The Rumbolo Family Christmas Card

This page is designed to answer your support questions about the Rumbolo Family Christmas Card series. If you don't find the answer to your question on this page, you can contact us via email for assistance.

Some general background information - all of the Rumbolo Family Christmas Card CD-ROMs are free from computer viruses and trojan programs. Any shareware that we include is also checked for viruses and any possible 'spy ware'.

As a general rule, the Christmas Card Video series is designed to be compatible with Windows 9x and later operating systems (there is limited Apple support - see the FAQ for details). The 1999, 2000 and 2001 versions where tested on Windows 9x, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. Beginning with the 2002 Christmas Card, we are not testing for compatibility with any versions of Windows 9x ( 95, 98 or 98 SE) or Windows NT 4.0 as these operating systems are no longer supported by Microsoft.

Beginning with the 2002 Christmas Card we installed and tested the Christmas Card on the Windows ME, 2000 and XP operating systems. The 2002 Christmas Card and later versions of the Christmas Card should install and run on computers using the Windows 9x operating system with no problem - we just didn't test it.

Starting in 2002 we began distributing a DVD version of the Christmas Card that is designed to be played in any computer DVD-ROM drive and most DVD video players and game consoles capable of DVD playback (X-box, Play Station 2, etc).

2. Will the Christmas video work with an Apple computer? Yes and no - you can certainly play the video files on a MAC - the MPEG-1 video format used in the CD-ROM version of the card is cross-platform compatible. In the 1999 and 2000 versions the video files are stored in MPEG format on the CD-ROM, you can read them directly. However beginning with 2001 the video files are incorporated into the installation executable and can not be read off the CD-ROM - the card has to be installed first. The installation program found on the 2001 and later CD-ROM versions of the card is designed for Windows based operating system platforms only. The 2002 and later DVD version will run on any personal computer capable of playing standard DVDs as well as most DVD players.

3. How do I install the Christmas Card? It will depend on the version of the card - please see the table below:

1999 Christmas Card:	2000 - 2003 CD-ROM Version Christmas Card:
a. Insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive b. Click Start, then RUN c. Click the Browse button and navigate to your CD-ROM drive d. Click Down arrow in the Type of Files dialog and choose All Files e. Select the file named default.htm and click OK.	a. Insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive b. The auto install program should start, just follow the dialog prompts. c. If you have auto-play disabled, just Click Start, RUN and navigate to your CD-ROM folder. d. Click on setup.exe and then OK to start the installation.
DVD Version Christmas Card:	Mini CD-ROM Version Christmas Card
The DVD version of the card should work with most DVD players, game consoles which support DVD playback and computer DVD drives. The DVD card uses the DVD+R format media. Most DVD players made after 1999 will read and play the DVD+R media.	The mini CD-ROM discs used in the 2001 and 2002 Christmas Card will fit in the small inner circle of the CD drive tray and work just fine. We do not recommend using the mini CD media in CD drives that do not have a drive tray.

4. I want to print some copies of pictures in the photo album or Year in Pictures video- how can I? Print quality pictures are located on the CD-ROM. For 1999 look in the folder named /photos. For 2000, the image files are in a directory called /album/images. For 2001 and the 2002 SE versions, the pictures are in the /goodies/images directory on the CD-ROM. If you have the 2002 limited edition DVD version the image files are located on the companion CD-ROM under the /photo directory. For 2003 and later it is not possible to make copies of the pictures shown in the Year in Pictures video. However if you would like copies of specific pictures, please contact us by email. Please note all images used in the video are copyright protected and may not be freely distributed

5. We have lost our copy of a previous year's Christmas card - how can I get a new copy? Write us and we will make a duplicate of the CD or DVD - we can not duplicate the jewel case art or Christmas card but we will be happy to send you a new CD or DVD

6. When I watch the Christmas greeting, the video and audio are out of synch, how come? This is a known problem, particularly on the 1999 card. It is improved in each succeeding year. You should have no problems with the 2001 and later cards. It was caused by limitations in the hardware we had to work with at the time.

7. Why is your Christmas Card marked as copyrighted? Each year we spend a significant amount of time and creative energy around putting together our Christmas cards - to protect our intellectual property we indicate that it is copyright protected. It doesn't mean you can't copy or further distribute the Christmas Card (see next question) - just adhere to our restrictions and the license.

8. Can I make copies of your Christmas Cards? What about the other software on the CD-ROM? Yes - you can freely copy our Christmas video and share it with others, provided you adhere to the conditions below:

You may copy and redistribute the video files but you must clearly credit Rumbolo Family Productions and CR NET as the author.
You can not charge any kind of fee (no matter how small) for redistributing the video files - it must be free.
You may not decompile any executable programs contained on the CD-ROM or DVD.
You must obtain our approval in writing before posting any pictures or video from our Christmas Cards on the internet. If you ask for permission and we do not respond, that does not constitute permission - silence is not consent.
You may print copies any photographs contained in the Year in Picture video and included on the CD-ROM for your personal use only.
The photographs may not be redistributed in any manner, including used on web pages, either for personal or commercial use. They can be printed for your personal use only - for example, a photo album
As for the other software that may be on the CD - please read and follow the appropriate restrictions relating to the distribution of shareware and freeware.
You must respect any third party trademarks and copyright restrictions
We may revoke your right to distribute, copy or otherwise duplicate our work at anytime.

9. I have a copy of the DVD version and I can't get it to play in my DVD player. The 2002 and later DVD version will work in any computer DVD drive and most DVD players. Some older DVD players can not recognized or read DVD recordable media. If your DVD player can not read the disc please check your DVD owner manual to see if it is compatible with DVD+R discs. We test the DVD version on 3 different manufacturer brands of DVD players and Microsoft's X-box with no problems. Most DVD players manufactured after 1999 support the DVD+R format.

10. How long does it take to create the Christmas Card? Counting the time to get everything done, it takes about 40 hours of actual work spread over about a month to create each version of the Christmas card - please see our technical page for more information on what it takes to create the annual Christmas Card.