Special Announcement - December 2018
Dear Brothers
As announced ~2 years ago (see Special Announcement), support for SoundBox 3.1 will cease at the end of this month (Dec 2018). If you have been using SoundBox you likely need to make some changes before the end of the year.
Options from Jan 2019
1. Use JW Library. This is the officially recommended option and the one we'd encourage you to adopt. Currently, 3rd-party media files (e.g. images used by public speakers, or videos from the circuit overseer) are not supported in JW Library, so you must use an additional media player such as VLC or OnlyM to cater for this. OnlyR, OnlyT and OnlyV are also available if you require recording, timing or display of scripture verses (see SoundBoxSoftware.com). If you need any technical assistance with JW Library you might review the official help resources (e.g. the instruction sheet for using JW Library as a Kingdom Hall media player), and refer to your LDC if you still require help.
2. Continue to use SoundBox. This option requires manual downloading of media. Additionally, the variable talk timers will not be populated, and the timers will not accommodate the 2019 change in mid-week meeting format. Furthermore, there will be no bug fixes and no helpdesk support. Some have asked if they can create their own media feed in some way and continue to use SoundBox. The easiest way to accomplish this is by populating the SoundBox media calendar folders (either manually or programmatically). See the SoundBox user guide page 94 for further details.
On a personal note, I'd like to thank the 50+ translators, 30+ media curators, the helpdesk techies, the mobile app developers, and the SoundBox "steering committee". All these brothers and sisters have diligently cared for various aspects of the project in a fine way. In addition, we've built a lively community of users - it's been a genuine pleasure to work with you to improve the product, and along the way to benefit from all manner of audio-visual expertise!
Your Brother
Antony Corbett