File associations

I can't make winamp (or any other player) my default player for internet radio (.pls), I have already tried to associate the .pls file type in "folder options" with winamp and several other programs, but it seems not to work: When I click "tune in" on a www site (www.showcast.com for ex.), the windows media player pops up, and crashed, because it's the 7.o version, which does not support .pls. The strange thing is... I have the windows media player 9 series installed. So my question is: why does the old verion of WMP still pop up ? and how can I finally make winamp, real player or any other program play an internet radio ??

 

Have you tried reinstalling winamp and choosing the preserve file association option?

If thats a no go, I would try removing all media players (Windows Media and Winamp) then reinstalling these apps making sure to choose the advanced configuration option during installation of each one and choosing file associations manually.

I'm not sure if windows media player 9 is removeable or not, I don't use it (7.1 does everything I need) try going to add/remove programs in the control panel and you can find out. I assume you are using Windows and not Mac.

Windows 7.1 can be reinstalled by searching the net, last time I checked Microsoft didn't make it easy to find on their website cause there hyping up the version 9 player.

 

Pls (Playlist file) is only one type of internet radio.. ASX is another. I have ASX associated with Windows Media Player 6.r. Here are sample links:

http://www.clicklive.com/radio/wlux/wlux240x180/wlux.asx
http://www.npr.org/webevents/npr.asx

I have WinAmp 2.79 associated with .PLS to listen to streams from www.shoutcast.com

For example:
http://www.shoutcast.com/directory/?maxbitrate=56
Wolf FM
http://205.188.234.34:8020/listen.pls

Here is my association:
Description: Winamp playlist file
Extension: PLS
Content type/MIME: audio/scpls
Play in WinAmp is the default action (in bold):
Application used to perform action:
"C:\PROGRAM FILES\WINAMP\WINAMP.EXE" "%1 "

Here are some notes I saved

=====copy/paste===========

3/26/02 WinAmp lite 2.79 installed. Selected just the PLS files (after installing...had to r-click the WinAmp window to get the options menu). That gave me a new filetype WinAmp Playlist associated with "C:\PROGRAM FILES\WINAMP\WINAMP.EXE" "%1"
mime type audio/scpls I also placed a shortcut in my Windows Sendto folder so that r-clicking an audio file I get an option to send to Winamp

Subject: Re: Shoutcast
Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002
From: Joseph R
To: Wyman

Hi Alice,

About Shoutcast -- RealPlayer isn't completely compatible with all
shoutcast streams. Because it's still an "open" format, no two people are using the same server. That's why some links will work, and some will not. As for Winamp, it's a very unobtrusive
player, and very configurable, as far as file-type associations.
What's more, you can specify that only .pls files are associated with it, and NOTHING else. And, if you have problems getting a PLS link to play, right-click and save the "playlist" to your hard drive. Once it's saved, you can double-click on it and it should
open right up in WinAMP.

===========end c/p============

Hope that helps.

 

I've removed WMP and managed to make .pls open in winamp, only it doesnt play, it shows zeros in he bitrate and Hz boxes when i click the file...

 

So when you go to http://www.shoutcast.com/directory/?maxbitrate=56
and click on one of the "Tune In" links, WinAmp opens but you don't see anything but zeros in kbps and kHz and the station doesn't play? Did you try clicking the Play [>arrow] button? What version of WinAmp are you using?

Have you tested WinAmp by playing any audio file on your hard drive?

To test WinAmp, use one of these methods if you don't have WinAmp associated with the file type:

...right-click any audio file such as an .mp3 and send to WinAmp if you have a shortcut to WinAmp.exe placed in your Windows\ SendTo folder

...select any audio file so that the icon is highlighted, hold down the Shift key, right-click the file icon and choose open with, browse to WinAmp (leave the "always use" box UNchecked)

---with WinAmp open, right-click the Title bar and select Playlist Ediitor from the menu. Click the ADD button in the Playlist Editor and browse to a file. Then click the Play button.

Just to clarify, PLS files are best opened with WinAmp. For other internet radio, you will probably need to use either Windows Media Player or Real Player depending on the radio station.

Lots more information on the WinAmp site:
Useful Links to Common Problems & Questions Previously Asked
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=36850

 

Yes, my winamp does play .mp3's, wav's or whatever... I use 2.74 and 3 (that means I uninstall an reinstall them just to check how which one acts..).

With winamp 2.74 i saw the radio .pls file appearing in winamp's playlist, but it wouldnt play. With winamp 3 i kept getting the message, that "acces to windows temporary files folder is forbidden.." or something like that, but I solved it by removing these temporary files.

And now... nothing happens, both, winamp 2.74 & 3 just don't react when i click "tune in ", It looks as if I had a very slow connection and the .pls file would load forever...

 

It seems as though you have a connection problem, or possibly your Internet cache is set too full.

Here's a posting from the WinAmp forums that may help:
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=65317&highlight=shoutcast+connection+pls

======copy/paste=============
oberttt
Jred: Nov 2001
website winamp radio

In WinAmp Radio on the website when I click on "Click to Listen" I get a "File Download" message box for a split second and nothing happens, even with no firewall. Win98SE, IE 5.5

DJEgg
Moderator
Is PLS (shoutcast playlist file) associated with Winamp in:
Winamp Prefs (Ctrl+P) -> Filetypes ?

Does it work if you rt click link + select "save target as ", then "open "?

Can you drag+drop the "listen" link into Winamp's Playlist? (v2.77 only)

Is Winamp open at the time?
No error messages?

Are you using a proxy server?
If so, make sure the correct info is typed in Winamp Prefs -> Setup.
Also make sure the correct "connection type" is selected.

Also, it could have something to do with a known bug in IE5.5, where the internet cache gets too full or corrupted, especially when it's set too large.

Close the browser, rt click IE desktop icon -> properties
General tab -> Temporary Internet Files -> Delete -> okay
Also check the "settings" button to adjust the max cache size.

__________________

roberttt
Junior Member

Problem solved by your last suggestion: all I did was decrease the size of the amount of disk space to use for temporary internet files. FYI answer is affirmative to first three questions in your reply; WinAmp loads automatically when "Click to Listen," there were no error messages and no proxy server.
Thanks!

===========================

So, open Tools, Internet Options, and click the Delete button to empty your cache. .Try setting your Internet Cache size to something like 20MB, which is my setting in Internet Options when I click the Settings button, under "amount of disk space to use ". Also check your connection settings.

Here's another forum posting that may help:

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=121733&highlight=shoutcast+connection+pls
======copy/paste=============
Not connecting to the internet

TTeeZZaa
Not connecting to the internet
I had Winamp2 on one computer and it worked fine. I then installed winamp3 and it wouldn't connect to the internet. I went back to using Winamp2 and now it is doing the same thing. I would think this is a problem in my computer but I then turned around and went to one of my other computers and installed 3, got same problem, installed 2, got same problem.

Am I missing something here?
The minbrowser doesn't work, can't check for updates, and I can't listen to any internet radio stations. However, they do work fine for listening to things such as MP3s on my computer.

Nunzio390
OK. First check these things, in Preferences (CTRL+P)...

1. Winamp Browser > make sure "Enable music file lookups" is checked
2. Internet > Make sure the proper Connection Setting is bulleted, based on your internet connection > either LAN or Dialup
3. Internet > HTTP Reader > Set Prebuffer Settings to Automatic. Under HTTP Seeking Settings, make sure the checkbox to the left of "Allow seeking on files over HTTP" is checked

If you still have problems, try posting your questions in the SHOUTcast Technical Support forum.

Forgot one thing...
CTRL+P for Preferences window
System > Media
Under Preferred Media, make sure that PLS is included. That's the playlist format that SHOUTcast uses.

Also, make sure that "Register types on Winamp start" and "Maintain media type settings" are both checked.

 

Thanks for so many advices, but unfortunately... It didn't help.

I've changed the cache to 20MB (although I have IE 6.0, not 5.5), and all the other settings are ok.

I can't see what to do more.. :/

 

Can you at least get Windows Media Player (any version) to open one of the ASX links I posted?

I have WMP 6.4 which is mplayer2.exe. You might still have that on your system. If so, do a Find on it and open it. Make sure it's set to open asx files:
View Options Formats, check Windows Media File.

 

I've opened the ASX file from the second link (NPR radio) in wmp 6.4 and it played fine, although I had to do it manually, because the browser didn't open the link.

I'm more interested in the radio stations from shoutcast.com though...

 

If you have ASX associated with Windows Media Player (thy're called "Streaming Audio-Video Shortcut" in Filetypes) then clicking the ASX link should start the radio station playing.

In any case, I'm out of ideas, except to maybe check in WinAmp options, preferences Setup/ Filetypes (where you have PLS selected) and make sure "Enqueue as default action" is NOT checked.

You said before:

I just clicked on the Wolf FM link
http://205.188.234.34:8020/listen.pls and the shoutcast station began playing right away. Then I closed WinAmp. Then I looked in C:\Windows\Temp and the 63 byte file listen.pls is there. I double-clicked the listen.pls file in my C:\Windows\Temp folder and WinAmp opened again and the radio station played.

Can you try that?

 

"I just clicked on the Wolf FM link
http://205.188.234.34:8020/listen.pls and the shoutcast station began playing right away. Then I closed WinAmp. Then I looked in C:\Windows\Temp and the 63 byte file listen.pls is there. "

Forget the above, sorry. I was using the Mozilla browser at the time. Using IE5.5sp2 now and it doesn't work that way. WinAmp still opens and plays the station but I couldn't find any associated *.pls file

Hey, what you CAN do is Right-click the above link then SAVE the listen.pls file to your hard drive, anywhere. Then double-click it. That worked for me.

 

Saving the link and then adding it to winamp works, so I guess I'll have to go this way now... Actually, when I save it, it tries to add the extension .xpl, and after changing it to .pls and adding to winamp ... I get a few paths in winamp, but still... it works

I don't want to deal with it any longer... as for me, it's ok the way it works now

Many thanks to everyone for help and take care.

 

If you're satisfied with the workaround that's OK but I did find the following on XPL files and shoutcast by using the
WinAmp Forum Search

Seems that if you ever had RealPlayer 8 or later installed it also is associated with Playlist files (m3u pls xpl) with xpl as the default. WinAmp 2.76 was supposed to fix the problem, but "apparently this problem has resurfaced in Winamp3 v1.0"

Details here:
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=51026&highlight=xpl+shoutcast+audio/scpls