-------------------------------------------------------------- MICROSOFT MEDIA PLAYER V 3.0 BETA 1 FOR MACINTOSH README FILE (C) 1998 Microsoft Corporation, all rights reserved. ------------------------------------------------------------- This document provides late-breaking information or other information that supplements the Microsoft Media Player documentation. ========= CONTENTS ========= SYSTEM REQUIRMENTS PROXY KNOWN ISSUES Streaming Markers Menu Items Control Bar High Bitrate Clips Status Bar Display Bar Navigator and MIME types Volume Control Slider Authentication Player Controls Error Messages Playback Properties Favorites Menu =================== SYSTEM REQUIRMENTS =================== To install Microsoft Media Player for Macintosh, you need: * Power PC Macintosh, 601 or newer * System 7.6.1 or newer. MacOS 8 recommended * Open Transport 1.1.2 or newer * QuickTime 2.5 or newer * 32 megs of RAM * 15 megs of free hard drive space for install * 256 color display * Sound Card or internal audio NOTE: Microsoft strongly recommends upgrading to MacOS 8 due to improvements in Open Transport. Open Transport 1.1.2 from Apple Computer's web site at http://www.apple.com/macos/opentransport/sdk.html The System 7.6.1 update can be download from Apple Computer's web site at http://swupdates.info.apple.com/cgi-bin/http_lister.pl?Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/US/Macintosh/System/Mac_OS_7.6.1_Update QuickTime can be downloaded from Apple Computer's web site at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/ ====== PROXY ====== If you are accessing NetShow content through a proxy server, you will have to set configure the Media Player for your Proxy to play content being streamed via HTTP. To set the proxy for the Media Player: 1. On the EDIT menu, click PREFERENCES. 2. On the ADVANCED tab, select STREAMING MEDIA and select CHANGE. NOTE: On some systems, particularly 7.6.1, the Change button does not appear. You will have to double click on the "Streaming Media". 3. Select USE A PROXY FOR HTTP STREAMING. 4. Enter the name of your proxy server and the port number. If you do not know what to enter, contact your network administrator. ============= KNOWN ISSUES ============= Streaming --------- This release supports HTTP streaming only. Markers -------- The numbers of items in the Go To bar increases after selecting a Marker from the Go To bar. Menu Items ---------- If a menu item is selected while a clip is playing, the clip pauses for the duration the menu item is selected. When the menu item is released, the clip jumps forward for however long the menu item was selected. Control Bar ----------- The fast forward, rewind, skip back, skip forward buttons and preview buttons in the Control Bar are not enabled in this version of the Media Player. High bitrate clips ---------------- Clip encoded at high bitrates may cause the player or system to stop responding, requiring a system reboot. The clip may continue to play even though the system or player does not respond. Illustrated Audio --------------- This release of the Media Player does not play illustrated audio content. This feature is not implemented in this release of the Media Player. Status Bar ---------- In the status bar in the Media Player, the status states that the player has stopped before the clip begins to play. The status bar also does not say "stop" at the conclusion of a clip. Display Bar ---------- Clicking on the Display Bar of the Media Player goes to a hard coded URL. Navigator and MIME types ----------------------- The MIME type does not get registered with Netscape Navigator. If the MIME type is not registered in Navigator, when the ASX is downloaded, Navigator does not pass the ASX to the appropriate application. This can be fixed in two ways: 1) Associate the ASX file with the Media Player by selecting Microsoft Media Player when Navigator asks what application to open the ASX file with. 2) Add the MIME type to Navigator. The MIME type for the Media Player is VIDEO/X-MS-ASF and VIDEO/X-MS-ASX. How to add a MIME type to Navigator 4.x 1. Go to EDIT - select Preferences 2. Under Navigator, select Applications 3. Select New 4. Enter a Description 5. Enter VIDEO/X-MS-ASF as the MIME type. 6. Click on Browse and select the Microsoft Media Player 7. Select launch helper app. Repeat the steps and add the VIDEO/X-MS-ASX MIME type as well. Volume Control -------------- Volume control is disabled in this release. Slider ------ The Slider Control is disabled in this release. Player Controls -------------- Play button remains depressed after clip is finished playing. Error Messages ------------- Error messages are disabled for this release. For example, the player does not return an error if the user ID and password are invalid with authentication on supplied in the authentication dialog are invalid. Since there is no error messages, if you try to view a clip the Media Player cannot play, the status displays "PLAYING" and nothing plays. Playback -------- The audio and video loose synchronization. The audio falls behind the video. The amount the audio falls behind varies up to several seconds. When playing a high bandwidth file, pausing the clip and then unpausing may cause the clip to start playing from the beginning. When the Media Player is sending a URL command to the browser, quitting the Media Player may cause the Media Player to crash. When playing a clip where the audio is compressed with MPEG 2 Layer 3, the audio will stop for a few seconds at the beginning of the clip and then restart. Full screen playback is disabled in this release. Properties ---------- No matter what codecs are being used in a clip, the Media Player indicates that the codec used are QuickTime and Voxware. Favorites Menu ------------- The Favorites Menu is disabled for this release.