Playing Audio and Video

Audio and video come in many different file types online. But all audio and video can be divided into two basic types:

• Download and play ” These audio and video file types ”including sounds in .WAV, .AU, .MID, and .MP3 formats and video clips in .AVI, .MOV, .QT, and .MPG formats ”are generally downloaded to your computer and then played . After they are downloaded, these files play anytime , whether you're online or off.

• Streaming ” Streaming audio and video begin to play a few moments after the audio or video data begins arriving at your computer; in other words, while you're watching or listening to a few seconds of audio or video, the next few seconds are being transmitted to your computer. Streaming is essential for live broadcasts, but is also used to give you faster gratification with some non-live audio and video.

In the next two sections, you'll learn about playing each type.

Besides the aforementioned Windows Media Player and the about-to-be-mentioned RealPlayer, another important program for playing video clips is the QuickTime player. Available both as a Netscape plug-in and as a separate helper program, it equips a computer to play video clips stored in .MOV and .QT formats, of which there are many online.

This free player is not quite as critical as the two I just mentioned, though. All Macintoshes include native support for QuickTime files (they can play them without a separate player program), and some Windows systems already have a QuickTime player installed that browsers will automatically use as a helper. (Recent versions of Windows Media Player play QuickTime, and on older systems, a QuickTime player has usually been installed at some time or other by a multimedia CD-ROM program that featured QuickTime video.) If you have a Macintosh, or if your PC already has a player, Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator will probably use the existing player to play MOV files.

If you have trouble playing .MOV video, however, get the player at www.apple.com/quicktime/.

Playing Downloaded Audio or Video Files

If you have a computer equipped with the latest operating system (Windows 98/Me/2000/XP on a PC or OS8/OS9/OS X on a Macintosh) and an up-to-date version of Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, you will find that you already have everything you need to play all the common video and audio file types (non-streaming) you can download from the Web.

When you click a link that downloads an audio or video file, a dialog box generally appears (see Figure 11.3), asking whether you want to save the file on disk or open it as soon as it finishes downloading.

• Choose Save to save the file on disk, so you can play it later (online or offline). A regular Save dialog box opens, just as it does when you download any file. On that dialog box, you choose a location where the file will be stored. After downloading, you can play the file at any time by going to the folder or directory you chose to store the file in and double-clicking the file's icon.

• Choose Open to play the file as soon as it finishes downloading, so you can watch it right away and you don't have to fiddle with choosing where the file will be stored.

Figure 11.3. When downloading a media file, you can choose to save it (for later play) or open it (play it as soon as it finishes downloading).

When you play a file (whether online or off), your computer automatically uses whatever program it has that's registered (assigned) to play that type of file. For example, in Windows, nearly all audio and video file types play in the Windows Media Player program (see Figure 11.4). (The version of Windows Media Player you have may differ , depending on which version of Windows you run and how long ago you got it.)

Figure 11.4. Programs that play audio and video files typically show buttons that mimic the functions of similar buttons on a VCR or tape recorder (Play, Stop, and so on).

Observe that Windows Media Player has buttons that look like the buttons on a VCR or tape recorder. You use these buttons the same way you would on those devices: The Play button plays the file, Stop stops play, Fast-Forward skips ahead, and so on.

Whether or not you have Windows Media Player already depends on your version of Windows. Windows ME, 2000, and Windows XP include it. But early shipments of Windows 98 did not include an up-to-date version of the Windows Media Player. On top of that, the Media Player is updated and improved from time to time.

No matter which Windows version you use, the best way to ensure that you always have the latest player is to use Windows's Update feature. Just click the Start button and then choose Windows Update; Windows contacts Microsoft through your Internet connection to see whether there are any updates available for your version (including Media Player upgrades and other enhancements).

If updates are available, you will be presented with the option to easily download and install them (free), right then and there.

The latest version of Windows Media Player, version 8, acts not only as a player, but also as a sort of media-specific browser. As Figure 11.4 shows, buttons along the left side of the window offer access to a Media Guide (a Web page, displayed within Windows Media Player, that offers links for playing the hottest music video, film clips, and more), a Media Library of stuff you have downloaded and saved, and more.

Playing "Streaming" Files

Streaming audio and video is the fastest -growing type of multimedia content on the Internet. It enables you not only to enjoy various multimedia programs designed for delivery through the Internet, but also to experience broadcast TV and radio programs from all over the world ”programs you could not otherwise see or hear without first jumping on a plane to the places where these programs are actually broadcast.

Streaming media is audio or video (or both together) that begins to play on your computer before it has been completely downloaded. The main use of streaming audio and video is to present live Web broadcasts of audio or video content or to reduce your wait when playing a very large audio or video file.

Windows Media Player plays most popular streaming audio and video types currently in use, so if you have Windows 98 or newer , you might not need another program for streaming audio/video.

But if you have another type of system, you'll need a player program to play streaming audio and video. And even if you do have Windows Media Player, it never hurts to pick up another streaming audio/video player (as long as it's free). In either case, the best choice is RealPlayer, at www.real.com. RealPlayer is available in a free, scaled-down version and also in a version you pay for ”RealPlayer Plus. It's also available in a "Real Entertainment Center" suite that includes other tools, such as Real Download, a program for making downloads of any type of file more convenient . But for playing streaming audio and video online, all you really need is the free RealPlayer.

RealPlayer enables you to play streaming video and audio feeds from television and radio broadcasts to news updates to live music. The RealPlayer home page (see Figure 11.5) also provides links to fun places where you can try out RealPlayer.

Figure 11.5. Download RealPlayer to play streaming audio and video from the Web.

After you have a streaming audio/video player properly installed, it opens automatically anytime you click a link in a Web page that opens one of the streaming audio or video file types for which the player is built (see Figure 11.6). Like regular audio/video play programs, streaming audio/video players feature the familiar VCR buttons (Play, Fast Forward, and so on) for controlling playback.

Figure 11.6. Like Windows Media Player, RealPlayer plays streaming audio/video.

Windows Media Player and RealPlayer both play most of the common streaming media file types online. But there are special "Real" files that play only through RealPlayer. Many people use both programs to be sure that they can play anything they come across.

Note that when you install either RealPlayer or Windows Media Player, the program may automatically set itself up as the default media player ”the program that opens automatically when you click a link to a media file online. For example, if you already have Windows Media Player and you install RealPlayer, the next time you open a media file, you'll see RealPlayer.

If this happens and you would prefer to have your old player remain the default, no problem . The next time you open the displaced player, it will display a note asking whether you would like to make it the default player again. Check the check box provided, and you have your old default player back.

Taking Advantage of Media Options in Internet Explorer

In Internet Explorer 6's Personal Bar, you can display a Media pane, which puts buttons for playing radio broadcasts and controlling the volume within easy reach (see Figure 11.7). Note that broadcasts you open and control through the Personal Bar are ones you could also play from RealPlayer ”it doesn't give you access to anything special but rather makes accessing the regular stuff easier.

Figure 11.7. Internet Explorer's Personal Bar can make accessing and controlling live Web radio broadcasts more convenient.

To open the Personal Bar, just click the Personal Bar icon from the toolbar at the top of Internet Explorer. By opening the Media Options menu, you can explore other possibilities available to you, including a list of radio stations from which you can choose.

Where Can I Get Streaming Audio/Video?

You'll come across it all over the Web in sites devoted to other subjects, but the following are a few good starting points for getting to some of the good stuff:

• RealGuide ( www.realguide.com ) ” One-stop access to lots of great sites with streaming content

• Film.com ( www.film.com; see Figure 11.8 ) ” Film clips and movie trailers

  Figure 11.8. Film.com offers streaming film clips.

  

• Cinemapop.com ( www.cinemapop.com ) ” Free, streaming full-length movies through the Internet

• CSPAN ( www.cspan.org ) ” Live Congressional action

• Emusic ( www.emusic.com ) ” Live (and prerecorded ) streaming music programming