Can Winamp 'background-download' a song while playing it?

FSHero · 24th June 2006, 13:43

God, I hope this hasn't already been answered, or i'm dead...

Consider clicking a link on an MP3 in your web browser. If you use Windows Media Player (e.g. Media Player 10), it will play. If your internet connection is fast, it will download the rest of the song in the background - the bar progressively fills up with a dark colour (I think).

Can Winamp do this? Can it stream a song from the internet and download it at the same time? This would allow you to fast-forward to a later part of a song.

The same applies with videos; can Winamp background-download videos, so you can skip forward without watching beginning parts? Also, can you save songs from the Internet once a song had been 'background downloaded'? (Legal of course

)

Having said this, it wouldn't matter if songs and videos can be skipped anyway, without having to background-download future parts of the song/video. I think Windows Media Player must background-download the part of a song/video if you want to skip to it.

I can't seem to save in Winamp songs that have been played from the Internet, like windows media player can (by clicking File, Save As). Is this possible?

Please post any thoughts and answers!
Also: keep up the good work makers-of-Winamp!

siebe83 · 24th June 2006, 18:36

You can stream a file (i.e. listen to it while it's being downloaded) by pasting the URL in the Open URL box in Winamp:
right-click Open button > Open URL...

Works fine for me for most file formats (probably partly depends on the input plugin that is used, I only tested a few formats).

If you just click a file associated to Winamp in your browser, the file will probably first be downloaded to your browser's cache, and then opened in Winamp. In those cases you can use Save File As by DrO, which will allow you to right-click a file in the playlist > Save file as...
The Save File As plugin does not seem to work when you stream a file directly (i.e. via the Open URL box).

FSHero · 25th June 2006, 07:58

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

FSHero · 24th November 2006, 21:51

Sorry to revive this thread, but I just came up with a good reason for a feature such as download-while-playing. Consider an internet connection which has fluctuating traffic. Hence, using Winamp one would expect that your video would pause ("buffer underrun"?) when the traffic increased.

However, if Winamp downloaded ("cached"?) the video while playing it (during low-traffic times), then during high-traffic times the video would not pause.

So... is this possible? Or should I request it in the Wishlist?

24th June 2006, 13:43	#1
FSHero Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 6	Can Winamp 'background-download' a song while playing it? God, I hope this hasn't already been answered, or i'm dead... Consider clicking a link on an MP3 in your web browser. If you use Windows Media Player (e.g. Media Player 10), it will play. If your internet connection is fast, it will download the rest of the song in the background - the bar progressively fills up with a dark colour (I think). Can Winamp do this? Can it stream a song from the internet and download it at the same time? This would allow you to fast-forward to a later part of a song. The same applies with videos; can Winamp background-download videos, so you can skip forward without watching beginning parts? Also, can you save songs from the Internet once a song had been 'background downloaded'? (Legal of course ) Having said this, it wouldn't matter if songs and videos can be skipped anyway, without having to background-download future parts of the song/video. I think Windows Media Player must background-download the part of a song/video if you want to skip to it. I can't seem to save in Winamp songs that have been played from the Internet, like windows media player can (by clicking File, Save As). Is this possible? Please post any thoughts and answers! Also: keep up the good work makers-of-Winamp!

24th June 2006, 18:36	#2
siebe83 Forum King Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 9,229	You can stream a file (i.e. listen to it while it's being downloaded) by pasting the URL in the Open URL box in Winamp: right-click Open button > Open URL... Works fine for me for most file formats (probably partly depends on the input plugin that is used, I only tested a few formats). If you just click a file associated to Winamp in your browser, the file will probably first be downloaded to your browser's cache, and then opened in Winamp. In those cases you can use Save File As by DrO, which will allow you to right-click a file in the playlist > Save file as... The Save File As plugin does not seem to work when you stream a file directly (i.e. via the Open URL box). If you're bored go here or, if the boredom is more serious, here.

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25th June 2006, 07:58	#3
FSHero Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 6	Thanks, I'll give it a try.

24th November 2006, 21:51	#4
FSHero Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 6	Sorry to revive this thread, but I just came up with a good reason for a feature such as download-while-playing. Consider an internet connection which has fluctuating traffic. Hence, using Winamp one would expect that your video would pause ("buffer underrun"?) when the traffic increased. However, if Winamp downloaded ("cached"?) the video while playing it (during low-traffic times), then during high-traffic times the video would not pause. So... is this possible? Or should I request it in the Wishlist?