Playing MP3 files with Mozilla

Since Mozilla often crashes playing MP3 files, I would like to use a helper
program to play them. I assigned a program
to audio/MP3 but Mozilla still tries to play them. How can I disable
Mozilla?

Mozilla 1.6, Windows 2000 Pro

Mike

 

Hi Mike,

Mozilla has no internal media player. Mozilla will use the player you have assigned as the default player for MP3 files. The MIME type would be audio/x-mpeg for MP3 file types. See this page: W3Schools.com MIME Reference

Ramona

 

Not true. In fact if you try to change the helper for audio/mpeg, you get the message:

Mozilla can handle this type internally, for such types a helper application will only be invoked if the server requests external handling.

 

Mike,

Mozilla handles MP3 files internally, because it uses the Windows Registered File Types. Look here:

Open Windows Explorer, and click on
View | Folder Options | File Types
Scroll down to MPEG Layer-3 Audio
I use QuickTime so this is my file type for MP3 files
Yours may be listed as MP3 or M3U.

Actually, you shouldn't have to add Helper Application entries, as Mozilla will create a helper entry when you open a file in Mozilla, which doesn't have a plugin. I note that in my Mozilla Application Helpers the MIME type for MP3 is entered as audio/x-mpeg. So I gave you a bum steer earlier.

Trust me, there is no internal audio player in Mozilla. If your MP3 files are playing, then Mozilla is using whatever application you have designated as the default player for MP3 files.

Ramona

 

I changed the program registered to handle MP3 from real player to windows media player, which can play the file fine if I enter the URL, but I get the same error. A new page displays in Mozilla which has a media player in the middle, the clip starts playing then it stutters for a second or two then Mozilla crashes.

Mike

 

It appears no matter what program is registered to handle the file, Mozilla is not handling things properly. What I would like to do is not have Mozilla try and handle the file and have the registered program come up and play the file.

 

Mike,

What version of Media Player do you run? You should have a plugin for Media Player, and should not add it as an Application Helper. RealPlayer also uses a plugin, and should not be added as a Helper Application.

See this information on the Windows Media Plugin from the PluginDoc Site.

Ramona

 

I did not add it as a helper application.

Real audio works ok because it spawns the real player externally.

 

Mike,

So you aren't using WMPlayer as the default for MP3, and using RealPlayer instead?

I still use RealPlayer 8, and I installed the plugins from Holger Metzger's site: there is a plugin named nppl3260.xpt, which helped me tremendously when I had problems with RealPlayer 8. You can download the plugins here:
http://www.holgermetzger.de/ple.html

Have you looked at your plugins, using Help | About Plug-ins, to see what is indicated there?

Ramona

 

It's not using any plugin, as the message said:

Mozilla can handle this type internally, for such types a helper application will only be invoked if the server requests external handling.

 

Turned out to be a problem with the Quicktime plugin.
Thanks for your help.

Mike