Help With Link to Demos

AlanC wrote on 2/14/2005, 2:47 AM
I've now plucked up the courage to ask for advice on a problem that has been bugging me for ages. I'm sure the solution is going to be an obvious one so I'll donn my dunces cap and stand in the corner now.

Sometimes, not always, when I follow a link to download a demo, such as the one Ken Calhoun just posted, all I get is pages and pages of characters like so: 0&²uŽfϦÙ.

I use Netscape 7.1, have Media Player 9 and Quick Time 6.5.2 running on 2000 pro.

What am I missing?

Alan

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 2/14/2005, 3:20 AM
Apparently, for whatever reason, your Netscape installation isn't set up to pass .wmv files to Media Player so you are seeing the raw data on your screen instead. What you might try doing is launching Media Player first, then Ctrl-U (or File / Open URL) and paste the link directly there. You can watch it as it streams or wait until it's done downloading and watch it afterwards, or even save it to your hard drive if you wish.

I'll also suggest upgrading to Netscape 7.2 as they've made some major speed and user interface improvements. It might also fix the link to launching Media Player.
AlanC wrote on 2/14/2005, 4:17 AM
Thanks Kelly

Your tip to open in Media Player directly worked fine. I haven't tried Netscape 7.2 yet but will do later. I should have mentioned that more often than not I am able to download wmv's fine, it's just the odd one that I have this problem with. In fact I recently downloaded both versions of Ken's Training Movies without a hitch. That's why I was stumped.

Thanks again.

Alan
AlanC wrote on 2/14/2005, 5:23 AM
Hi again Kelly

I just installed Netscape 7.2 and that did the trick. I still don't understand why most wmv's were ok with 7.1 though.

Alan
Chienworks wrote on 2/14/2005, 5:41 AM
It's a cooperation thing between your browser and the web server. At least one of them must have some clue that .wmv is a video file. If your browser hasn't been told then it depends on the server telling it. Not all servers do. Generally Netscape is pretty good about knowing most standard media types. I'm assuming something somewhere down the line hosed your Netscape 7.1 installation and made it "forget" about .wmv files. Most servers were good enough to tell it what to do with .wmv, but some weren't. Upgrading to 7.2 (or reinstalling 7.1) fixed the association in Netscape.
AlanC wrote on 2/14/2005, 6:06 AM
Thanks Kelly,
a great explanation but not the solution in my case because I could stream or download wmv's from other sites both before and after trying Ken's latest. And it's not the first time either, this has been going on for several months and I even had it with Netscape 4.7.

Alan