Free Player Loads Differently

[EricP]

So I open Beethoven.com this morning to start listening and the big "listen for free" icon on the top right doesn't work. I would click on that to open Windows Player and listen, with the play list active on the player. But, like I said, the icon didn't work to do that so I click on the actual link to listen for free and it opens a new tab in IE with an embedded player. Huh? What's that all about? Why'd we change this today? I like having the controls on my taskbar so I can adjust the volume and mute as needed. I hate embedded players...IMHO.

[jamiebk]

http://www.beethoven.com/beethoven_ad.asx

Try this link. It's old but it still works fine for me

[EricP]

http://www.beethoven.com/beethoven_ad.asx

Try this link. It's old but it still works fine for me

Perfect. Adding that to my faves. Thanks.

[EricP]

I'm sure nobody cares, but I discovered the source of the problem. Of course, it's not B.com. Nope, it was my stupid Flash player update that wonked out a bunch of stuff on my machine until I reloaded it (the whole Flash player, that is).

[Shapley]

I'm sure nobody cares, but I discovered the source of the problem. Of course, it's not B.com. Nope, it was my stupid Flash player update that wonked out a bunch of stuff on my machine until I reloaded it (the whole Flash player, that is).

Glad you got it resolved.

[EricP]

...the icon didn't work to do that so I click on the actual link to listen for free and it opens a new tab in IE with an embedded player. Huh? What's that all about? Why'd we change this today? I like having the controls on my taskbar so I can adjust the volume and mute as needed. I hate embedded players...IMHO.

Now that my little problem has turned into an official "change your link" because we've changed the player, let me again restate that I categorically hate embedded players. I don't want a separate page to load with the player on it. No, I want a separate player to load and minimize to my taskbar where I can have quick and ready access to volume controls. When people enter my cube, the mute button is always there. Next month, I'm going to have to bring up IE, find the correct tab, and the hit the mute button. I think Beethoven will lose me as a listener because of the change. It doesn't work for me and my workspace, and I somewhat doubt I am alone in that.

[Shapley]

The imbedded player that pops up on my IE screen has four controls: Play button, Stop Button, and Mute Button, and a volume control slide switch under these. The animated 'now playing' window appears right above them, with a window beside them listing the 'now playing', 'next, and 'recently played' features, all in a non-sizable window about the same size as the old RealPlayer window I previously (somewhat) enjoyed.

Is this not the standard player? I realize it is different from the old WMP window, but I assumed that what I was looking at was the same as everyone else.

The only oeprational difference I see between it and the old WMP is that the tab in my Taskbar looks like the IE tab instead of the WMP tab, and the 'now playing' window works steadily.



V/R
Shapley

[EricP]

The imbedded player that pops up on my IE screen ...

That's it: The EMBEDDED player pops up in a new IE SCREEN. The old player was a standalone player that could be minimized to your taskbar. It was a page in IE (or whatever) browser. As I said, I want instant access to my controls on my taskbar. Haven't it embedded on a webpage does not work for me. In fact, consider how "odd" it is to have to go into your web browser when your boss walks into your cube. Do you really want to do that or just be able to click a mute button on your taskbar?

Lots of other classical stations on the web. Guess I'm going to have to find another one.

[Shapley]

I guess I'm puzzled, as I'm not sure what the embedded player looks like. I have a seperate page for the player:

http://players.eonstreams.com/FastAim/P ... erID=1029#

Which comes up as a small window which I normally have minimized to the taskbar. To mute it, I have to open it, but it is not a full-screen window (it is not resizable). Anyone who comes near my office knows I'm listening to music, so it is no issue if they know I have to mute it. I don't have to wade through menus to get there, click to maximize, click to mute, click to minimize. I don't think WMP was any easier, Real certainly wasn't.

I think windows will let you imbed a master volume control in the taskbar, in which case all you have to is slide the volume down when needed, but I don't recall how to do that. I had it set up that way in a previous version of windows, but I have never done so in XP.

V/R
Shapley

[dai bread]

This thread is weird.

The eonstreams player that I get comes up in a separate box which I can minimise in the usual way. It has nothing to do with IE; probably because I'm using Firefox, and isn't embedded in anything. The player has controls, though the bottom half of the panel is missing. The best thing though, is that the "Now Playing" screen that comes with the player actually works.

There have been other times when I've felt that I get a different service from the one Americans get. Could that be possible? Other people have commented on shortcomings in BR's transmission which simply don't apply to me. Maybe it's the time of day when I'm listening. At present, If my calculations are right, it's late afternoon in Connecticut.

Talking of weirdness, I'm playing BR through my old Akai stereo, which, naturally, has a turntable. If I am to get decent sound from my computer, I have to unplug the turntable. Otherwise the right-hand speaker cuts out and sound is reduced through the left-hand one. I took it in for repair, but the tech had English as a second (if that) language and didn't understand. He didn't charge for failing to fix it, which is something. The stereo works perfectly if I play a record on the turntable.

[EricP]

If you use Firefox, it's a seperate window that can be minimized. I use IE at work and it's a separate tab. Regardless, the bottom line is that in either incarnation, when minimized, there are no visible controls. You have to open the window to get to them. I want a seperate player that is not embedded in any browser page. I want easy and quick access to the control panel on my taskbar. If I don't have it, I'll find it elsewhere. Sorry. (I'm sure one listener less won't be noticed, but maybe I am not alone in my disappointment with this "improvement.")

[jamiebk]

Well....goodbye to B.Com and my BBB friends. My company blocks most audio/video streaming and the new "listen free" link is one of them. Previously, I was able to listen using the old http://www.beethoven.com-beethoven_ad.asx link, but that is gone now (simply a loop message directing us to the new link).

I will miss the format, fun and friends....I may be able to listen in on Fridays when I work from home, but that's about it. I am really bummed about the change.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Still getting the looped message at the .asx URL, and the new player is blocked. I don't even get to see the alleged controls.

I won't be having a lot of comments about the b.com selections. Win Media streams seem to make it through the work firewall but the new stream doesn't.

[piqaboo]

Well....goodbye to B.Com and my BBB friends. My company blocks most audio/video streaming and the new "listen free" link is one of them. Previously, I was able to listen using the old http://www.beethoven.com-beethoven_ad.asx link, but that is gone now (simply a loop message directing us to the new link).

I will miss the format, fun and friends....I may be able to listen in on Fridays when I work from home, but that's about it. I am really bummed about the change.

Bummer indeed! You will be missed!

[jamiebk]

Thanks Piq....I can still get the BBB but it won't be the same without being able to listen in. I found an internet classical radio station (WQXR) in NYC that streams through WMP (the way B.com used to). It seems to make it through the firewall, so it is possible. I am hoping that over time, B.com will open up some more options.

[EricP]

A quick Google search reveals lots and lots of classical music stations. I've found several with the standalone player that resolves my problem and will surely help others with their firewall.

[barfle]

Regarding muting of the music, don't you have a knob on your speakers? If there isn't a speaker icon in the system tray, it's probably hidden, which you can fix with a setting in control panel, or simply click on the arrows to expose it, and that will let you mute the audio.

Those work even when I'm playing music through WMP.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

The new player works nicely from home. Clicked on the ListenFree!! hot spot, player launches and stream starts. No trouble.

Now, if that would just work from work. :scowl: :grump:

[Serenity]

The big listen for free icon is missing from the front page. The new player blinks "Connecting....." but no music yet. Arrgh! The internet is clogged with traffic on Fridays I think I'll request something anyway and hope people give up trying to log in as the morning progresses.

[navneeth]

Hi, everyone. After more than a week without access to the internet, I logged on to find the looping message. Trying to open a window/pop-up? only resulted in Firefox slowing down, and me forcefully closing it down. Thanks to the link provided by Shap, I now have the stream playing in a new tab (although the stream quality seems to much more "hissier" than the old one.)

If you find a stream URL somewhere, please post it here...I'd appreciate that. (And I'll post it, if I find it first.)