Can't access online file; .ram/.mp3 issue?

This is the page I'm trying to get the audio file from:

http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2007/07/27 ​

It's an episode of a Public Radio International show called Studio 360, from WNYC, that includes the band They Might Be Giants performing a few songs. Available links also include TMBG performing the wonderful Beach Boys song "Caroline No". That would surely be something to hear.

The problem I'm encountering is that the alleged .mp3 file launches my RealPlayer. This seems to be because the URL includes a .ram.py. RP launches and then hangs at the "contacting" phase. I tried dropping the URL into QuickTime, but to no avail.

As a Mac user of several years, I'm accustomed to not being able to access certain files, but usually this is because they use Windows-specific codecs. (e.g., How the hell could a QuickTime file play on the free QT player for Windows, but not for Macs?)

It seems to me, though, that if this problem was widespread (cross-platform), someone at WNYC or S360 would have noticed and done something about it. So is it just Apples that can't launch the file?

Thanks much.

 

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I wish I could help ya but I don't know what to try

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I don't think anything else besides Realplayer is capable of playing those .rm files.

I remember whenever I used realproducer in the past, it always created two files - one was a .ram file (which was the audio file itself). The other was a .rm meta-file (I hope I'm saying this right) which was what the URL on my website used to connect the client to the file. The meta-file could only be used by Realplayer, and did not work on anything else.

If the client tried to connect to the URL and didn't have realplayer installed, they would download the meta-file by itself .......which would sit uselessly on their desktop as a file-type the OS knew nothing about.

I guess nowadays, you could use Mplayer or Totem if you download the right codec packages.

 

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Good to know

I'll look into alternative players. The problem with Real launching is that the file is supposed to be an .mp3. The "ram.py" occurs in the middle of the URL.

...//www.studio360.org/stream/ram.py?file=/studio/studio072707a.mp3&file2=
/studio/studio072707b.mp3&file3=/studio/studio072707c.mp3&file4=
/studio/studio072707d.mp3&file5=/studio/studio072707e.mp3&file6=
/studio/studio072707f.mp3&file7=/studio/studio072707g.mp3&file8=
/studio/studio072707h.mp3&file9=/studio/studio072707i.mp3&file10=
/studio/studio072707j.mp3&file11=/studio/studio072707k.mp3

Frankly, that has to be the most ridiculous URL I've ever seen. But the ram.py seems to be what compels the system to launch RP, and as it sits there looking stupid on the screen, the title simply reads "ram.py".

Thanks much, though. I've gotten so used to iTunes and QT that I sometimes forget there are other players out there.

 

It has me wondering if ram.py is the meta-file?
It also has me wondering if it's really an mp3

 

Actualy, that ram.py is a python script. The URL is so long because its giving it variables to work with: file names for a playlist.
I tried the link and it worked, opened in WMP Classic for some reason though.. Opening the URL with WMP10 still worked however.

Try working with 1 file to start: http://www.studio360.org/stream/ram.py?file=/studio/studio072707a.mp3
try opening it with a few different media players, it shouldd work. Perhaps give it some time to download (might be the cause of it not doing anything.)

-Andrew

 

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