Registered: Feb 2001
From:

I just updated both Winamp and Realplayer after not updating either in some time. After the updates, Winamp couldn't play .m3u files or Shoutcast's .pls files. Realplayer jumped in and took over the job. In Realplayer's preferences, I tried to neutralize Realplayer as the default player by hitting the "Re-associate" button and making sure the check mark was removed from"MPEG Audio". Then I hit the "Auto-Restore Settings" button and removed the check mark from "MP3 PlayLists (.m3u,.pls,.xpl)." In Winamp's preferences, I made sure "m3u" and "pls" were highlighted as "associated extensions" and checked the box to enable Winamp to maintain those file associations. Still Winamp would not play m3u or pls files.

So then I went to Windows Explorer, clicked "View", "Folder Options"' then "File Types," and tried observing what happened as I changed and re-changed the preferences and defaults in Realplayer and Winamp. Winamp was registered for "Winamp playlist file" and Realplayer for "MP3 PlayLists," both for content type (MIME) "audio/mpegurl." I then tried editing the registered file types in Windows Explorer. No matter what editions I made, the best I could do was disable Realplayer; I couldn't get Winamp to play streaming mp3. So I uninstalled Realplayer. Still, I couldn't get Winamp to play streaming mp3; a box popped up informing me I needed Realplayer to play that type of content.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that Realplayer made some sort of weird change so that all ".pls" and ".m3u" extensions are converted to ".xpl", which only Realplayer can play. In Windows Explorer "File types", I set up Winamp to play .xpl files in the same way Winamp was set to play m3u files and pls files, but to no avail. Now, when I try to play Shoutcast, I get a box that says, "You have chosen to download a file from this location: shoutcast-playlist.xpl from www.shoutcast.com. What would you like to do with this file?" I click to open the file from its current location, but all that happens is that the file
opens and the words "shoutcast-playlist[1]" appear in the Winamp playlist. The audio never starts. I reinstalled Realplayer and somehow managed to get "xpl" added to the list of file associations in Winamp's own preferences list, but still it won't play Shoutcast files. I've uninstalled and reinstalled Winamp twice, but still it won't play Shoutcast.

Are my suspicions correct? Has Realplayer somehow rigged things to convert all .pls and .m3u files to .xpl files that Winamp can't play? Or was that something that I managed to do myself by fiddling with the registered File Types in Windows Explorer? In either case, is there some way to prevent the change to an .xpl extension? How can I make Winamp play Shoutcast files again?

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Registered: Feb 2001
From:

Real Player is doing basically the same thing. Just installed Winamp onto a machine and every time I try to get onto ShoutCast Realplayer takes over. If you find a solution can you get back to me? I can not figure it out as to why Real Player is stepping in and taking over almost everything now we download onto this machine. Much obliged..

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Yes, I'm looking into this problem!
In the meantime, check out this thread & particularly this post:
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread...3556#post203556
If the suggestions don't work, then I will look into the actual Reg fix.
Let me know how you get on!

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Registered: Feb 2001
From:

Hey there, DJEgg!

Thanks for the reply. I checked the thread you recommended. I guess there's something to the saying, "Misery loves company." It was comforting to realize I'm not out on my own on this one. Your suggestion in Post203556 to delete "MP3 PlayLists" in Folder Options -> File Types was one that I had tried. The good news was that it disabled RealPlayer from playing mp3 playlists. The bad news was that Winamp wouldn't play them either. When I tried to play Shoutcast, a dialog box popped up, saying "You have chosen to download a file from this location: shoutcast-playlist.xpl from www.shoutcast.com. What would you like to do with this file?" I selected, "Open this file from its current location." The "Open With" dialog box then popped onscreen, saying, "Click the program you want to use to open the file 'shoutcast-playlist.xpl.'" I scrolled down and chose Winamp. But the file didn't play. Instead of a regular Shoutcast internet location appearing in the Winamp playlist window, the words "shoutcast-playlist" appeared, but when I clicked it to play, nothing played.

I went back into Folder Options-> File Types and discovered a new registered file type near the bottom of the list. The file type was "XPL File" with Winamp registered as the program to open such files. There was still, of course, the entry "Winamp Playlist file" for M3U and PLS files, but that entry seems obsolete after the RealPlayer mugging. What good is a registration for m3u and pls files if they are all converted to xpl files?

I actually discovered a way, though, to get the Shoutcast files to play in Winamp. It's a bit of a hassle, but it works. (1) Click the link to the stream in Shoutcast. This won't do any good, of course, because the file will be converted to xpl, but clicking the link will at least get you the URL with the pls extension in the Address Box of the browser's Navigation Bar. (2) Right-click the address (http:// etc. etc.) and select "Copy." (3) On the Winamp skin, click the "Add" and "Add URL" buttons below the Playlist. An "Open location" dialog box appears. (4) In the dialog box, right-click the address box and select "Paste." The Shoutcast URL is pasted into the box. Note that the file extension is pls, not xpl. (5) Click "Open." (6) Double-click your selection in the Winamp Playlist and it will play! (Hurray!!) A pls file selected in the browser converts to xpl, but a pls file entered directly into Winamp doesn't convert to xpl.

I tried this right-click technique with m3u files at mp3.com, but, unfortunately, it didn't work. Instead of the m3u selection appearing in the Winamp playlist window, I'd get 400-some-odd lines of computer language. If I want to play m3u files from mp3.com, I'll have to make RealPlayer the default for mp3 playlists.

I e-mailed RealPlayer's technical support folks about this whole xpl conversion problem. I'll post if I hear back.

Ya'll don't hold your breath.

This talk about a Reg fix makes me nervous, but sometimes, I reckon ya just gotta do what ya gotta do.

Cheers,
ReignyDaze

P.S. to Shadowdanser
For sure - I'll let you know.

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

ReignyDaze,
Did you also do as the other threads suggest?

ie. In RP8, goto : View -> Preferences -> Upgrade tab
In both "Re-associate" & "Auto-Restore Settings" buttons, remove checkmarks next to everything, especially "MP3 Audio" (mp1, mp2, mp3) & "MP3 Playlists" (m3u, pls, xpl).
General tab -> Start Center settings -> Disable Start Center.

Okay everything -> close prefs -> close RP8

Start -> Settings -> Folder Options -> FileTypes tab:
Remove RP8's entry for MP3 Playlists (m3u, pls, xpl)
Leaving "Winamp Playlist file" (m3u, pls) in tact.

Open Winamp : Prefs -> File Types
Select : MP3, PLS, M3U, etc etc.
Checkmark : Register files on Winamp start (optional)

Close Prefs -> exit Winamp -> Re-open Winamp

Back in : Folder Options -> FileTypes
Check that the MIME type for : Winamp Playlist File = audio/scpls
This is the default setting, though any of audio/x-scpls or audio/x-mpegurl or audio/mpeg will also work.

If this still doesn't work & the browser is still converting playlists to xpl files, then this confirms my original suspicions that a Reg fix is the only way we're ever gonna fix this.
I understand your nervousness regarding this issue, especially regarding the manual fix using RegEdit, so maybe I should look into exporting a .reg file that you can merge into your Registry which will fix this problem once & for all?

Though, as I say, simply get someone qualified & experienced to do it 4u, and there shouldn't be any problems whatsoever. It's quite simple, and in this case, quite harmless!

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type

audio/x-mpegurl : extension = .m3u

If it says extension = .xpl, then simply hi-lite entry in right pane -> Edit -> Modify -> change the value from xpl to m3u.
If there's also an entry for : audio/mpegurl : do the same.

audio/scpls | audio/x-scpls | audio/pls
extension = .pls (NOT .xpl)

Also check that the associated extension for the following = .mp3
audio/m3u | audio/mp3 | audio/mpeg | audio/mpg | audio/x-mp3 | audio/x-mpeg | audio/x-mpg

nb. Remember to type in the full stop before the extension, eg : .pls | .m3u | etc

This should surely fix the whole issue. If not, then it means that RP8 has modified more keys in H_C_R, and I'll then definitely have to post an actual auto reg fix.

Let me know how ya get on ASAP.

[Edited by DJEgg on 05-11-2001 at 11:20 PM]

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Registered: Feb 2001
From:

DJEgg,

I've tried everything except the Reg Edit. I disabled RP's Start Center from the start. I (1) removed ALL the checkmarks in RP's "Re-associate" and "Auto-Restore Settings" buttons, (2) closed the prefs and exited RP8, (3) deleted "MP3 PlayLists" from Folder Options -> File Types, (4) went into Winamp's preferences, selected all the files under "File Types" and made sure "Register types on Winamp start" was checked and that "Maintain file associations" was checked, (5) closed the prefs and exited Winamp, (6)re-opened Winamp, (7) checked Folder Options -> File Types. To my surprise, "MP3 PlayLists" was back on the list, even though I had removed it in step 3. RP was no longer registered for m3u or pls, though; it was registered just for xpl. Winamp was registered under "Winamp Playlist files" for m3u and pls. The MIME type for both "MP3 PlayLists" and "Winamp Playlist file" was audio/mpegurl. (8) I deleted "MP3 PlayLists" again, thereby removing all reference to xpl files in Folder Options -> File Types. This time it stayed deleted.

After all that, when I tried to play Shoutcast, I'd get the dialog box "You have chosen to download a file from this location: shoutcast-playlist.xpl from shoutcast.com," and when I would click to open the file from its current location, I'd get the dialog box that says, "Click the program you want to use to open the file." I scrolled down and clicked Winamp, but it wouldn't work. That's when I went back into Folder Options -> File Types and discovered a new entry for "XPL File" with Winamp as the program and audio/mpegurl as the MIME type.

I've tried everything suggested in the entire thread you linked to, but nothing works.

I've edited my registry once before on another matter, so with your specific instructions on the Reg edit, I feel I can give it a try if necessary.

I put in a complaint at RealPlayer about this xpl problem and actually got back a quick response. The tech engineer requested the specific m3u and pls links I had used so he can check it out from his side. I'll let you know what he says. Because I'm nervous about the Reg edit, I'm going to wait till I hear back from him. I'll let you know as soon as I hear.

Thanks again for your help.

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Registered: Feb 2001
From:

DJEgg,

thanks to your instructions about the registry changes I finally got WinAmp playing Shoutcast streaming audio files correctly despite having RealAudio 8 installed!

Thanks again for the hints!
Tolwin

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Tolwin
Yeeharr, YES!

ReignyDaze
Cheers for the info, this helps immensely.
The fact that in Folder Options -> FileTypes, both Winamp Playlist File (pls, m3u) & MP3 Playlists (xpl) are both using audio/mpegurl for the MIME is the key issue here.

An easier fix, without using RegEdit, would be to manually change the MIME to either audio/scpls or audio/x-mpegurl instead of audio/mpegurl.
Folder Options -> FileTypes -> Winamp Playlist File -> Edit

I've always used audio/scpls since day one, and have never had any problems.

If this still doesn't work, then I'm afraid RegEdit is the only way forward!

Start -> Run -> REGEDIT -> Enter

Left Pane -> Expand "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" -> Scroll down for:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type
(could be quite some distance down the list, usually just after all the Microsoft... entries)
Then simply follow all my instructions as above.
The main keys to check are:
1) audio/mpegurl
Hi-lite entry in left pane
Right pane -> hi-lite "Extension" string -> Edit -> Modify
Change from .xpl to .m3u
2) audio/scpls (also: audio/x-scpls)
Change from .xpl to .pls

etc etc.
Check all the other keys I mentioned above in the same manner.

If it worked for Tolwin, then it must do for everyone else too.
Top suss, eh folks!


[Edited by DJEgg on 05-22-2001 at 05:32 PM]

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Registered: Feb 2001
From:

HURRAY!!!!

Ya did it DJEgg!!

The Reg edit worked!

Before I went into the registry, I tried the simpler fix in Folder Options->File Types->Winamp playlist files. When I tried changing the MIME from audio/mpegurl to audio/scpls or audio/x-mpegurl, something weird happened in the Edit box both times. As I made the change, the "Default Extension for Content type" immediately changed from .m3u to .xpl. Both times, I clicked the scroll-down arrow beside the entry .xpl, and both times it changed back to .m3u. I closed the Edit box, and the "File type details" tab showed I had successfully made the change of the MIME type, and xpl was not listed with m3u and pls. However, when I tried to play Shoutcast, up popped the dialog box, "You have chosen to download a file from this location: shoutcast-playlist.xpl."

But, then, thank goodness, your Reg edit worked. I ended up changing seven values in the registry, one from .xpl to .pls, and six of them from .mpga to .mp3.

And, oh my, Shoutcast sounds so much better with Winamp!!

I had one remaining problem, though. Winamp still wouldn't play m3u files from mp3.com. Based on a suggestion from mp3.com's Help page, I went into Folder Options -> File Types -> Winamp playlist files and changed the MIME from audio/mpegurl to audio/mpeg. I tried playing a file from mp3.com, then, and wouldn't you know it - RealPlayer opened, like a deadbeat relative that keeps showing up for dinner uninvited - and get this - this is the killer - there's a dialog box that says RealPlayer can't play the content without a plug-in.

And so RealPlayer wanted to gimme the ol' plug-in.

Yeah, right.

Keep your pants zipped, RP, I'm not that kinda girl.

We can all thank goodness, though, there are still a few internet companies out there you can trust. Mp3.com had the solution to the problem - a nice little download called Mp3Fix. Now I can play mp3.com files on Winamp, too. Mp3Fix.exe can be downloaded at:

URL submitted by user.

Thanks again for all your help, DJEgg. You really came through for us.

You might be interested to hear, I heard back from the RealPlayer technical engineer about this problem. I had sent him a detailed e-mail describing the problem and all my attempted fixes. In response to his request, I also sent him the web addresses of the Shoutcast and mp3.com pages where I had experienced the difficulties. Just in case anyone's in need of a laugh, here's his reply, almost in its entirety, copied verbatim from his e-mail. He said:

" Thanks for the information you have provided regarding the problem you are experiencing. You say that the .m3u or .pls files after download are saved as .xpl file. Please note that RealPlayer does not support either of the format. It cannot playback these files. I request you to contact the Content Provider stating him the problem you are experiencing. They will be able to help you better."



So, there you have it.

Cheers,
ReignyDaze

P.S. Don't worry, I'm not letting RP off that easy. If there are any interesting developments in my correspondence, I'll post them for your entertainment.

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Registered: Feb 2001
From: No. Ca

DJEgg you regedit fixed all probs.
down with real player.
many props!
chicken316

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Weyhey! Glad it worked for ya
We'll show those damn pesky RealNetworks buffoons just who's boss.

That e-mail support reply says it all I suppose.
As Jonathon Ross would say, what a top ranker!

btw, ReignyDaze
If you'd have also changed the MIME extension for audio/x-mpegurl & audio/mpegurl to .m3u instead of .xpl, you wouldn't have needed to use the mp3.com fix at all.
Full details in my main post above!

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Registered: Feb 2001
From:

Hi All,

I'm still working with the RealNetworks technical engineer to try to get RealNetworks to acknowledge and fix the xpl problem. (Not everyone is going to be aware of DJ Egg's reg edit.) It's been slow going with the RealNetworks techie. He still says that RealPlayer cannot play mp3 playlists!!

Apparently, his system is configured with RealJukeBox as the default for mp3 playlists; he's oblivious to RealPlayer's capabilities.

He was able, though, to replicate the xpl problem on his system when he couldn't get Winamp to play any of the stations from Shoutcast's Home Page. He claimed, however, that when he clicked the link to radiostorm.com's home page from Shoutcast's homepage, and then clicked the "Play" link at radiostorm.com, the file downloaded not as an xpl file but as a pls file that Winamp could play.

I wanted to check this out myself, so I put my system back into pre-DJ Egg mode by making RP my default for mp3 playlists, then repeating the steps short of the reg edit to make Winamp the default again. Sure enough, I'd crippled Winamp. It was unable to play the xpl file that downloaded when I clicked the "Tune In" link for radiostorm on the Shoutcast Home Page. When I clicked the link to radiostorm.com and clicked the play link there, though, a pls file downloaded, not an xpl file, and Winamp played it - just like the RP techie said.

Hmmm.

I tried this with other stations from Shoutcast. On Wolf FM's home page, a pls file downloaded and Winamp played it. But, then, on the home pages for Europa Plus, Digitally Imported European Hi-NRG, and Smooth Jazz, clicking the play links downloaded xpl files that couldn't play on Winamp.

Hmmm.

But then I thought to right click all the links and check "Properties." I discovered that the play links on radiostorm's and Wolf FM's homepages were direct links to files with .pls extensions. The other links, though, were to "preliminary" files in front of the pls files, and these "preliminary" files had extensions such as .gif, .jpg, and .cgi. It is on these types of indirect links only that RealDictator imposes its will and converts the pls files to xpl files.

Of course, most of the links to mp3 playlists on the web appear to be .gif, .jpg, and .cgi. That's why the xpl problem is so frustrating for Winamp devotees. Few of the links point directly to the pls or m3u file.

In light of DG Egg's reg fix, this little discovery about the xpl problem is probably merely academic, but who knows. It might be a piece to some other puzzle sometime.

Cheers,
ReignyDaze

P.S. Now, on to an encore for the DG reg edit.

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Registered: May 2001
From:

If you installed real player and now (without us knowing) it's the default player for your PlayLists...here's the easy fix without having to touch the Registry Edit.

-check it.
Enter start menu/ settings/ folder options/ click file types.
Then in the scroll window, highlight MP3 Playlists (.m3u,.pls,.xpl) and click the edit button.
When that window pops up be sure the content type(MIME) type is audio/mpegurl. Make the default extention type .m3u.

And here's the key part:
Below the actions window, click the edit button. The pop up window opens (editing action for type:MP3 playlists (.mpu,.pls,.xpl). The application used to perform action will be targeting the realplay.exe. That's the problem. To fix it, click the browse button and then target your winamp.exe which will be located wherever you downloaded the winamp folder (should be in the Program Files folder).

That's it. Shame on Real for pulling that stunt. Never liked them anyway.

Happy listening!

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Hmm . . . this has already kinda been mentioned as a potential fix. Whereas it worked for some, it didn't for others, and therefore the regfix was required.

However, only RealPlayer supports xpl playlists, not Winamp.
It's another stupid lame RealNetworks secure format.

If Winamp is supposed to be your default m3u & pls player (by selecting these extensions in Winamp Prefs -> Filetypes), then the entry in Folder Options -> FileTypes should be under Winamp Playlist File, not MP3 Playlists.
MP3 Playlists is the entry made by RealPlayer8.
It would therefore be wise to just totally remove this entry.
It would also be wise to remove the associations from within RP8 Prefs too
(as explained in my post/s above).

However, if this fix works for you (megatron), so be it.
Maybe it might for someone else too?
The more options available the better, eh !?!?
. . . Anything to put the evil RP in its proper place!

Thankyou for the extra input megatron!

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Registered: Aug 2000
From:

Im thinking of another solution extentionds are a waste of time.

I used to use an Amiga file and they only ever had one extention and that was for .info for icons for individual files but most files from modules to word-processing never had extentions.

remove the .m3u extentions off the saved playlists and set winamp to associate with unknown file types *.* aka not even the (.) is needed just shoutcast not shoutcast.pls or.m3u it should work

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Huh?

Anyway, if anyone's afraid of using the regedit fix . . . or if the other fixes mentioned above don't work . . . then there's always the chance that running mp3.com's so-called guaranteed fix might work for you?

From : TSGH -> Useful Links -> "Problems with RealPlayer" section:
Guaranteed fix : http://help.mp3.com/help/installer/MP3Fix.exe
Further help : http://help.mp3.com/help/article/co...ie_windows.html

A few people have said that the mp3.com fix has worked, others not!

If all else fails, I can guarantee that my manual regedit fix will work!

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Registered: May 2001
From:

Just stumbled on to this and wanted to thank ReinyDaze and DJEgg for the solution to my "WTF! is with RP" problem. Ran your REGEDIT DJ and all is well again. I tried MP3.com's guaranteed fix, don't know what it fixed but it wasn't my audio problem.

rejoove

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Registered: Apr 2001
From:

DJEgg thanks for the info on the inner workings of .xpls i tried your regedit fix and it worked masterfully what a touch you got there
really i am new to this forum and have never used regedit but the info was quick and pertinent and
unassumingly helpful

can't believe it works
thanks

jdisab
Toronto,Canada


____________________________________________

quote:

---

Originally posted by DJEgg
ReignyDaze,

>>...This should surely fix the whole issue. If not, then it means that RP8 has modified more keys in H_C_R, and I'll then definitely have to post an actual auto reg fix....

Let me know how ya get on ASAP.>>

[Edited by DJEgg on 05-11-2001 at 11:20 PM]

---

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Weyhey! Another satisfied Winamper!

Yes, I've gotta say, this particular fix is one of my proudest moments of all time on the forums (in a very humble kinda way )
Yay! What a fix indeed!

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

New tutorial in TSGH:
How to Unassociate RP8 from Streaming Playlists & Make Winamp the Default Instead

Alas, no pretty pics, just a load of text

Includes manual fixes & links to auto reg fixes!
Yes, I've been busy!

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Registered: Jul 2002
From:

WELL, THIS .PLS ASSOCIATION PROBLEM WITH SHOUTCAST IS REALLY A $#~*&%@ DOUBLE-DECKER PAIN IN THE ARSE!

I have a few useful comments here; if you read to the end of this post you may find some helpful tidbits you haven't seen before.

At one time I had solved this problem for MSIE 5.5 and MSIE 6 under Windows 2000, with some of the fixes posted in the Winamp forums (you'll see my previous posts as "Winner") but the problem came back to haunt me again under MSIE 6.

I shouldn't really be pulling hair out at my age, but... well, this .pls circus is like one of those tenacious nasty zits that always returns to the same place and hurts like you-know-what!

My always-thinking-about-new-and-more-even-better-tweaks brain doesn't recall exactly when the working setup busted. It was very recent though.

Because I was so enthralled with my new PowerDVD program (another tweaking playground!!!), I probably shrugged off the first few times my associations didn't work as a server problem or glitch - and didn't take note of exactly when it broke again - as I was happily hacking away to maximize my glorious new DVD performance.

Ummm, that mistake cost me a few handfuls of top cover...

I noticed that installation of PowerDVD created an association with .pls (the version 3 upgrade didn't even ask about associations -- how rude!!!) and possibly some other associations. Of course, I immediately de-associated .pls and re-associated with Winamp, but with no success, and at first only minor irritation (alas, I knew all the "fixes!").

Then I remembered that I had recently reinstalled RealPlayer 8 (Why, you ask??? I think it was because somehow a working RealPlayer 8 installation got me to upgrade to RealOne, which was even more of a mess, so I deinstalled and reinstalled RealPlayer 8 - WITH NO ASSOCIATIONS - I KNOW BETTER!!!) but I was sure that the .pls association was working fine well after that reinstall.

Anyway, I was VERY familiar with all of the "fixes," so again I tried ALL of the settings fixes for Winamp and RealPlayer, all of the registry fixes for same, including DJEgg's registry files, deinstalled/reinstalled Winamp, etc. Actually, I tried many of these fixes several times over, as I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS NOT GETTING FIXED! The fur starts to fly...

So now what? I had done everything I knew. Aha! It had to be MSIE, but no way was I going to do another reinstall of MSIE 6. But perhaps... UPDATES!! Yeah, baby!

Now here comes a tidbit: MSIE 6 doesn't properly access the Windows Update page if you have a proxy enabled. I always use The Proxomitron to filter ads, so I disabled use of a proxy in MSIE 6. Windows Update told me there wasn't anything to be updated, but not one to believe M$ at first encounters, I looked at downloadable updates. Found a DirectX upgrade that I hadn't absorbed, so I installed that and rebooted.

Another tidbit: In searching for updates, I discovered Service Pack 3 for Windows 2000 is just around the corner.

Then in this thread, I discovered the "guaranteed" mp3fix.exe program from mp3.com, and ran that.

And guess what? Problem fixed!!! WOOOHOOO!!! DirectX? Mp3fix.exe? Nope! Disabling of my proxy program!!! (I hadn't re-enabled the proxy when I tested again). I'm very sure I hadn't changed any settings on Proxomitron, and I don't know exactly what on my system had changed, but I did find out which setting in Proxomitron was causing the failure this time.

My last and possibly new tidbit/advice: If you use Proxomitron, to avoid another possible source for Shoutcast streaming failure, go to the headers filters configuration and check the "Out" box for "Accept-encoding: prevent webpage encoding (out)," and uncheck the "Out" box for "Accept-encoding: Allow webpage encoding (out)."

Of course, this same time of HTTP header configuration would apply to other proxy/filtering programs that do the same sort of thing.

I don't understand this webpage encoding business all that well. Maybe someone can clue me and others in on this, so perhaps the true source of the trouble/reconfiguration can be discovered.

Hmmm... now what can I do with that clump of hair??? I need to click on SmoothJazz and chill. Yeah, baby! But just once. Don't wanna force my luck, ya know!

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Sorry, you've lost me a bit here my friend.
From what I can gather, you've already fixed the problem, but can you explain what the actual problem was?
Apologies also for not looking up all your previous posts as "Winner".

Basically, this thread and the one in TSGH relate to problems with getting PLS associated with Winamp . . . so when you click a stream url it opens up in Winamp and not RealPlayer.

Problems related to getting PLS playlists to actually play the stream through proxy connections (or whatever background proxy/firewall software) are a totally different matter altogether. None of the suggested fixes here bear any relevance, and also, those auto regfixes in TSGH are for Win9x/ME not Win2k/XP.

So forgive me, but I'm a little confused. LOL

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Registered: Aug 2002
From: New Mexico, USA

I was going through which plug-ins/players I had installed on my "ancient" computer. Actually it isn't that old (1999) but I used to have what was called "More than the newest" when I checked for updates to things, such as media formats/players. I'm not a rocket scientist so playing with the registry or doing anything with ReGedit makes me nervous.

Nevertheless, I need some help. My default player, I think, is WindowsMedia, I think. Since my Broadband server/ISP is MSN, I would think this is true, and yes, I normally would get MP when clicking a link or one a friend has sent.

I had AOL until June of 2001, and they had "given me" WinAmp and Spinner Plus when I updated one time. To save valuable space, I usually keep things like players, and even my keyboard manager disabled (unchecked in msconfig).

So a couple of days ago, I get a link to a vid clip which was available only on RealPlayer, and while watching it, I thought "It wouldn't hurt to update RP from 7 to RealOne basic. I uninstalled real jukebox and the edition of RP I had, then downloaded Real One.

What a dump! I thought. I had some forty-five less Megs on my drive after doing so (this was with a lot of players I had when with AOL, WinAmp was one, and Spinner Plus was the other, along with Quicktime, Windows, and Real), I had uncheck nearly everything they had checked for me for the install (I try not to have anything as default. I'd rather the program choose for me).

Anyway, with WinAmp, it has never worked. Like a lot of things Windows, this didn't surprise me so much as it angered me. Now, with my playlist from a couple of CDs I recorded with RP, they somehow were not with the new edition of RP, but just tonight I discovered that they were on WinAmps (2.73) playlist, but it still doesn't work. I recently got a high speed modem (DSL) but I don't think it is that because my Windows Media playlist plays just fine. Most days radio stations don't work, but I generally don't listen to music when I'm working anyway.

So how do I get WinAmp to work so I can atleast check it out? I've had it for more than a year, my John Lennon songs are on it, but it doesn't play. I don't know how to get back into RPs checklist to see what may be checked which has stopped it, but if I am going to go into the registry (regedit) I need some exact instructions so I really don't FU anything. This seems to be where the problems have been fixed when I go through the threads here so I would much appreciate some help that would at least allow me to try out WinAmp. Spinner actually has better sound than any other player, but it isn't really of any value for recording or playing CDs, etc.

Would someone give me whatever I have to do to hear WinAmp? Somehow, my playlist was transferred from RP to WA, so why can't I play it. It seems to be doing so, I just can't hear anything.

Thanks for any suggestions anyone may have. I have been reading for several hours now, but most fixes seem to involce the registry, or are difficult to understand. I don't want to take up anyone's time, so if there is something which can be copy/pasted on a reply, or just a way to see if RP is preventing my ability to play anything.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Email or PMs (I'm familiar with this format of message boards, but I don't rememeber if there was a setting for them. I seem to think so, though.

Sincerely,

Mark F.

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Probably a bad move to "upgrade" to RealOne.
You can uninstall it and reinstall RP7 Basic here, if you want:
http://proforma.real.com/real/player/blackjack.html

Also, we can't really offer support for old versions of Winamp.
I suggest you uninstall it and get the newest version instead.
Don't worry, if you install the "standard" version, the disk space used is pretty much the same.

Now, to the matter at hand.
I think we're going to need a bit more precise information.
You're saying that the problem is with playing your own .PLS or .M3U playlists on your hard drive, and not with streaming playlists off the internet? (eg. from shoutcast.com or mp3.com or live365.com)

Okay, you used RP7 to rip your CD's.
This means that the music will be in a RealPlayer format, probably one of .RM, .RMJ, or .RMX
Can you confirm the file extensions of the files referred to in the playlists, plus the actual file extension of the playlist files themselves.

You will need a RealPlayer plugin for Winamp in order to play these files.
I think one gets installed with Spinner, but I've never used Spinner, so I'm not sure. I boycotted all RealPlayer formats a long time ago.
After you uninstall & reinstall both players (as above), install the Tara plugin for Winamp. This will provide playback support for virtually all RealPlayer formats in Winamp.

To make Winamp the default player (or not, whichever the case may be), goto:
Winamp -> Prefs (Ctrl+P) -> Filetypes.
Selecting PLS and M3U from the list will make Winamp the default playlist player.
Unselecting these will reverse the process.

To make WindowsMediaPlayer the default, goto:
WMP -> Tools menu (WMP7) or View menu (WMP6) -> Options -> Formats tab.
Checkmarking MP3 Format Sound (MP3, M3U) will make WMP the default player.
However, WMP does NOT support .PLS playlists.

The instructions for Real Player settings can be found here

Now, if it's just a matter of not being able to hear the music in Winamp (ie. the time counter and progress bar are moving in the main window but there's no audio volume):
1) Make sure the correct Output Plugin is selected
Prefs -> Plugins -> Output:
Select one of: WaveOut or DirectSound Output.
These are the two plugins used for normal playback.
Whichever output plugin is selected becomes the active one, and one plugin must be selected.
If DiskWriter was active, then this is why you couldn't hear anything.
DiskWriter Output creates WAV files from whatever is playing.
If this was the case, check your Hard Drive for any recently created large-ass WAV files.

2) Make sure the volume slider in the main Winamp window is up high enough.
Also, if the EQ window is open and the EQ is turned ON, make sure the pre-amp slider is up high enough (dead center at 0Db or just a little higher = recommended)

Further help:
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=73354
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=32675

3) Make sure the Main and Wave volume sliders are up high enough and not muted in Windows Volume Control (c/o little yellow speaker in systray).


I hope some of this helps.
If the problems persist, answer any questions from above, and also provide some relevant system specs (PC Make/model, CPU, RAM, soundcard, videocard, Windows OS, DirectX version)


btw, I also suggest you use CDex to rip your CD's directly to MP3
This way you'll never even need RealPlayer/Pukebox for anything again.

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Registered: Aug 2002
From: New Mexico, USA

Thank you very much. This is exactly what I needed. Sometimes it is just overwhelming. Since I will be installing more memory, and hopefully, a bigger HD, the space problems will be limited, but yes, Pukebox is mostly that.

I will spend tomorrow trying your fixes. I just didn't know which prefs I needed to check or uncheck. I may just uninstall RP One, too for the RP7. Some times more isn't enough.

Regards,

Mark

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Cool
I hope everything works out alright for ya


btw, you'll need to keep RP7 installed in order to play Real formats (ra, ram, rm, rmj, rmx, smil, etc) in Winamp. The Tara plugin provides playback support for these formats, but it needs to use the RealPlayer Engine. It won't work otherwise.


For the really adventurous, further info/tips here:

RealPlayer files & reg entries required to play Real Formats in Winamp w/o RP
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=58186


This of course is assuming the tracks you've already ripped from your CD's are in one of these evil RP formats. Though my advice is to forget about them, uninstall RP, and rip the tracks again into MP3 with CDex.

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Registered: Aug 2002
From: New Mexico, USA

Thanks again. I've already used your advice, and will update to the current WinAmp tonight.

Funny, but when I bought this maching I thought I bought too much (two CD-ROMs) for CD burning, and now I don't have enough. I'm adding 256megs of RAM on top of the 96 I have, and am going to install a bigger HD (mine is only 20 G but it was as big as I could afford).

Quote from PCWorld PitStop:

"This is a fast machine and should serve your every computing need."

BTW: I noticed while going through RPs defaults that WinAmp is already handling alot of my WindowsMedia, so even the problem with getting it to play on demand, it does when necessary.

Thanks again,

Mark

Last edited by Mark_F on 08-06-2002 at 01:49 AM

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Registered: Aug 2002
From: New Mexico, USA

BTW: (Shameless plug about to appear)

Any Japanese Martial Artists out there (or any MA for that matter), you are invited to check out E-Budo.com ( URL submitted by user. ).

I'm the Kodokan Judo moderator but other subject relating are welcome (BJJ, NHB, etc). There are a lot of sub-forums as well, koryu arts, flower arranging, mostly Japanese culture related to MA.

[end Plug]

Anyway, If there are an e-budoka on this list, the invitation is sincere and there is absolutely no cost, just a couple of rules you will see if you sign up.

Thanks again, I'll be back.

(I like the color scheme for the smilies here, though).


Mark

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Registered: Sep 2002
From: Norway

It was a death match indeed to get that streamin radios to work on Winamp. I follwed every little trick i could find on here with no luck at all! But unfamiliar with the realplayer family as i am i never noticed that slight difference between the rp8 every post was related to and rpOne who has been hoggin' my system. So i just whabammm Totally wiped that sucker way off my system and the walls are shakin' now as we speak (..as i'm typin anyways..) from boomin shoutcast beats!

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Registered: Jun 2000
From:

Congratulations!
Wise choice!

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Registered: Sep 2000
From:

DJ egg, ur a lifesaver! The registry that you poseted here works beautifully!

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::Deviant Me::Last.fm::WhatPulse Stats::Folding @ Home

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Registered: Aug 2003
From:

I've found an easy fix for the Realplayer Rape! Uninstall Realplayer and whatever version of Winamp you're using. Then, install Winamp 2.91. Presto! The scourge of Realplayer is GONE!

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