WMP & lots of tiny .wav files

[SKesselman]

Hi,
I'm trying to learn French on this web site.

This site has a TON of small .wav files (for example, one for each letter of the alphabet), & every time I click the 'sound' button, I'm downloading it.
I tried to see if I could change this in FF Download Manager, but I can't.

Do I really have to download .wav files just to hear the sounds? I just want to hear them, not keep them.

If I'm only using these lessons at home on my pc, does it matter which format I use? They give you a choice of .mp3 or .wav.
(I have never used an mp3 file!)

Also, I have JRiver Media Center, should I be using that, instead?

Any suggestions appreciated 

[tomos]

Do you have Quicktime installed?
If yes, you could try this:-
go to control panel, open Quicktime, go to filetypes tab and tick mp3 to make Quicktime the default player.
I'm not 100% sure but i think it may open the mp3 in a new tab which isnt ideal either...

[Whereismyangel]

Also, be sure to check those settings in FF :

> Tools > Options
then "applications" tab,
then search for "wav"
and be sure that another option than "download file" is selected.

[Whereismyangel]

If I'm only using these lessons at home on my pc, does it matter which format I use? They give you a choice of .mp3 or .wav.

No, it doesn't.

[Whereismyangel]

...and I confirm Tomos post : if Quicktime is correctly set, you should have the sound playing, et tout ira bien 

[Curt]

Sarah, a third possibility is, that you *may* have missed to installed the proper plugins when you installed Firefox, because the sound files at frenchassistent will pop up in a new tab/window, they should not be downloaded. If so, go to https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/browse/type:7 , scroll down, and and get some.

---
Besides, http://www.novadevelopment.com/EM/2009/Berlitz/NOUS/28/Berlitz_0709_4645.htm are offering the Berlit$ lessons on disc, with a summer discount. Edited: But I cannot tell from here if the offer also is valid at your place.


[attachthumb=#]

[SKesselman]

Sarah, a third possibility is, that you *may* have missed to installed the proper plugins when you installed Firefox, because the sound files at frenchassistent will pop up in a new tab/window, they should not be downloaded. If so, go to https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/browse/type:7 , scroll down, and and get some.

Thanks Curt, you're correct...I didn't know which ones to install so I skipped that part when installing FF.
I've now downloaded and installed Real Player, Shockwave & Quicktime w/ iTunes.

Tomos & angel, thanks, but Quicktime opens in the same tab as the web page I'm working on, so I have to keep hitting the back button.
I've never seen anything do that in FF, I'll have to fix it somehow, later...

Or not. Perhaps I should just order a cd.
Maybe it will come with its own player or know how to run smoothly & I won't have to configure anything.
I'm getting ready to re-format my drive, anyway. Strange that I can do that, but configuring FF options / plug ins is daunting.
Thanks for the software / discount link.

[tomos]

I've now downloaded and installed Real Player, Shockwave & Quicktime w/ iTunes.

You know you dont have to install itunes - if you dont listen to music I'd leave it out (even if you do I'd leave it out lol) - you may have to do a bit of research (here or elsewhere) - usually they offer the download without itunes - but not always (the $§%&$)

There are also alternative stripped down versions (Quicktime Alt)

[SKesselman]

Too late! 
Actually, I did it on purpose. They gave me a choice to install Quicktime without iTunes.
I don't avoid mp3s because I don't listen to music, I avoid them because it looks so complicated. So, I'll play around with it....
I'm thinking (hoping!) that by the time I master the "music on the computer" thing, all that will be left are mp3s. One file type, ahhhh...

[tomos]

Actually, I did it on purpose. They gave me a choice to install Quicktime without iTunes.
I don't avoid mp3s because I don't listen to music, I avoid them because it looks so complicated. So, I'll play around with it....

well, before you invest money on music from iTunes, I would definitely read up about it's pros & cons
and good luck    - I mean with the whole music thing, not just itunes!
I have some music on computer now (after having avoided the whole mp3 thing till just this year) and love being able to randomly play tracks - there's albums that I just cant listen to any more, but when I hear a single track unexpectedly I can really enjoy it.

[cmpm]

I'm guessing you are hitting 'open' or 'play' when presented with the file window in Firefox. When you hit open or play instead of download or save, it will still download the file, but to the temporary directory or the cache directory, which is a temp directory.

To check this, right click the download, in the download history box that pops up, and click 'open containing folder' to see where these files are being played from.

After opening the temp folder you can delete the file, or it will eventually clear itself as there is a limit to how much is stored in the cache and will automatically remove the older files as it gets full.

If you clear the cache, as in this screenshot in FF options-Advanced-Network. See if 'open containing folder is grayed out in the download history box, or try to open that file. It should not be able to open it, if it's not there. Although the history is still stored until the download history is cleared.

[Curt]

- no, the problem is the site, frenchassistent. Their loudspeaker icons will open a new tab/window, to play the file, or, if you don't have the proper plug-in, upload the audio file, for you to download. I tried it, and I don't like it; one really has to hit the back button far too often!

But you will have to be a registered member  before you can test this further.

[cmpm]

hm, that's not good....

i can't test it either

what would happen if you turned off tabs completely?
might be worth seeing what it does

and those plugins are needed anyway...eventually for things on the net
If those that Curt pointed out don't help,
get VLC and check Mozilla plugin when installing.

http://www.videolan.org/

[SKesselman]

- no, the problem is the site, frenchassistent.

Thanks Curt, for verifying this for me.    I'm going elsewhere to learn French.
The link you posted earlier for the discounted software looked interesting and I'm wondering if you've used it before?
Hmmm...time for a language software topic (if one does not already exist)!

[SKesselman]

Actually, I did it on purpose. They gave me a choice to install Quicktime without iTunes.
I don't avoid mp3s because I don't listen to music, I avoid them because it looks so complicated. So, I'll play around with it....

well, before you invest money on music from iTunes, I would definitely read up about it's pros & cons
and good luck    - I mean with the whole music thing, not just itunes!
I have some music on computer now (after having avoided the whole mp3 thing till just this year)

Wow, I thought I was the only one (especially on this forum) who's been avoiding the music thing!!
  I'm not alone! 
And yes, I will look for a chart with all (or most) of these types of media players and their pros and cons.
Thanks, tomos!

[SKesselman]

and those plugins are needed anyway...eventually for things on the net
If those that Curt pointed out don't help,
get VLC and check Mozilla plugin when installing.

http://www.videolan.org/

Thanks cmpm, done. It looks interesting.
I'll play with it later - my TV is working today & The Office is on now        !!!
I LOVE Steve Carrell!!!!!