Zoom, Skype Technical Q&A here:

[jwhess]

My Ipad and Iphone both just updated to Zoom version 5.10.3 today.  My Android and Kindle devices did not.

[Qapla]

9 hours ago, Jonathan Martins said:

But it will be necessary that this computer is not located in the same room in order to avoid a Larsen effect

 

Audio feedback (also known as acoustic feedback, simply as feedback, or the Larsen effect) is a special kind of positive loop gain which occurs when a sound loop exists between an audio input (for example, a microphone or guitar pickup) and an audio output (for example, a power amplified loudspeaker).

 

Named after Danish scientist Søren Absalon Larsen (1871–1957) who first discovered the principles of audio feedback.

 

 

[jwhess]

My Kindle and Android devices updated Zoom to version 5.10.3 tonight,

[Jonathan Martins]

18 hours ago, jwhess said:

Does the combining a Congregation zoom meeting with a private zoom meeting violate any of our security measures?  Only those approved by the Zoom host or attendant can allow you into our "room".

That's a good question brother John. In the same way, is it ok to share a zoom screen via for example the camera of a phone by another means of communication (like Whatsapp, Telegram or other? I think it will depend on the circumstances and the intention. I could be wrong but sometimes there are some of our students who find it difficult to connect by Zoom and use other means of communication. For example in my congregation which is in sign language many people who start to study the Bible do not know how to use Zoom and mainly use Messenger because it is the oldest messaging service that still exists today. In order to allow them to follow the program while waiting to be able to meet them in person to explain to them how to use Zoom it is sometimes we share the screen in this way. The solution that I explained is only from a technical point of view. You must of course ask the agreement of the elders of the congregation beforehand to check if it is in accordance with the security requirements.

[Floyd]

20 hours ago, Jonathan Martins said:

Yes You can also, if you have trouble sharing a screen from a jw account, use the OBS Studio program which allows you to use a virtual camera to display images and video without going through the sharing option integrated in Zoom.

But keep in mind that it does not automatically switch to full screen mode when using OBS. I don't watch the people giving talks in full screen. Its too big on my monitor. But I do like the images in full screen mode.

[Floyd]

On 4/10/2022 at 2:35 PM, More4me2do said:

Bring up the JW Library settings and click on 2nd screen to turn it off and then click again to turn it on is one of the many tweaks.

I have never had to do that. The process is actually very simple once VLC is set up correctly.

 

1. Share screen.

2. Double-click the image in the VLC playlist to show the image

3. Click the year text in the taskbar to replace the image with the year text.

4. Stop screen sharing.

5. Click stop on VLC.

 

If the above does not work then something is not set up properly. I have set this up in several Kingdom Halls with a variety of systems.

 

 

[Floyd]

On 4/10/2022 at 10:17 PM, howudodat said:

I would recommend that you create multiple users for windows.  Each user can be set with it's own language.

Its also a branch recommendation in the S-132 for different language. All of the same language should use the same account.

[More4me2do]

5 hours ago, Floyd said:

If the above does not work then something is not set up properly. I have set this up in several Kingdom Halls with a variety of systems.

 

 

Come to find out that something is really messed up with the whole KH-PC setup. Most of it was done prior to my arrival. Just confirmed that the settings for the Branch license when changing the 2nd screen options will effect what appears in the Zoom share dialogue box. Once we got Zoom to see the 2nd screen to share and then shared it the KH monitors dropped the song video and went back to the years text.

 

I almost feel like starting all over with a clean install, creating a separate account for each congregation and lock ours down do that no one messes with it. But hard to do with 4 congregations in the hall. In addition I have a paid version and there is no way I am going to switch to the license offered by the branch because features are locked and it is just another variable for Murphy to show up.

 

All this 2nd screen mess does not happen with a paid version only with OUR branch version the other congregations don't have this problem. In addition the license arrangement seems also to be switched from the branch arrangement that it used to be to now going via the AT & T market place with a code from the secretary or is that ONLY for individual accounts but not the congregation one?

[jwhess]

1 hour ago, More4me2do said:

All this 2nd screen mess does not happen with a paid version only with OUR branch version the other congregations don't have this problem. In addition the license arrangement seems also to be switched from the branch arrangement that it used to be to now going via the AT & T market place with a code from the secretary or is that ONLY for individual accounts but not the congregation one?

Br. James, the March S-147 Announcement to the congregation warned that the switch to the new Zoom accounts would be required.  On April 1st all former "free" accounts through the branch would be terminated and simply rolled-over into the 'basic 40-minute' free zoom accounts, IF the congregation did not take action.  They warned that this would drastically affect the congregation meetings.

 

So for congregations with branch accounts (not personal paid accounts) there was an urgent NEED to change.  If the choice came down to paying for a personal account or paying through the branch negotiated account the choice was the difference of paying $15 a month for private or $5 per month for branch negotiated.

 

All of the original settings on the previous account should have migrated over to the new account (except those settings controlled by the branch arrangement.  The switch was not optional 9one way or another).

[More4me2do]

Thanks for that excellent information I did subscribe to Zoom when a special offer was available and I pay $12.50 a month. For me it is worth to eliminate the extra variable.

 

Since I don't administer the account I will forward the information to the person that handles it.

 

Thanks again

[jwhess]

3 hours ago, More4me2do said:

Thanks for that excellent information I did subscribe to Zoom when a special offer was available and I pay $12.50 a month. For me it is worth to eliminate the extra variable.

 

Since I don't administer the account I will forward the information to the person that handles it.

 

Thanks again

This is a good option price-wise.  The only problem with a congregation running a personal account from a brother in the hall is the problem when he moves, dies, gets sick or in some other way has to leave the scene.  The whole congregation access goes with him.

 

That individual brother has control of the system.  If he decides not to do something the Branch wants (or doesn't want) done, well it's his account and there is nothing anyone can do to make him do it.

[Qapla]

 

 

[Yurit]

Hello brothers I came across this thread a few nights ago when I was trying to find a solution to a bug my congregation keeps having with Zoom and JW library. When I was reading through the thread I couldn't find exactly my issue that we are having. So I will try my best to explain the bug and hopefully some one can help me out.

 

So our set up just uses JW Library to display pictures/videos and then screen share the extended display over zoom for the brothers and sisters at home. But what happens is that sometimes the zoom meeting widow will become bugged where any time you click on zoom to screen share it always minimizes JW Library no matter what, which makes it so the videos do not display on the TV screens in the hall. I have no idea what causes the bug as I can't seem to recreate it, it just seems to happen at random. And once this bugged as occurred the only way to fix it is completely restarting the zoom program, which isn't really an option during the meeting as everyone will be kicked out of the zoom meeting. Restarting JWL does not fix it. The work around we have when this happens is to screen share first over zoom which minimizes JWL, then while still screen sharing turn off the option in JWL "play video on second display" and turn it on again, then we are able to play videos for everyone again. This works but is very annoying and tedious. I saw that there was a small piece of code from Antony Corbett on github that makes JWL not minimize so easily, would that help at all in my situation?

 

Any help on this problem would be very much appreciated.

[More4me2do]

JW Library and its interaction with other programs can be at times problematic. We have sometimes those issues out of the blue and this can happen whenever JW library's 2nd screen looses the focus during playback.

 

What we do is to first get everything running at the KH, then share the 2nd screen of JW Library on Zoom. If you loose the picture on the KH screens just hover over the JW Library icon in the task bar and click on 2nd screen to give it back the focus.

 

It is a must to follow religiously the setup of the KH PC per instructions also we found it beneficial to start the Zoom session on the Kingdom Hall PC to make sure the host is on the same device that also handles the media playback in the hall.

 

We all are grinding our baby teeth at this Hybrid meeting thingy

Edited April 30, 2022 by More4me2do

[-Chris-]

Operating Committee and the BoE for our four congregations have decided to get a tablet and holder for the stage. Has anyone researched brackets or holders? Any suggestions, especially if they're available under the Supplier Arrangement?

[Old]

Hundeds of them out there. Here are come examples:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=holders+for+tablets&i=electronics&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpcOTBhCZARIsAEAYLuVcmyHCc2HUrxRbSz7TGwB5rYe_F4C-ffDjxa0l74ddLjhIu1yQiX4aAt-LEALw_wcB&hvadid=409954735645&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9033347&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11602319048133235478&hvtargid=kwd-38927996082&hydadcr=19109_11276358&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_3ulv3q21xc_e

[Tortuga]

22 minutes ago, -Chris- said:

Operating Committee and the BoE for our four congregations have decided to get a tablet and holder for the stage. Has anyone researched brackets or holders? Any suggestions, especially if they're available under the Supplier Arrangement?

That was discussed a little here..

 

[jwhess]

The instructions said it "could be" a separate stand next to the lectern (instead of a holder or bracket.

[More4me2do]

For me just have the phone there on the podium just open with the zoom session and my notes for the part are on the tablet. Since primary we should focus on those present in person, I only grab the phone when either no hands are up in the hall or the ones that are up really don't have the background to answer the question raisedf as most likely it will result in reading portions of the material.

 

So holder and stand really hasn't come up as a request by three congregations in the hall.

[Tortuga]

4 minutes ago, More4me2do said:

For me just have the phone there on the podium just open with the zoom session and my notes for the part are on the tablet. Since primary we should focus on those present in person, I only grab the phone when either no hands are up in the hall or the ones that are up really don't have the background to answer the question raisedf as most likely it will result in reading portions of the material.

 

So holder and stand really hasn't come up as a request by three congregations in the hall.

I prefer having my own device but I think item #3 in the May letter will encourage more brothers to look for a different option. 

[jwhess]

1 hour ago, More4me2do said:

For me just have the phone there on the podium just open with the zoom session and my notes for the part are on the tablet. Since primary we should focus on those present in person, I only grab the phone when either no hands are up in the hall or the ones that are up really don't have the background to answer the question raisedf as most likely it will result in reading portions of the material.

 

So holder and stand really hasn't come up as a request by three congregations in the hall.

I notice that our May instructions emphasize the need to be very inclusive of our Hybrid Zoom  members to show unity and Christian love and fellow feeling.  I can't use a phone or even a small tablet.  The print is too small for my poor eyesight.

 

Our congregation is trying very hard to make sure that the parts I am assigned on the meetings do not have Q&A portions.  If they do (like a couple of 'bullet' points at the end of a video), my son-in-law will go up on stage and when I ask a question, he will call on the person in the audience.  He carries his tablet with him to call on the Zoom participants for me...❤️

[sis little]

2 hours ago, jwhess said:

I notice that our May instructions emphasize the need to be very inclusive of our Hybrid Zoom  members to show unity and Christian love and fellow feeling.  I can't use a phone or even a small tablet.  The print is too small for my poor eyesight.

 

Our congregation is trying very hard to make sure that the parts I am assigned on the meetings do not have Q&A portions.  If they do (like a couple of 'bullet' points at the end of a video), my son-in-law will go up on stage and when I ask a question, he will call on the person in the audience.  He carries his tablet with him to call on the Zoom participants for me...❤️

So sweet, our congregation is not set up for zoom participants to answer, as a matter of fact they made an announcement that they are going to discontinue our zoom meetings.

[Hope]

12 minutes ago, sis little said:

So sweet, our congregation is not set up for zoom participants to answer, as a matter of fact they made an announcement that they are going to discontinue our zoom meetings.

How can a congregation just arbitrarily decide that? 😧

[Tortuga]

18 minutes ago, Hope said:

How can a congregation just arbitrarily decide that? 😧

If the kingdom hall can't be set up for Zoom, then the brothers may not have a choice. We had a very difficult time getting a stable internet connection at our KH, fortunately a Starlink system was set up, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to have Zoom meetings from the KH.

[WilliamChew]

3 hours ago, jwhess said:

I notice that our May instructions emphasize the need to be very inclusive of our Hybrid Zoom  members to show unity and Christian love and fellow feeling. 

That's wonderful of the brothers to accommodate those who like or need to be on zoom for meetings.