Troubleshooting guide for playing audio files inside of a WebCT course

If audio files are available in your WebCT course you may experience issues when you try to play them.
This guide is intended to help you resolve these issues.

FAQ's and Tricks:

FAQ - What hardware and software is required?
Typically your computer must have a properly configured sound card and a set of speakers or headphones. You'll also need a Web browser that is JavaScript enabled and supports playing of the properly named (including extension) sound files. Newer computers are pretty much ready-to-go out of the box.

It is also recommended that you have a stand-alone audio player application that supports playing various sound files (e.g. Windows Media Player, Quicktime, Real Player) installed on your computer in the event that the audio file does not play automatically when you click on the audio icon. Most newer operating systems come bundled with an audio player. Your browser can be configured to automatically associate certain sound files with specific plug-ins or specific audio player(s).

FAQ - Is this difficult?
Multi-media (audio) delivery over the Internet is getting easier but takes knowledge and effort by the user. The different platforms/operating systems/browsers/file types/media players may confuse the issue but can be tamed through time and diligence devoted to understanding what the local computer is running and what the requirements are to play certain file types through certain venues. User ability and preference figures in prominently. For instance, in one computer lab or office, all computers may respond differently when each user logs in to listen to an identical audio file. This is because QuickTime, Windows Media Player, and Real Player are continuously "fighting" to become the default application to play media files on any computer. Consequently, especially with an unwitting user, it may be that the last Media Player that a user downloads will often become the default player due to the user selecting (or failing to de-select) the "yes" or "okay" response when prompted with the "Make this your default media player?" query that often comes with the download and install of these applications.

Trick - I've tried everything and I still can't get the audio file to play inside the course!
Download the audio file to your local computer and try to open it using one of the available media players. Pay attention to the file extension!

Trick - Multiple Browsers:
Get familiar with and have multiple browsers at your disposal. For instance, a test in September 2005 using Apple's Safari browser trying to play a .wav file on a PowerMac while running Tiger 10.4.2 fully locked up the WebCT course and audio files being tested... yet using Firefox on the same computer yielded no problems at all. Having different avenues to pursue gives a better chance of success - and less down time trying to get things set up to work optimally.

Trick - Multiple Stand-alone Media Players
Having a number of available options is a good idea - similar to the multiple browsers trick above. If you decide to run various media players, take time to get familiar with the "Tools/Options/File Types" area of Windows Media Player, the "Edit/Preferences/QuickTime Preferences" area of Quicktime and the "Tools/Preferences" area of Real Player. From these areas it is possible to tailor which media player will handle which type of file - and gives you many different ways to deal with stubborn media files that don't want to play automatically.

Trick - Don't wait until the last second!
When asked by your instructor to listen to an audio file try it right away. If a problem occurs you can then troubleshoot it or alert the instructor that you are having difficulties. Don't expect it to go smooth every time!

Trick - Be prepared when requesting support:
Try to solve the problem yourself using the information below. If all else fails you may have to call the ITC help desk (1-406-994-1777) or the Burns Technology Center (1-406-994-6550) for help troubleshooting the audio problems you are experiencing. Here's what you can do to make it easier on yourself and the folks on the other end of the line:

• make sure you have checked that your browser is supported by WebCT at: http://www.webct.com/tuneup
• know your platform (Mac or PC)
• know the operating system and version you are using (OS X, Windows XP, etc)
• know which browser you are using (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla, Safari, etc.)
• know which antivirus program your computer has running on it
• know which audio file(s) you are trying to play

Trick - Firewalls? Anti-virus software?
Firewalls and anti-virus software can also keep media files from playing. A good method to check whether or not this is the case is to try playing files from a news site or files that you have played off the internet in the past. If there is difficulty, contact your network administrator.

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Playing audio from within a WebCT course

Background:
To play audio files inside of WebCT there are 4 different variables that need to work together to make it happen successfully - platform (typically PC or Mac); browser (typically Internet Explorer, Netscape, Safari); file type (typically .wav; .asf; .wma; .ram; .ra; .aiff; .mp3); plug-in / media player (typically involves Windows Media Player; Quicktime; Real Player). Understanding what is at work may help to alleviate frustration - though it is no guarentee. Knowing your computer system and what you are running on it will help you successfully deal with media files of all types.

Platform:
The type of computer platform you are using has effect on the type(s) of files you can play and the support you will seek. The computer platform's lifeline is the operating system (OS) of the computer. For instance, if you are using a PC there is a range of OS that you can be running - from WIN '95 on up to Win XP. If you are using a Mac, you may be running OS 9.x (or lower) or Mac OS X (Jaguar, Panther, Tiger). Figuring out what system you are using is very important to the troubleshooting procedure as every system has it's own "peculiarities".

Browser:
The type of browser, combined with your operating system, is what allows WebCT to work properly. The first thing you can do to help yourself is go to the WebCT Browser Tune-Up page and find out if your browser is validated for use with WebCT. If the browser is valid then chances are good that things will go smoothly for you. Basically, the WebCT Browser Tune-up page will detect what kind of OS you are running (Windows, Mac) - then you follow the prompts.

Browser Tune-up page: http://www.webct.com/tuneup

A "validated" browser indicates that the browser has been tested extensively with WebCT and works well. An "unsupported" browser indicates that the browser has been tested and there are issues that prevent WebCT from behaving properly when being accessed using that browser. A "non-validated" (or "not validated") browser indicates that the browser has not been fully tested and may not perform properly. Some "non-validated" browsers work fine - some do not. The combination of platform and browser influences this...

WebCT has information related to and links to browsers listed at the top of this page: http://www.webct.com/tuneup/viewpage?name=tuneup_browser_tuneup_information

File Type:
Digital audio comes in different file formats. Typically you'll see certain file extensions associated with audio files - below are some of the most common:

• .wav = Microsoft's Wave file format is the most commonly supported audio file format on the Windows platform.
• .asf = Microsoft Advanced Streaming Format is the preferred Windows Media file format.
• .wma = Windows Media Audio files are .asf files that include audio that is compressed with the Windows Media Audio (WMA) codec.
• .ram = RealNetworks RealAudio Metafile
• .ra = Compressed audio format designed by Real Networks for playback in the Real Player application. Supports streaming over networks.
• .aiff (.aif) = Audio Interchange Format File - typically Apple based.
• .mp3 = (Moving Picture Experts Group) MPEG-1 Level 3 - This standard has evolved from early MPEG work. It is an audio compression technology that is part of the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 specifications. The Fraunhofer Institute developed MP3 in Germany in 1991. MP3 uses perceptual audio coding to compress CD-quality sound with almost the same fidelity.

The extension indicates which media player will best handle the specific file type. For instance, Quicktime is commonly assigned to handle .aiff files (by default) but Windows Media Player can be configured to handle .aiff files. Quicktime can be assigned to handle .wav files but cannot read .wmf files. If a file can't play in one media player, try another.

Go here for additional information on digital audio files: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_file_format

Plug-in / Media Player(s):

Plug-in:
A plug in is "A hardware or software module that adds a specific feature or service to a larger system. For example, there are number of plug-ins for the Netscape Navigator browser that enable it to display different types of audio or video messages." (from the ISP Glossary - http://isp.webopedia.com/TERM/P/plug_in.html )

Example: You are using a PC running Windows XP while using Internet Explorer to navigate through your WebCT course. You want to listen to a .wav audio file while it plays inside of your WebCT course. Chances are pretty good that the audio file will open inside the course using Windows Media Player if other plug-ins and/or media players haven't been downloaded and won the fight for being the default media player on your machine. Note: If things aren't working very well, you may be forced to go out and get the appropriate plug-in to aid in playing the audio file. The plug-in will help the audio to play within a properly configured browser.

WebCT has related information and common plug-ins listed at the bottom of this page: http://www.webct.com/tuneup/viewpage?name=tuneup_browser_tuneup_information

Go here for additional information on plug-ins: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in

Media Player(s):
A media player is a piece of application software for playing back multimedia files. Most media players support an array of media formats, including both audio and video files. There are also some media players can only play audio or video, these are known as audio players and video players respectively. These players may give better user experience as they are specifically tailored toward the media type. (definition from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_player )

The most common media players are Windows Media Player, Quicktime, and Real Audio. All of them are becoming more "cross-platform" in their approach to playing assorted media files. For instance, notice that all three of these types are offered for both PC (Windows) and Mac platforms. Thus, if you are working on a Mac platform and have a .wmf file to play, locally, Quicktime will not be able to handle it but Windows Media Player for Mac just might do the job.

All of the media players can be configured to play certain files and are set-up to handle certain file types by default. Each media player has "Options" or "Preferences" that can be adjusted by the user. Investigating these areas of the players allows the user to configure which files will be handled by which player.

Did you know? Media Player applications all "fight" to become the coveted default application to play media files locally on your computer. You can control this to a certain extent by learning more about your computer system and setting it up to perform the way you prefer it to work.

Knowing about and eventually controlling (to the best of your abilities) the manner in which all 4 variables interact is what it takes to play audio files from within a WebCT course. If it doesn't work initially, stick with it, research the steps you need to take to set up your computer properly and continue down the road. After a bit you'll have better knowledge of how to deal more effectively with issues that arise - and then you can show your friends!

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Download Media Player(s):
Handy reference list (with links) to the most common players*:
Note: Selecting the link(s) below will open the site in a new browser window.

Free Windows Audio Players	Link
RealPlayer Basic  from RealNetworks. Used for displaying highly compressed, streaming video and audio. RealPlayer Plus costs money and is much more obviously displayed, but look carefully - there is a link to the free Basic player.
QuickTime Player from Apple. Used for displaying QT format movies, animation, music, static MP3 sounds, more. QuickTime 5 and later plays streaming MP3.
Windows Media Player from Microsoft. This one comes with Windows. Plays static and streaming MP3 files, among many others, including some proprietary Microsoft formats.
WinAmp from Nullsoft. Probably the best known of the many MP3 players out there. Streams all kinds of MP3 content, accepts many plugins.
Free Macintosh Audio Players	Link
iTunes  from Apple. Ships with MacOS. Requires OS 9.0.4 or later. Can play both static and streaming MP3 files.
RealPlayer Basic  from RealNetworks. Used for displaying highly compressed, streaming video and audio. RealPlayer Plus costs money and is much more obviously displayed, but look carefully - there is a link to the free Basic player.
QuickTime Player from Apple. Used for displaying QT format movies, animation, music, static MP3 sounds, more. QuickTime 5 and later plays streaming MP3.
Windows Media Player from Microsoft. Another streaming audio and video player. Plays static and streaming MP3 files, among many others.
Free Linux/UNIX Audio Players	Link
RealPlayer Basic  from RealNetworks. Used for displaying highly compressed, streaming video and audio. RealPlayer Plus costs money and is much more obviously displayed, but look carefully - there is a link to the free Basic player.
XMMS X Multimedia System (XMMS) is an MPEG-3 audio player with a cool spectrum analyzer. It's based on the Windows winamp MPEG-3 audio player (only the GUI).

*No media player listed above is endorsed by the Burns Technology Center.
Original table from Science@NASA: http://science.nasa.gov/info/audio.htm - updated, modified and re-purposed 100405

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