FAQs about listening to sermons

What do I need to be able to play sermon?

You need either a couple of loudspeakers or a pair of headphones plugged into the back of your PC. Most PCs come with a set of mini-jack sockets at the back, one of which provides a headphone output.

Before you rush out to buy a pair of loudspeakers, note that your PC must also be equipped with a sound card. Does your PC play a tune when you switch it on? If so, it has a sound card and you can play audio files. If it merely beeps at you, then it doesn’t have a sound card.

A basic sound card costs about £30, fitting an extra £25 and loudspeakers £15.

Some laptops are equipped with a basic loudspeaker as well as a stereo jack socket, and the sound quality is very much better through headphones plugged into the jack socket.

What software do I need?

Software to play an audio file, for example Windows Media Player, usually comes with the PC and is loaded automatically when you click a sermon file.

Note that later versions of some software are much better at handling large MP3 files. For example, Internet Explorer Version 5.0 downloads the whole MP3 file before it starts playing, and that can take up to 10 minutes, whilst IE Version 5.5 starts playing straight away.

I’ve got a multimedia PC; why can I not get any sound?

Make sure the volume control is turned up, for example on a Windows 98 PC click:

Start Programs Accessories Entertainment Volume Control

Some speakers require an external power supply or batteries, or simply need switching on. Some speakers have an additional volume control.