I am having some problems using the streaming audio from my RioCar on my home LAN (wired). My RioCar is a MKIIa 60 GB with car2-developer-v2.00-beta13.upgrade, Hijack v300 and empeg web interface v1.3. My Dell Inspiron 3700 notebook is using Windows 2000 SP3 and car-emplode-v2.00-beta13.

The MP3 files I have are from my own CDs ripped using Audigrabber and encoded using LAME, 256k, CBR. They are stored on a network drive as well as being loaded on my RioCar.

When I first started using the server capability of Hijack, about six months ago, it worked fine with the exception that the display of artist-albumn-title-track information had % symbols rather than spaces between information as displayed on Windows Media Player v7. It was annoying but at least the sound was good and I could enjoy the music on my RioCar anywhere I had a LAN connection at home.

I read some earlier threads that indicated this was a problem with WMP so I started looking for alternatives. I have listed below the steps, as best as I recall, that I took in seeking a solution. Things got worse before a suprising outcome.

1. Updated WMP v7 to v8. No change, display artist%album%song%track.

2. Installed UltraPlayer. Great sound, small size but same artist%album%song%track display problem.

3. Updated Windows 2000 to SP3. No change.

4. Installed MusicMatch Jukebox v7.2. Same display problem with % appearing.

5. Upgraded WMP to v9. Same display problem with %. Also noticed the when using Empeg Web Interface that not all playlists would stream. Some would work after repeated clicking of stream icon and some would never bring up player and play. When the did the player would buffer the first song, hesitate and then go on to buffer the next song but never play any song. UltraPlayer would indicate a problem with the MP3 file and WMP 9 would give error messages indicating a lost connection to the server. THINGS ARE GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE!

6. Reflashed RioCar with car2-developer-v2.00-beta13.upgrade, Hijack v300 and empeg web interface v1.3. Deleted all MP3 files and playlists on RioCar and reloaded/syncronized with car-emplode-v2.00-beta13. No change, same problems!!!!!!!

7. Tested all 6,000 or more MP3 files using the excellent MP3 Utility v1.72. Three files with structure or sync problems were found and removed. Problems with Web server working and % display continue.

8. Individual files on the RioCar stream fine even those that would not when part of a play list. All players still have % display problem when playing an MP3 file direct from notebook hard drive.

9. Installed Winamp v3 telling it to associate with all compatible file types. When I double click on an MP3 file on my notebook HD or network drive Winamp starts, plays the file fine and displays information without % symbols!

Trying Charcoalgray99's Empeg Web Interface brought up WMP9, not Winamp3 as expected, but the display of song information is correct and without those pesky % characters. All playlists now stream correctly with one click. When opening an MP3 file from the notebook HD or network storage WMP9, Winamp3, UltraPlayer and MusicMatch all display song information correctly without %. BIG SURPRISE! WHAT ELSE MIGHT WINAMP FIX?

10. In WMP9 options I removed all file associations. I did the same with the other player software except Winamp3. I did my best to disable any options that would allow these programs, except for Winamp3, to auto reassociate when starting and discovering they were no longer the default. I also used Windows Explorer-Tools-Folder Options-File Types to make sure that all audio media types were associated with Winamp. The only files left associated with WMP were a few related to its own skins, installation, and WMP media.

Despite all of that WMP9 is what comes up when I click on stream in the Empeg Web Interface. The nice thing is that it always works now and the % symbols are gone. I suspect that some Windows registry entry is why WMP refuses to give up streaming MP3 audio to Winamp. It may also be a registry entry made during the Winamp installation that fixed the % display problem.

A. I would appreciate anyone's comments and suggestions on how to gain control of which player software starts and plays streaming audio from the RioCar.

B. What causes the % display problem? How can I avoid it next time I setup a computer?

C. Your recommendations on which player software is best would be appreciated. I am interested in quality, reliability and simplicity in that order.

Thanks,

Michael

wow... that is alot to take in... i bet people are going to sleep on this one!

I did get a bit carried away. Right over the top actually! I have had the problem(s) so long and the cure was so unexpected I thought it worthwhile to lay it all out. I am a novice in understanding MP3, Linux and streaming audio so I hope that those in the know might comment on my results.

Without reviewing the stuff in extreme detail, it sounds to me like (a) WinAmp decodes the %s correctly, and that (b) CharcoalGray99 interface also solves the problem for you regardless of the client. So if the problem is solved, where's the problem?

Hello Tony,

I always had the Empeg Web Interface (charcoalgray99) installed even when WMP, MusicMatch and UltraPlayer would not decode %s correctly. Installing Winamp3 made all players display tag info without %s but I can not get Winamp to be the default player for streaming audio no matter what settings I use in WMA, Winamp or Windows Explorer File Type associations.

How do I get Winamp to take control? Perhaps a Windows Registry setting is involved?

Is Winamp the player of choice or, if not, what do you use?

Thanks,

Michael

WinAmp has always been the player of choice for me personally.

I never had any trouble making WinAmp the default player, but I'm also using slightly older version of Media Player, and I avoid XP like the plague, so I don't know how to solve that particular problem. Probably a case of Media Player re-grabbing the associations after WinAmp has grabbed them. Dig around the Explorer "File Types" screen (or whatever they've renamed it to in XP these days) and see if you can re-associate audio files with WinAmp.

I haven't read the entire thread. However the following works for me:

WinAmp Preferences -> Setup \ File types -> Select All -> Close

I have WinXP, WMP9 Beta

Tom

It's been a while since I bothered with this, as I am intentionally avoiding upgrading WMP to the versions that have skins this time around, but, there's some option somewhere that was turned on when you selected, intentionally or not, the play media inside IE option. I can't remember how to turn it off, and it's quite hidden, but it's there.

That's an IE option.

Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced Tab. Under "Multimedia" check the option "Don't display online content in the media bar"

I'm using IE6. Also, this option wasn't checked for me, and winamp has no problem being my default player.

Tom

Thanks to Tom, Bitt and Tony for your responses. In Winamp 3 I went into options and made sure that all file types were selected for playback and association. In WMP 9 I made sure that no file types were selected. In the Network tab I unselected(sp?) all streaming protocols and file types. NO CHANGE in behaviour when selecting Stream on a playlist in the empeg Web Interface, Windows Media Player starts and plays the selection.

I also tried the suggested setting in IE:
Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced Tab. Under "Multimedia" check the option "Don't display online content in the media bar."

It was unchecked at first, I checked it and tried streaming, then unchecked it again and tried streaming again. Same results, WMP plays the selection.

I finally uninstalled WMP 9 and gave streaming a try. Now I get a message that I can not access the Temporary Internet Files folder where streaming content is evidently stored. Does not matter if I am logged in with Administrator privileges or not and Winamp does not come up or even try to play streaming MP3. I am back where Microsoft wanted me all along! WMP is re-installed and playing streaming content. Maybe there is a conspiracy after all.

Thanks for your suggestions. I may continue this investigation but it does take time away from listening to the music. That must have been what I was after when I purchased my first Rio Car.

Michael

Keep in mind that if all you're looking to do is to hear your Rio Car play on your computer, you can simply do this. Network streaming into windows applets is not required.

Good suggestion but in this case my empeg player and computer are not in the same room so using the LAN to make its resources available in other parts of the house is important. I actually have the empeg player outputs running into a home hifi system in the living room where my wife likes to use it.

what i like to do whenever wmp takes over with web media is click on the media button in ie. that should pop up the left hand bar with media crap. down at the bottom click media options --> click settings --> click reset preferred types. click yes. then try to stream an mp3, ie should pop up and ask if you want to play it in ie. check remember this option and then click no. if you have winamp set up to play .m3u or .mp3 (whichever your trying to play) it should play correctly.

Good tip. I have never clicked the Media button on the toolbar in IE. Filled with hope I tried Media-Media Options-Settings-Reset Preferred Types...-Yes. I shut everything down and then started IE and went to my empeg using the empeg Web Interface. WMP started up and played my selection with no option to tell it no.

WMP continues to be in control. I once thought I was in control of my computer. Foolish me!

Thanks for the suggestion. I am learning a lot along the way.

Michael

you will want to make sure that wmp isnt set to play mp3 format sounds. tools --> options --> file types. also make sure that winamp is set to do so. options --> preferences --> file types (i think, dont have winamp installed on this machine)

I confirmed that and WMP will still not give up. Oh well....

Michael