Certain browsers don't have the right plugins or just mess up
embedding an <OBJECT/> that contains an mp3, embedded like this:
<div class="audiosection">
<div class="audiosectionlabel">Press play to listen to this story.</
div>
<object autoplay="false" data="/objects/3.mp3" height="40"
type="audio/mpeg" width="600">
<param name = 'src' value = '/objects/3.mp3' />
</object>
</div>
How can I test for the capability to load an mp3 embedded in a page
like this, so that I can hide the whole DIV if it isn't going to work?
Is it possible? All I can find on the web are tutorials about hiding
things from certain browsers. Any information about how to test for
ability to embed certain mimetypes using JS, or maybe different and
more complicated HTML, welcome, or, failing that, reliable information
on which browsers are just going to barf on this, and so I should hide
the plugin from them.
The problem is that the browser may have no or many working players,
and different objects may apply for different players. For example I
have WMP, Real, Winamp, flash, and several other players all working
on IE7, Firefox, Seamonkey, Opera, and Safari for Windows browsers.To
see how I am now handling this problem, see
http://www.cwdjr.net/audio/single/songsingletest.php
.. Don't bother to view the source code, but go to
http://www.cwdjr.net/audio/single/
to a directory that gives you a text file plus files for includes and
all of the player objects used. Once you are set up, you only have to
write a new short php page for your new page, since it uses all of the
same object files and includes. And players do sometimes require
corrections when they upgrade. If a player changes the object code
needed, then one only has to change the one object file used as an
include, and that fixes all of the pages that call for this object
code. Usually when a player is not installed, then one sees nothing
rather than a control. In rare cases one may just see a blank box
where the player would be. As a last resort, a mp3 download is
provided using a playlist file for it. Depending on how the computer
is set up, you may be prompted to just download the mp3, or you are
taken to the player that the computer owner has set up to be primary
for mp3.
Especially for spoken word, a highly compressed Windows wma or Real
ra file will give good enough quality easily at bit rates low enough
to be streamed on even a dialup connection. The mp3 format does not
work as well as these at extremely high compression, although if you
use a mp3PRO encoder, it works better than standard mp3 at low bit
rates and will play on standard mp3 players. Since so many computers
have flash installed, I also provide flash audio, with the flash audio
actually being in the newer flv/swf format. Most people, other than
perhaps a mother or lover, will only listen to one format, so you will
not increase bandwidth usage much or any by including several audio
format choices. Since disc space on a server is now dirt cheap, you
need not worry about multiple formats of the same audio unless you are
running a streaming video site with a huge number of long videos, and
the site is very popular. I only use about 4 GB of server disc
storage, and I could use 100 GB at least without paying extra.
This concept can be expanded to include many audio files. See
http://www.cwdjr.net/audio/multiple/songsAll3.php for an example. This
is a bit more demanding than for a single song, because dozens of
player objects must be generated and downloaded. The download thus
would be slugish on dialup or low broadband.
A concept much like the above can also be used to allow selection of
videos in various formats and/or bit rates.
