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        Atkin admin >> Tech >> Real Audio Files not working?
        
(Message started by: Revelator on Today at 04:14)

Title: Real Audio Files not working?
Post by Revelator on Today at 04:14

Perhaps I'm missing a codec or something, but none of the real audio files on the site are working for me.
I have the real player installed, and it's worked on other .ram files around the net, but it doesn't play any real audio files linked to from peteatkin.com. Instead I get the message "Connection to the server could not be established. You may be experiencing network problems."

Does anyone else have this problem?

Title: Re: Real Audio Files not working?
Post by S J Birkill on Today at 12:36

on 12/20/11 at 04:14:14, Revelator wrote :

Perhaps I'm missing a codec or something, but none of the real audio files on the site are working for me.

Hi there!

Sorry about this -- sounds rather like a misconfiguration on the server, and has me wondering whether I completed my checks when we switched hosting services many months back. I wouldn't be too surprised if I let it slide, in which case the lack of complaints until now might reveal the scale of apathy among our members!

Of course, the entire RealAudio edifice is founded on my original set of audio clips dating from 1996 when I started the website -- we're really long overdue for a change to MP3 or Flash streaming and an up-to-date interface. Perhaps this is a call to action on my part!

I'll try and get onto this soon -- thanks for letting me know.

Steve

Title: Re: Real Audio Files not working?
Post by BogusTrumper on 21.12.11 at 18:33

on 12/20/11 at 12:36:59, S J Birkill wrote :

....., in which case the lack of complaints until now might reveal the scale of apathy among our members!

Steve

Maybe we have all purchased all the albums and have them stored safe in the cloud as well as on CDs :D

Title: Re: Real Audio Files not working?
Post by Revelator on 21.12.11 at 20:43

I have all the CDs too, but I had been looking forward to hearing stuff like the Pathway demos and material from "The Party's Moving On," BBC radio, and miscellaneous live performances and demos. I very much to hear those rarities one day, and Steve's kind response is very encouraging.

Title: Re: Real Audio Files not working?
Post by S J Birkill on 22.12.11 at 17:54

Fair points, both, but Revelator is right -- there are a few sweet obscurities among the website files that won't be found anywhere else: 'unrecorded' songs, 'live' versions, demo versions, and studio outtakes such as Perfect Moments with the alternative and very prominent Tony Coe sax part. Some of the really rare old stuff is linked from here (http://www.peteatkin.com/audio.htm).

I've made a start on updating the clips by restoring access to the existing .ra tracks -- it was indeed a misconfiguration, the metafiles being set to stream under RealMedia protocol, not supported on Smash Flops' current host. I've altered these to http pseudo-streaming, which seems to work OK on MSIE, Opera, Firefox and Chrome. You may be asked whether you wish to 'Open' or launch the file offered, and your Real Player may wish to download a plug-in -- the codec version I used back in 1996/99 is obsolete. But agree to both and you should be rewarded after a few seconds with those deliberately low-res but delicious versions of the songs.

Enjoy them!

Steve

Title: Re: Real Audio Files not working?
Post by Revelator on 25.12.11 at 20:35

Ah, I can hear them now, and what a wonderful Christmas present to boot--thanks very very much Steve!