the issue, please follow the steps below to make the user a part of the "Power Users" group.

(Warning: This can get technical, if you're a little nervous about performing the following steps, you might want to rely on a friend who is comfortable at making these kinds of changes. This is the only resolution at the present time for this issue. You must also be logged in as a computer administrator to make these changes.)

1. Right click on "My Computer", select "Manage".
2. In the listing at the left of the window, click the "+" next to "Local Users and Groups" to expand it and select "Users"
3. Find the user name in question in the right hand panel of the window, right click on that name and select "Properties" from the menu.
4. In the next window, at the top of the window, select the "Member Of" tab and at the bottom click the "Add" button.
5. In the box at the bottom type "Power Users" then click "OK"
6. Go ahead and click "OK" out of the next window.
7. You can now close out of all the windows that we opened. You will have to "Log Out" and then "Log In" again for the changes to take effect.

For the Administrators out there, as you know, performing these steps will allow a little extra freedom to that user on this particular computer but will still provide some security to the core functions of Windows.
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The Bible Charts and Atlases don't come up when I click on them.
In some cases, if iLumina is completely filling your screen, you may not see Acrobat Reader if it launches "behind" the iLumina window. In that case, press ALT+TAB on your keyboard, and choose the Acrobat Reader application's icon to move its window to the front. We have experienced that sometimes you have to click twice on the same item in order to launch Acrobat Reader. This behavior you're seeing is intentional -- although it's a bit confusing, that's what's supposed to happen.

During iLumina's original development, the charts appeared within the Media Center, but due to licensing issues with Adobe, we ended up opening the charts within the standalone Acrobat instead. We agree that it's not the optimal solution, and this issue will be rectified in a future update to iLumina.

Also, check the following. iLumina requires Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 (or higher) to open the Charts and Bible Studies. If you need to upgrade, download Acrobat Reader by clicking here, or install the copy located on your iLumina CDs by following these steps:

1. Insert iLumina CD-ROM disc #3 into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the root directory of CD-ROM disc #3.
3. Double-click the THIRD PARTY folder to open it.
4. Double-click the ACROBATREADER folder to open it.
5. Double-click the ar505enu.exe file to install Acrobat Reader version 5.0.

If you already have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5 installed and are still having problems then, in the meantime, please follow these steps below until an update fixing this problem is released.

1. Right click on the iLumina icon
2. Choose "Properties" from the drop down menu
3. Click on Find Target
4. Open the "Charts" folder and highlight (do not double click, just highlight) the file "CHART_ACTS_1_12-13.pdf"
5. On the Windows Explorer, click on File on the top menu and then, click on "Open with". Select "Choose Program" and choose Acrobat Reader 5.0.

I can't print any maps or pictures.
While inside iLumina, the pictures can only be printed from the Media Center and Maps can only be printed from the Bible Atlas Module. You can, however, use some of iLumina's materials outside of iLumina. Click here to view iLumina License Agreement.

You can add videos and pictures to your materials by copying or importing them from (Note: We are assuming that you installed iLumina on your C Drive, if you installed on another drive then substitute the C with which ever drive you actually used.) the following filepath:

• C:\Program Files\iLumina\animation\videoFiles

PowerPoint allows you to import videos in your presentation by selecting the PowerPoint commands Insert > Movies and Sounds > Movie from File...

You can also add images from the Animations, Encyclopedia Photos or Bible Atlas by copying or importing them from:

• C:\Program Files\iLumina\animation\jpegs
• C:\Program Files\iLumina\articles\photos
• C:\Program Files\iLumina\atlasMaps

In addition, by clicking on the top of any verse number on the New Testament, you will get a "Pop-up Menu" with a "Bible Study" as one of the options available. Select this item and you will get a .pdf file that you can print and share with your group. Please click here for ideas on how to use iLumina with your group.
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Which version of Adobe Acrobat do I need in order to view the Charts and Atlases?
iLumina requires Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5 to view the Charts and Atlases.

To verify which version of Acrobat Reader you're using...

1. Go to "Start > Programs"
2. Listed in that menu you should find an entry named "Acrobat Reader" and at the end of that name it should provide the version number. If not then continue on.
3. Click on that name "Acrobat Reader" to launch it.
4. When Acrobat Reader launches go to the "Help" menu and select "About Acrobat Reader".
5. A window will pop up, and near the top of that window you'll see a line of text that states: "Acrobat X . X . X" (example: Acrobat 5.1.0)
   The Acrobat Reader version should be at least 5.0.

The program's graphics are too wide to fit on my monitor.
You can easily change your screen's resolution to the program's default settings. That way, the program won't ask you to change resolution each time you launch it. Follow these steps:

1. Exit out of any running programs
2. Right-click on any empty area of the desktop
3. Click PROPERTIES in the drop-down menu
4. In the resulting Display Properties Control Panel, click the SETTINGS tab
5. In the SCREEN AREA section (near the bottom-right), drag the slider until it reads '1024 by 768 pixels'
6. Click OK

Just to be sure, after your computer reboots, open the Display Properties Control Panel again (following steps 1-3 above), and see whether the slider still reads '1024 by 768 pixels'. If it does, you're ready to launch the program.
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How do I adjust my monitor to be able to see all of iLumina?
You can easily change your screen's resolution to the program's default settings. That way, the program won't ask you to change resolution each time you launch it. Follow these steps:

1. Exit out of any running programs
2. Right-click on any empty area of the desktop
3. Click PROPERTIES in the drop-down menu
4. In the resulting Display Properties Control Panel, click the SETTINGS tab
5. In the SCREEN AREA section (near the bottom-right), drag the slider until it reads '1024 by 768 pixels'
6. Click OK

Just to be sure, after your computer reboots, open the Display Properties Control Panel again (following steps 1-3 above), and see whether the slider still reads '1024 by 768 pixels'. If it does, you're ready to launch the program.
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Is there a version of iLumina that will fit on my screen?
Currently there are no plans for developing a version that will fit monitors with a resolution capabilities smaller than 1024x768. A monitor with these characteristics is actually a low end one costing less than $100 dollars (click here for an example).
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