Configure MMPlayer in Browser

PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
edited January 2007 in Science & Tech
Hello all

I have a question regarding how to configure which player plays various multi media files w/in one's browser. e.g. Netscape.

Someone posed the question to me the other day when he noticed that the media player in a particular "forum" (ehhhh hrrmmmm :rolleyes2) he frequents used to play back videos (the best I can ascertain is that they were mpeg, mpg, etc. type files) in a "bigger picture" (window) than they currently play in. After some more questioning re: what the "picture" looked like and opening WMP to see if he recognized it, I determined that apparently WMP played these file types b4 in his browser but now QuickTime has taken over.

I visited the forum under his guidance and played some of the videos (that was educational! :wow2: Ever the professional, however, I kept a straight face and moved along... :range:) I tried changing the file type associations in the two mm players but still couldn't change which one played the video files he was attempting to view. I even set WMP as the default player for all file types and QT to just QT movies.

Apparently, QT performed another one of its "upgrades" and, in the process, also took over his picture viewing by inserting itself as the default (QT Picture Viewer) there as well. I know I'm preachin' to the choir here but I just hate it when these apps get in their feuds re: whose goin' to own what file types. :rant: I see this cause novice users immeasurable confusion and frustration all the time.

Anywho, I'd appreciate it if ya'll could enlighten me. Thank you!

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2007
    I don't have WMP installed (Ripped it out of my XP disc), however there's an option buried in its many menus to restore the associations to WMP. Alternatively, if you edit the MIME Filter Settings (An option in QT) and tell it to not handle anything but its native formats, Windows will probably default to WMP.
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    Thrax wrote:
    I don't have WMP installed (Ripped it out of my XP disc), however there's an option buried in its many menus to restore the associations to WMP. Alternatively, if you edit the MIME Filter Settings (An option in QT) and tell it to not handle anything but its native formats, Windows will probably default to WMP.
    Yup. Did that. Problem persists, though. :banghead:
  • nonstop301nonstop301 51° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" W Member
    edited January 2007
    Thrax is correct. I have adjusted MIME settings of QuickTime as well after I installed it.

    Open QuickTime, then select Edit, then Preferences, then Browser tab and then MIME settings button to change the selections.

    This has to be done with an administrator account and to see the effect you have to relog into Windows.
  • nonstop301nonstop301 51° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" W Member
    edited January 2007
    Pterocarpous wrote:
    Yup. Did that. Problem persists, though. :banghead:


    You might have to check the plugins folder of the browser in question then, to see if the plugins for WMP are there.

    I use Netscape myself and the folder for it's plugins is C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape Browser\plugins. The equivalent path applies for Mozilla as well.

    That directory should contain the following files in order for the browser to use WMP player: npdrmv2.dll, npds.zip, npdsplay.dll and npwmsdrm.dll

    You can also check whether the browser is configured to use the right plugins for WMP by typing about : plugins (without the spaces) at the address bar and you'll see which plugins are active for the browser.
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    Ahhhh! I missed that one! (The browser tab)

    Open QT>EDIT>PREFERENCES>QUICKTIME PREFERENCES>BROWSER
    Disable "PLAY MOVIES AUTOMATICALLY"

    I'd already configured the MIME settings (only one I left was Quick Time Movie files.) in the FILE TYPES tab. Totally missed the MIME settings in the BROWSER tab.

    Then, as far as WMP is concerned, just make sure the file type he needs to be able to playback in WMP is selected in:

    TOOLS>OPTIONS>FILE TYPES, yes? Anything else I need to configure?


    Thank you!!! :smiles: :smiles:
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    nonstop301 wrote:
    You might have to check the plugins folder of the browser in question then, to see if the plugins for WMP are there.

    I use Netscape myself and the folder for it's plugins is C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape Browser\plugins. The equivalent path applies for Mozilla as well.

    That directory should contain the following files in order for the browser to use WMP player: npdrmv2.dll, npds.zip, npdsplay.dll and npwmsdrm.dll

    You can also check whether the browser is configured to use the right plugins for WMP by typing about : plugins (without the spaces) at the address bar and you'll see which plugins are active for the browser.
    Great feedback nonstop301. I'll be going back there sometime this week. I'll take a gander then.

    Where do I get the WMP plugins for Netscape if I need them?
    They should still be there though since WMP was the player in Netscape b4 QT usurped it, yes?

    Thanx again!
  • nonstop301nonstop301 51° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" W Member
    edited January 2007
    Pterocarpous wrote:
    Then, as far as WMP is concerned, just make sure the file type he needs to be able to playback in WMP is selected in:

    TOOLS>OPTIONS>FILE TYPES, yes? Anything else I need to configure?

    That should do it for you Pterocarpous :)
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    nonstop301 wrote:
    That should do it for you Pterocarpous :)
    Thanx! Yer swell nonstop301 (you, too Thrax)!
  • nonstop301nonstop301 51° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" W Member
    edited January 2007
    Pterocarpous wrote:
    Where do I get the WMP plugins for Netscape if I need them?
    They should still be there though since WMP was the player in Netscape b4 QT usurped it, yes?

    They should be since Netscape was using them previously :)

    With Windows XP, Netscape will still use WMP plugins by default even if the files I mentioned aren't present in the plugins directory, unless of course the QuickTime MIME settings haven't been properly changed in which case QuickTIme takes over.

    The best indicaton of what plugins the browser uses is the about : plugins page :)
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    nonstop301 wrote:
    They should be since Netscape was using them previously :)

    With Windows XP, Netscape will still use WMP plugins by default even if the files I mentioned aren't present in the plugins directory, unless of course the QuickTime MIME settings haven't been properly changed in which case QuickTIme takes over.

    The best indicaton of what plugins the browser uses is the about : plugins page :)

    Very handy (about : plugins (w/o the spaces)) in the URL field of, in my case, Mozilla FF2.

    I saw RealPlayer and QuickTime in there but no WMP. Maybe they (the WMP plugins) don't need to be there...?) In any case, very instructive nonstop301. Thanx again!
  • nonstop301nonstop301 51° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" W Member
    edited January 2007
    Pterocarpous wrote:
    Maybe they (the WMP plugins) don't need to be there...?)

    Like I said, with Windows XP they aren't necessary because they are detected by default and needn't be present in the plugins directory. Should problems arise however with WMP streams on certain websites, the plugins for WMP have to be placed manually in the respective plugins directory and everything will work fine :)

    The about : plugins only shows you what is present in the plugins directory of the browser :)

    I'm glad you managed to sort out that QuickTime issue in the end Pterocarpous :)
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    nonstop301 wrote:
    Like I said, with Windows XP they aren't necessary because they are detected by default and needn't be present in the plugins directory. Should problems arise however with WMP streams on certain websites, the plugins for WMP have to be placed manually in the respective plugins directory and everything will work fine :)

    The about : plugins only shows you what is present in the plugins directory of the browser :)

    I'm glad you managed to sort out that QuickTime issue in the end Pterocarpous :)
    Thankyou, nonstop301. Learned a lot as always here on SM!
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