Problem with radio streaming

P

pjh

Registered
For some reason, I can no longer connect to streaming audio from a particular radio station (because I could in the past, I'm wondering if there is some setting that I may have inadvertently changed which is preventing me from listening).

Specifics: Mac OS10.4.11
Latest Windows Media Player is installed
Browser(s) tried: Firefox, Safari and iCab

Site to listen to: www.solidgoldfm.co.nz

Message I get when I click on the link to listen to audio:
"The file name, directory name or volume label syntax is incorrect."

I'm not sure if this problem is on my end or theirs; I have sent an email to the site to alert them to the problem.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help you can offer.
 
Just as a quick followup, after contacting the site, I received the following message:

"Had our Web Guys check it out for you, they said they fixed the problem although to listen you will need a broad band connection."

Even so, I still can't connect and get the same message. Any suggestions?
 
Here is an unedumacated guess since I have had the same problems with my Firefox and Safari. PART of it is that I have No Script for FF and Safari Stand for Safari to block scripts I do not like--that can "mess" with some of the flash and, apparently, M$ "Silverlight." I also have "Adbock" on both which can do the same. Usually, I merely click to have the script run and happily listen. That being written, Safari tends to handle the radio.

But . . . that does not seem to be your problem.

On a lark, I tried an old favorite browser from 0S 9 past . . . Opera. Now it seems to run some better than FF and Safari--probably because I have not modified it. Since you trust the site, try it in Opera.

After that . . . my next suggestion is to "jiggle it a bit" or use DuctTape :)

--J.D.
 
I curtailed my listening to the Sox defeat of the LA Angels to try it--it needs Windows Media Player 10. Apparently "FlipforMac" cannot handle it. I tried it on FF, Safari, and on Opera.

So . . . have you tried DuctTape?

I defer to the "Smart Dudes."

--J.D.
 
Thanks for the suggestions.

I downloaded Opera, went to the site and clicked listen. Didn't get the error message but for some reason it doesn't recognize that Windows Media Player is installed (I downloaded it a second time). I have Flip for Mac installed but it's turned off, so that doesn't seem to be the issue.

Still no luck in FF, though. Any more thoughts?
 
Other than DuctTape . . . it seems to me it wants WMP 10 or greater. On all three of my browsers--FF, Safari, Opera--it includes a linkypoo to get WMP. Of course, there is only WMP 9 for Mac.

I have Flip4Mac . . . fully updated . . . and it says it does not recognize the audio.

So this may be simply a problem of the software "ain't dere" for it.

I do not know your computer specs, but if you are able to run an emulator you may get it to work. Again, I defer to the More Knowledgeable.

--J.D.
 
Check your Network Settings > Show Built-in Ethernet > Proxies to see if Web Proxy (HTTP) has been enabled. If so, disable it and try your radio station again. I lost iTunes streaming radio last week, and it was caused by the latest 10.4.11 update enabling HTTP.
 
OK, here's the latest after trying to solve the problem.

I've managed to get rid of the initial error message in FF; now the play window opens but the blue bar on the bottom never fully connects (it looks like it's about 90-95% of the way there). The play window also is missing the display (i.e. forward, stop, volume).

I've tried it with both Flip4Mac and WMP...still no luck but seem to be getting a little closer.

HTTP Web proxy isn't checked.

Still hoping for a solution. Thanks.
 
pjh said:
"Had our Web Guys check it out for you, they said they fixed the problem although to listen you will need a broad band connection."
Even so, I still can't connect and get the same message. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I should have read your first post more closely - a fellow Kiwi indeed! As I type, I'm replicating your experience with SGFM ie. the progress bar gets to about 95% and stops. I watched my router activity lights, and they were doing very little.

I think this is a javascript issue between the MacOS and that of SGFM's transmission and google-analytic (whatever that is). Solution - pester SGFM and make sure they know that a dedicated listener - with a Mac, they have to know that - is missing out.

PS. can you not receive SGFM on radio where you're located? I can't. Must try one or two others online (eg. MoreFM and Classic Hits).

Update: Nothing from Classic Hits, same problem as with SG; but MoreFM provides a special info link for Mac users. Take a look: http://canterbury.morefm.co.nz/ListenOnline/tabid/175/Default.aspx

Updated Update: Apparently the issue is to do with Flip4Mac playing .wma files. Problem with that is how to use F4M to stream radio via Quicktime. Experts please!!!
 
Last edited:
Hughvane:

I'm actually back in America right now, but listed to SGFM pretty regularly when I lived in Chch.

I looked at the error console in Firefox when the streaming site wouldn't load and it gave the following errors:

Error: ScrollObj is not defined
Source File: http://www.solidgoldfm.co.nz/
Line: 53

Error: oCell.childNodes is not a function
Source File: http://www.solidgoldfm.co.nz/controls/SolpartMenu/spmenu.js
Line: 1108

I've sent another message to SGFM with that info, so maybe they can figure out what the problem is. If you hear of a solution, let me know.
 
I gave up on playing radio streams through a browser. I then found FStream and i really like it. I can use it presets or point it to a web radio with ease and it has played almost everything I have thrown at it. Plus it is so small and takes up almost no processes it is perfect for me.

So if you can drill down in the source and get the stream url this program will play any non-drm files it will find, including AAC, Flac, Ogg, real and many others.

Plus as others have said it if enough Mac users pester these site admins things will improve. Just remember you catch more files with honey (man I sound old with that saying).
 
pjh said:
I looked at the error console in Firefox when the streaming site wouldn't load and it gave the following errors:
Error: ScrollObj is not defined
Source File: http://www.solidgoldfm.co.nz/
Line: 53
Error: oCell.childNodes is not a function
Source File: http://www.solidgoldfm.co.nz/controls/SolpartMenu/spmenu.js
Line: 1108
Click to expand...

That's bad code. As Satcomer says, keep at SGFM (or whoever) to let them know the problem is theirs - not yours!

I've sent another message to SGFM with that info, so maybe they can figure out what the problem is. If you hear of a solution, let me know.
Click to expand...

Sure will. I'll give those other two stations a message about their faulty online broadcast. I mean, html and javascript should be cross-platform, multi-platform, whatever.
 
I will say that Nick at SGFM has been good at responding to my messages. Here's the last one I received (which doesn't solve the problem . . . guess I'll just have to go back to Chch and listen to the radio :) .

Hie response:

Went back to our web guys, and All of our web streaming is in the WMA format, so unfortunatly no solution at our end

They suggested that you try to find a programme that can convert the stream for you.

Im no programmer also, so Im not really sure where to look.

Sorry for the Inconvenience.

Its my last day here at Solid Gold FM, so any further queries please contact <mailto:vhobbs@radioworks.co.nz>vhobbs@radioworks.co.nz
 
Here's the question I've posed on another forum:
"I've already posted a question to an answer on this general topic, but I'd really appreciate some of the tech experts informing me (and others subsequently) how to make use of Flip4Mac-Quicktime to stream radio that broadcasts only in .wma format. Thanks.
 
So . . . does this have anything to do with it?

--J.D.
 

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Doctor X said:
So . . . does this have anything to do with it?

--J.D.
Click to expand...

I would say "almost certainly - yes"! However, that looks like FF3 Prefs, I'm still back in the dark ages with the last of FF2, so what I've done is to use the Feeds Pref and selected Quicktime Broadcaster to see if that'll work. If it doesn't, I'll try QT Player.

Incidentally, is FF3 intended for Leopard only?
 
Update: found this for anyone interested ... http://www.mikesradioworld.com/
Strangely, those that show the Windows Media Player symbol just seem to work okay with Mac, providing (I assume) you have WMP app installed. Or maybe it's Flip4Mac doing its thing. I'm still using FFox 2 btw. The radio control shows up as just a single player line, similar to Quicktime. What's best though is that I have now found the solution to my issue regarding streaming radio. I hope it helps others as well.
 
I have FF 3 on Tiger and the FF prefs don't appear as a "sheet" .... that's interesting ... yesterday afternoon I thought I'd take on a challenge and spent the best part of an hour searching for an answer to this ... all I could glean was a snippet that Flip4Mac *may* be trying to download rather than streaming .... ?? The symptoms were noted as "stuttering audio" whereas in our case, there is no sound at all.

Note: When connecting to Windows Media streaming servers, the Flip4Mac may try to download the requested media instead of streaming it. This can cause the stream to stutter or loop back after a few minutes of play. To correct this:

  1. Open the System Preferences utility
  2. Click Flip4Mac WMV to open the Flip4Mac preferences pane
  3. Open the Movie tab
  4. Select "Create streaming movies"
  5. Close System Preferences and restart any open browsers
Click to expand...

The above steps don't seem to apply to the unregistered version of F4M that I have as there is no movie tab but there is an option to "Play movies automatically" but this has no effect.

I also wondered about whether mplayer was something worth investigating but it seems that you need to be Terminal savvy to use it??
 
I do not have Leopard yet, I am on 10.4.11.

I am wondering if "switching" on of the preferences will work for translating the stream. I am reticent to try it myself since I am not interested in Bad 80's Music.

:p

--J.D.
 
I'm intrigued by this ... see how I have a separate window for FF Prefs .... whereas you had a "sheet" drop down ..... you must have the special deluxe version only available to Doctor X?

20081011-d6fpb39fsbp91abxawe7caubx.png
 
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