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puiwaihin
Posts: 1378
From: Taiwan
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Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/15/2002 14:24:24
I recently switched all the sound files on my site from .wav to .mp3 format. Even though the files are short, converting them saved me over 50MB of space.
But now my embeded files no longer work. I embeded them like so:
<object>
parameters...
<embed paramters>
</object>
I specified Windows Media Player for the Active X, and it's working like a charm in IE. But in Netscape, I get this "missing plugin box". I go to download a plugin and it says no plugins found. This wasn't occruing when I had them set up as .wav files.
Take a look at a representative page here:
http://www.chinawestexchange.com/ChineseLesson/Cantonese/l1.htm
If this is only a browser problem, could someone give me instructions on how to configure the browser?
But I'm betting there is something I'm missing on the <embed> tag parameters. I'd appreciate anyone who can give me some help on this.
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puiwaihin
Posts: 1378
From: Taiwan
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/17/2002 2:10:50
Thanks Thomas, I sent a request to my host asking them to check their MIME types.
Apparently, I saved about 100MB of space instead of just 50MB by switching to the .mp3 format.
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Who put the self-destruct button THERE?!
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puiwaihin
Posts: 1378
From: Taiwan
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/27/2002 2:42:42
Help again, please.
I tried adding the following line to my .htaccess file:
AddType audio/x-mpeg .mp3
I thought that was what I was supposed to do. But I still get the same problem with plugins. Anyone know what I'm supposed to do here?
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Who put the self-destruct button THERE?!
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Bill Seper
Posts: 416
From: USA
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/27/2002 14:34:40
I'm not sure what all that extra code is you have above all you embeded sound files but what's it there for?
All I ever use is something like this:
<p><embed width="70" height="45" loop="false" autostart="false" src="your mp3 here"></p>
Why wouldn't that work fine in NS as is?
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Bill Seper
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/27/2002 14:39:33
Also, I'm not sure about your path to the sound files from the embedded plugins. This is the type of thing I saw:
<embed SRC="../../sounds/cl1/neihouma.mp3"
Your direct links to the MP3 files were like this though:
http://www.chinawestexchange.com/sounds/cl1/neihouma.mp3
(Which btw could be shortened to just:
sounds/cl1/neihouma.mp3}
Anyhow this is the way I would make the first embed plug:
<p><embed width="70" height="45" loop="false" autostart="false" src="sounds/cl1/neihouma.mp3"></p>
***********
The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.
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puiwaihin
Posts: 1378
From: Taiwan
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/27/2002 17:25:41
Thanks for the look, Bill.
The reason I use that format is because IE 5.5 SP2 and later does not support the embed tag. I wrap an Active X control around the embed tag to make both work. The extra code is for browsers that don't support embed.
When I was working with .wav files it was working perfectly on both NN and IE.
I don't think I can shorten the path to just "sounds/cl1/neihouma.mp3" because that won't match my file structure. The HTML document is in "root/ChineseLessons/Cantonese" while the sounds file is in "root/sounds/cl1", I have to send it back down to the root level to find the sounds folder.
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"Things are always darkest, just before it goes totally black."
-Hannibal Smith
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Bill Seper
Posts: 416
From: USA
Status: offline
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/27/2002 20:33:51
Darn, I SOOOO wanted do do the rescue bit. I didn't realize that NS didn't handle it's own embed tag anymore. Backwards compatability seems to be a lost art with them. Oh well, good luck to ya. Maybe just go with the hyperlink download and say to heck with the rest....
***********
The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.
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puiwaihin
Posts: 1378
From: Taiwan
Status: offline
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/28/2002 8:43:09
Don't want to mislead you-- NN does support the embed tag, still. It's just that it isn't recognizing the .mp3 file for some strange reason. Been told it's a server problem with the MIME type not being properly set in my .htaccess file but I thought I had it right.
The reason for the ActiveX control is for newer versions of IE that dropped <embed> support.
I think I'm going to try Lydecker's trick of renaming my .mp3 files with the .wav extension and see if that magically fixes things.
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"Things are always darkest, just before it goes totally black."
-Hannibal Smith
Edited by - puiwaihin on 03/28/2002 08:45:01
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Bill Seper
Posts: 416
From: USA
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/28/2002 13:28:22
Newer versions of IE have dropped the embed tag (just for music or everything?) I didn't know that either. But I've got IE 6.0 and it seems to work fine with the embed tag. Maybe you were referring to other browsers that are modeled after IE? I haven't used anything but older NS 4.?, IE, AOL (years ago) and whatever that built-in browser that comes with Star Office is. So I'm not too hip on a lot of them. Anyway, thanks for the info.
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puiwaihin
Posts: 1378
From: Taiwan
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/28/2002 15:18:33
IE 6 works with the embed tag? I know in IE 5.5 SP2 it doesn't and I thought they had announced they were dropping embed support at the same time they stopped including the Java Virtual Machine with the browser.
Sure enough, I just tested IE 6 with a plain embed tag and it worked just fine. I guess the ActiveX control is overkill if it's only one service pack of IE that doesn't support embedded objects.
And since IE handled the .mp3 file in an embedded object just fine while NN choked, I can't see how the problem can be my server settings. But why does NN do fine with an embedded .wav file but choke on an .mp3?
BTW, changing the file extension to .wav didn't work in this situation. So, I'll have to find a different solution.
Thanks for the help, Bill. If you have any more ideas let me know.
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"Things are always darkest, just before it goes totally black."
-Hannibal Smith
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Bill Seper
Posts: 416
From: USA
Status: offline
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/28/2002 16:48:06
The only thing I can think of is to maybe try changing the mp3 extension to m3u so it'll stream. Maybe that's what's hanging up NS, that it just doesn't want to stream MP3's. I don't know. Anyhow there was a guy who use to come here a bit whose name I don't recall, but he left a post once about how to stream a m3u and I copied it. I'll post it below. Maybe it'll work for ya. He claims it'll make mp3's stream from any server. Whether or not it'll have any effect on various versions of NS I really don't know. You can probably disregard a lot of the info here. I think your main concern would be renaming the file to m3u. It's probably a longshot anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to stream an mp3:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In order to stream you must create a text file known to the mp3 world as a m3u.
Create this text file by opening up notepad (start, program, accessories, notepad)
example of text file:
http://www.yourwebsname.nnn/folder/yyyyy.mp3
nnn = .com/org/net (whatever your site is)
folder = this is name of folder you put your audio files in. (i simply name mine Audio)
yyyyy = name of mp3 (don't forget the .mp3 after)[example: Rokmywrld.mp3]
After you have this line of code finished, then click 'save as' and name it exact same name as name of mp3, replacing the .mp3 extension with .m3u extension. [example: Rokmywrld.m3u]
Next import both mp3 and m3u into your folder. [I call my folder 'Audio']
Now create hyperlink to m3u file, NOT mp3 file. This file will in turn stream actual mp3 song!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edited by - Bill Seper on 03/28/2002 16:55:50
Edited by - Bill Seper on 03/28/2002 16:56:29
Edited by - Bill Seper on 03/28/2002 16:57:06
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puiwaihin
Posts: 1378
From: Taiwan
Status: offline
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/28/2002 20:42:58
Tried using .m3u and still had the same problem. But after associating .mp3 files with Quicktime it worked as it was supposed to. Any way to force NN to try to use Quicktime first (and display a request for the plugin if not?)
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"Things are always darkest, just before it goes totally black."
-Hannibal Smith
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Bill Seper
Posts: 416
From: USA
Status: offline
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/29/2002 11:28:31
Boy, you know what? I think you're really beating yourself to death with this one over nothing. Heck, 95% or so of everyone will be able to use the plug-in as is and the rest can use the download link. What more could anyone ask for? That's exactly the way all the big guys in web music do it. MP3.com, garageband.com etc, give you a couple a slow and fast streams to choose from along with a true download link for those that don't know how to right click and "save target as" or who can't stream for some reason. I'd leave it alone. Really, I think it's fine.
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puiwaihin
Posts: 1378
From: Taiwan
Status: offline
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RE: Netscape Plugins-- .mp3 files - 3/29/2002 15:28:41
Thanks, Bill. Having the text link will probably serve the purpose.
It's just that my goal is to design for the current and most recent versions of NS and IE (i.e. NN4.x&6.x, IE5.x&6.x). I want it to look and function basically the same in these browers. I want it to be accessible to older and mainstream browsers, but not necessarily the same.
If I can find a simple solution, I'll use it. If not, I'll let it be. But I gotta at least look, first.
Thanks for all your effort on this one.
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"Things are always darkest, just before it goes totally black."
-Hannibal Smith
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Printable Version 
, I wonder if you might have done something to make it not want to play mp3's? You might want to put your page up in the test forum and see if other people with a later version of NS are having those problems too. Okay, so that's probably no help at all....