Ham Radio Forum

I'm having trouble playing the smeter site's audio streams with my HP ze5375us laptop PC. I simply get the "Connecting" followed by "Opening media..." messages and no further progress. Eventually, there is a timeout with a return to the "Ready" prompt.

I've had no problem connecting to other streaming audio or video sources; so it appears that it's something related to the interface between Windows Media Player and the smeter site. I've reformatted and reloaded my operating system, gotten all updates from Microsoft and upgraded to Windows Media Player 10, all to no avail.

I'm wondering whether it may be as simple as not having the correct Java version or having security settings (ActiveX, Java, etc.) that are incompatible with the smeter site's requirements. Any suggestions?

Bob,

There are several potential reasons for the problem you are having, but an incorrect Java version isn't the problem. The problem is not that a Java module written by Microsoft will not run under Sun Java. The problem is that Microsoft doesn’t supply any Java module whatsoever to decode its better quality media streams. Microsoft media streams are decoded by compiled code that was written in C++ under Windows. Java error messages display because your web browser is trying to run Java code that doesn’t exist. Microsoft stopped providing Java plug-in code for other web browsers when Apple announced its Safari web browser. That was the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” so to speak. If Apple hadn’t released Safari Microsoft likely still would be supporting other browsers. If Microsoft was your company would you write code to make competitive browsers able to play the same high-quality media streams that can be played in Internet Explorer under Windows?

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked the options, and all are in accordance with your comments. Your assumptions were correct. I am using the XP Home Addition (plus all current updates) that was originally supplied with my HP laptop, and am using Internet Explorer 6. I am connecting to the internet at home via broadband DSL (with a WEP-encoded Linksys wireless router), and have no trouble streaming the smeter audio when I connect using my Fujitsu E Series "work" laptop and my home internet connection. (My "work" laptop has XP Pro and Internet Explorer 6.) Unfortunately, the HP ze5375 will be an integral part of my ham radio station, which is under construction; and I'd really like to get it working properly.

As I mentioned earlier, I've had no problem streaming embedded audio/video from such sites as cnn.com and others. It's only smeter, thus far, that seems to be a problem.

Still scratchin' my head about this one. If you or others have any new ideas about this, I'd appreciate all suggestions. Thanks again.

Still trying to figure it out. Just wanted to add that I am able to play the file you posted in the "How is Art?" thread under the Pahrump Receiver forum.

http://www.smeter.net/art-bell/phone-call.php

It plays in what appears to be the same window as the various receivers, and works well, complete with WMP's "Firestorm" visualization. Yet I can not get the live streams to open. Don't know if this offers any additional hint as to what may be going on, but wanted to pass it along.

I'm still searching for something that's set differently between my HP and Fujitsu laptops. Will let everyone know, if I find something that fixes the problem. Thanks again for your help.

Bob,

That provides a possible clue. I suggest you try the following from the Windows desktop:

1) Select

I would like to see those suggestions finished..."select" what? I am having the exact same problem on all 3 pc's here, including an older XP machine that used to run just fine with the site; streaming audio and all. Now, I can view the NASA TV, but can't hear any of the receivers.

HELP!

Those suggestions were finished at the time of the post, but seem to have been lost in the database over time.

You didn't mention your computer operating system or the web browser you are using, but you may be trying to use Firefox. The Firefox developers refuse to allow Windows Media Player to be used in web pages. Old versions of Firefox supported that, but the Firefox developers hate Microsoft so much that they dropped support for WMP and they refuse to let Firefox plugins support it.

I used Firefox for years and like most things about it, but recently installed both Google Chrome and Apple Safari under Windows and like them both even better. They both start faster than Firefox and they both support new technologies enabled by HTML5 and CSS3 that are not supported by the latest versions of Firefox or Internet Explorer. They are easy to install and just as easy to uninstall if you don't like them. All those browsers can be installed simultaneously on the same computer without conflicts. I suggest that you give one or both of them a try.

Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari all stream SMeter site receiver audio and play NASA TV fine with a Windows operating system. Firefox doesn't simply because its developers refuse to allow web pages to use Windows Media Player.

-Bob

Sorry Bob; I should have included a bit more data, but this has been driving me insane. All the PC's I am failing with are Windows 7 machines, and I am using Explorer, not Firefox. This particular machine is only baout 3 weeks old, and I have verified that all patches and updates are current, set the visualization correctly for media player etc...

Internet Explorer should work fine with WMP under Windows 7. Go to http://www.smeter.net/ip-address.php, send me the IP address that displays via http://www.smeter.net/contact/contact.php, and I will check to see if your IP address has been blocked for some reason.

-Bob

Sent!