HELP & INFO
Frequently Asked Questions: Technical Questions
Technical Questions
I'm having difficulty logging in, what are some possible solutions?
- Instead of using a bookmark or a favorite, try typing http://FaithVisuals.com into the URL field. Then, log in as usual.
- Try logging out (this button is located on the top right of the site next to your name when you are logged in to FaithVisuals.com) and then log back in.
- You may need to delete some cookies related to FaithVisuals.com. Cookies are memory text files that save your login information. Sometimes, these cookies can become corrupted and they can prevent you from accessing the database. This is the most common cause of difficulty accessing FaithVisuals.com.
Here are instructions for deleting cookies:
- Click on the Start Button (lower left-hand corner of desktop screen).
- Go to Run and type in iexplore (this stands for Internet Explorer).
- When your homepage comes up, click on Tools at the top of the screen.
- Click on Internet Options.
- Click on Settings.
- Click on View Files (this should bring up your "Temporary Internet Files" folder).
- In the folder that appears, single-click on one of the files under the Name tab. When one of the files is highlighted, or selected, hit CTRL + A on your keyboard at the same time to select all.
- When all the files under the Name tab are highlighted, hit the delete button on your keyboard.
- Close out of the folder and close out of the Internet Options box.
After deleting all of your Temporary Internet Files, your computer welcomes you to each website as a new user until you have built up more temporary Internet files.
So, when you visit FaithVisuals.com, you should be welcomed as a new user and be able to log in with no difficulties.
Do I have to log in every time I use the site?
No. Once you log in from your computer you shouldn't need to log in again, unless you log out, change computers, delete your FaithVisuals.com cookie, or reinstall your web browser. In order to place an order or download free video, you do have to have an account and be logged in.
What are cookies and why does FaithVisuals.com use them?
Cookies are small text files that your Web browser stores on your hard drive. These text files contain your username, preferences, and membership information so the next time you visit FaithVisuals.com you shouldn't have to log in. In other words, the cookie allows our server to "recognize" you when you return. A cookie on your system allows you to download free video or place an order without having to provide your username and password every single time.
If you are interested in viewing the cookies on your computer, Internet Explorer stores each cookie as a separate file in its cache directory, called "Temporary Internet Files." Netscape stores all cookies in a single "cookies.txt" file, which is usually found in the same directory where Netscape is installed, but you should search your hard drive to be certain.
What do I do when I can't get the free video previews to work?
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The video previews are powered by Adobe Flash. If the previews are not working for you, first test to make sure your plug-in is properly installed and that it works with your current browser. You can test your setup here.
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If you need to install the latest version of the Flash player, make sure you have the following in place:
- Is your computer recent enough to handle video? (If you've purchased a new computer in the last couple years, you should be okay.)
- Windows: It must be at least an Intel Pentium II with a 450 MHz processor with at least 128 MB of RAM.
- Macintosh: It must be at least a PowerPC G3 with a 500 MHz processor and 128 MB of RAM.
- Can your Web browser handle the video? (For detailed system requirements see Adobe.)
- Windows Vista and users should one of the following: Microsoft Internet Explorer version 7, Firefox version 1.5, Mozilla 1.x, Netscape 7.x—or better.
- Windows XP users should use one of the following: Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6.0, Firefox version 1.x, Mozilla 1.x, Netscape 7.x—or better.
- Windows 2000 users should use one of the following: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x, Firefox 1.x, Mozilla 1.x, Netscape 7.x—or better.
- Mac OS X v.10.4.x users should use Firefox 1.5.0.3 or later, Opera 6, Safari 2.x—or better.
- Mac OS X (prior to 10.4.x) users should use Firefox 1.x, Mozilla 1.x, Netscape 7.x or later, Opera 6, Safari 1.x—or better.
- Install the Adobe Flash Player version 9. (If you have an older version installed, you may need to uninstall that version first.) Test whether or not your installation was successful here.
- If the player/plugins don't work in your current browser setup, try using an alternate browser, or upgrading your browser to the latest version.
- If you are still having problems playing or viewing Flash videos, please visit the Adobe Flash Player Support Center.
Note: If you are browsing the web from a corporate network, it's possible your permissions do not allow you to download or view Flash or Shockwave content. Check with your network administrator or computer support staff to be sure.
What's the quality of the video I'll download? or resolution of them?
We work hard at getting the highest quality masters so we can create an excellent download for you to show in any venue. And because we want to make sure we give you a product that will work in any situation, we provide two different file types with two different levels of quality—one of which should work perfectly in your situation.
We offer videos in the Windows Media Video (WMV) format and the standard MPEG-1 (MPG) format.
For both video types we offer a 640x480 high-quality video. (Both videos are 640x480 pixels in dimension. They are "progressive scan" videos, meaning they should play back well on computer monitors, and they were encoded with "square pixels," meaning your software won't need to resize the video to fit a normal display ratio.)
In most cases the video will look just as good as a DVD-quality video—especially for audiences viewing the presentation from a distance under house lights.
Can I project these videos on a screen and still get high quality?
In order to make downloading these videos feasible on a typical high-speed Internet connection, we are not providing DVD-quality or High Definition (HD) videos, we compress them pretty highly. This means you don't have to wait hours just to download a 5- or 10-minute video, and it also means you won't kill your hard drive space after just a couple downloads.
However, one consequence of compressing video for download and storage is that the quality suffers. The more compression applied to a video the more fine details are lost, especially in "action" scenes. However, since FaithVisuals videos are designed for public viewing under typical house-lighting conditions in church, those fine details would be lost anyhow. We have settled on a compromise between DVD-quality and presentation-quality that many have found comfortable.
Also, most church projectors are not as powerful as the typical movie theater projector, the screens are not usually as large, and there is often more ambient lighting during the presentation than you would find in a theater. These factors all combine to make offering a DVD-quality video (and therefore a longer download) of minimal benefit to you.
Do you recommend a specific media presentation software?
There is a multitude of good products to choose from, depending on what your church is looking for and what your budget is. For more information about the top software available, read our article Lyrics and Beyond.
What equipment do I need to project and use this video?
Aside from a computer manufactured in the last two-to-three years, you will also need a video projector and a sound system to amplify the audio.
The size of your audience and the size of the projected image will dictate which kind of projector you will consider using. Please visit our sister site, Church Buyers Guide, for a review of various video projectors. One is sure to suit your needs:
For recommendations in the audio department, here are some articles with helpful recommendations and reviews:
And here are some recommendations for the presentation software you might want to consider for displaying your videos:
You may also want to consider screen placement, screen size, and viewing angle when deciding exactly where you want to project your video:
Can I use your video in PowerPoint?
Yes! While there are some limitations to using PowerPoint for video, most people have the software and are more familiar with it than worship presentation software. For more information about the benefits of using PowerPoint and some tips for using it, see our article You Already Own PowerPoint, Use It!
How do I make a DVD or CD to play the videos in a DVD player?
Since the videos we offer at FaithVisuals are designed for computer playback and projection, they have been encoded with a "square" pixel ratio at 640x480 resolution. However, most DVD burning software expects video to be encoded with a "rectangular pixel." Thus, in order to burn these videos to DVD for set-top playback, you will need to re-encode the video to the proper format. This will take some time, but it's easy enough to do as long as you have the proper software.
If you have Adobe Premiere Elements or Adobe Premiere Pro, for instance, you can import your video into the Premiere timeline and export it back out as an interlaced MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 video using NTSC settings with a 4:3 rectangular pixel ratio. You will want to be sure to encode at a higher bit-rate than the file you downloaded so you can preserve as much detail in the video as possible. Once you've exported your video to the proper format, you can then use your favorite DVD burning software to burn to DVD.
For more help on how to do this, a quick Google search for tutorials may help.
I can't get the video to open in my media player. What can I do?
If you are using Windows Media Player, make sure you have the latest version of the Player installed. If you are using Windows Media Player 10 or 11, the player should automatically download the codec it needs from Microsoft in order to play your video.
If you are still having difficulty playing your videos using Windows Media Player, try using the QuickTime player from Apple, or the Real Player from Real Networks If you are still unsuccessful, there might be a problem with your Windows installation, which is beyond our ability to troubleshoot and diagnose. You might consider trying an alternate media player with codecs included in the installation. We have successfully tested our videos in the following players.
I have a Mac. Can I still download and use videos from FaithVisuals.com?
Yes! We've encoded each video in two formats in order to serve as many people as possible. We suggest you download videos in MPEG-1 format for use on a Mac. Usually, QuickTime will have no problem playing this type of file. If you do encounter difficulties, we suggest you download the VLC Media Player, which is a very versatile video player and will play either file type available from FaithVisuals.com. If you continue to experience problems, please contact Customer Care here.
What if I still have questions?
Contact Customer Care here, or call us at (877) 247-4787. Please keep in mind that our Customer Care team is in the office Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., US Central Time. | 
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