In WMP, web videos won't stream before download is complete

I have resisted as long as I could but finally installed Windows Media Player 9 on my system. Now, I am at
least able to liten to audio sample on music sites such as www.puretracks.com.

I am still using WMP 6.4 as my default video player, so I have it associated with most video file types, including .mpg .asf .wmv

In the past, when I clicked on a video file with one of these extensions on a web site, the player window opened imediately and after a few seconds of buffering, the clip started playing. This allowed me to get a quick glimpse before deciding to proceed or stop.

Since I installed WMP 9, however, this behavior has changed. The player window will not open and the clip will not start playing before the whole clip has been downloaded. I have thus lost the quick preview capability. No amount of toying with options either in WMP 6.4 or WMP 9 seems able to change that.

When I try to make WMP 9 the default player and click on the same file, I get the message that WMP 9 can't find the file. and then, I can't even download it through IE or a download manager (Flashget)

A sample file can be found here:

http://www.pocketmovies.net/detail_294.html

Click the Download button, then click the picture on the next page to start the download. What happens in your case?

Is there a way to have the movie start playing without having to wait for a complete download? This behavior does not seem normal to me especially with .asf and .wmv files that are streamable by definition.

I should also add that when the video is "imbedded" in the web site through a javascript window (not downloadable, only streamable), I do not have this problem. There is a few seconds of buffering and then the video starts playing.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Hi BernardP,

I went to the site, clicked on the download button and new page loaded but nothing else happened. The new page was blank, no text and images, etc

In WMP 9, to go Tools -> Options -> Performance

Check the settings there, leave them to default settings for buffering.

Also make sure that you have the right type of connection select from the drop-down list.

I cannot recollect how WMP 6.4, used to play .asf and .wmv files, what I mean is that how it used to buffer them.

Does anyone remember? Please enlighten me on that.

Regards,
Vaibhav Kapoor

Thanks

I have already tried this and every other imaginable combination of these options (I think). I am now wondering if it could not be caused by a setting in Internet Explorer...

Try going into internet options advanced> multimedia and checking (or rechecking) "play videos in web pages". that might reassociate WMP to open when you click a movie link.

Thanks fink. I tried it and it changes nothing. But I suspect it might have to do with IE settings. I will have a more detailed look at it.

I would also try, temporarily at least, associating wmp9 with all windows media to see if it gets invoked when you try and play a clip from within IEX. You can always change it back later.

Thanks again, I had already tried it. In that situation, as indicated in my first post, I get a message from WMP9 saying that it can't locate the file. And I can't even download the file as every one I try appears as a broken link. When I revert to 6.4, the files are valid again...weird.

I tried on my computer at work. WinXP, IE 6 and WMP 9 and it works correctly.

At home, where I am having this problem, I am still using IE 5.5 SP2. I am waiting for IE 6 SP2 before upgrading. Maybe going to IE 6 would help, maybe not, I don't know.

Have you tried reinstalling the version of IEX that you have?

Yes...Sorry. I posted here because I am really out of ideas.

It is not the end of the world. I can live with it. However, there is probably a solution and I would like to find it.

Thanks

Have a look around Microsofts WMP related newsgroups. Maybe there's a solution or someone who knows the answer there..

http://communities2.microsoft.com/co...&lang=en&cr=US

Thanks again fink. Lots of things to look at over there. I will give it a try.

Not sure this will help you.

One day Real Player installed itself on my computer behind my back. Ever since then my WMP9 exhibited the same problem. I uninstall Real Player but it was still the same. After I cleaned the registry w/ RegCleaner WMP9 went back to normal.

Thanks falcon200

I already have RegCleaner and everything seems to be in order.