First, try the latest Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player 11 is now available for PCs, and it solves many of the problems listed below.
If you are having trouble listening, you should first download WMP 11 or the latest available version.
Recent editions of WMP solve many streaming problems and provide a more satisfactory listening experience.
We cannot offer technical support or installation advice for Windows products. If you need instructions
or technical support, please refer to Microsoft or other technical support. To get the latest version of
Windows Media Player (it's free) for your computer and operating system,
click here.
Common problems and how to resolve them
When I try to listen, it constantly pauses or says “buffering”
If playback stops and starts repeatedly, and your media player says, "Buffering",
it means your media player is giving the downloaded information time to catch
up to the rest of the presentation. This is often due to network congestion,
meaning that there is not enough available bandwidth between you and the file
at unknowncountry.com. Until network congestion clears up the frequent pauses
during playback will continue.
The solution is to listen at non-peak times. Non-peak times are Wednesdays and Thursdays. Our busiest
times are Friday, Saturday (especially Saturday afternoon), Sunday and Monday. Additionally, if you are
able to listen to the program with a high-speed connection, such as a cable modem or DSL line, your
listening experience will greatly improve.
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When I try to listen, my media player just says “Closed” then “Ready.”
You are attempting to listen when all of our bandwidth is being used by other listeners.
Dreamland is one of the most popular programs on the internet, and it can get
crowded. The solution is to try again in ten or fifteen minutes. Subscribers
have access to a download archive where Dreamland may be downloaded and listened
to at their leisure, free from buffering and other network traffic problems.
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I am using personal firewall software, like Zone Alarm, and I can’t get Windows Media Player to work.
The most common cause of this problem is firewall software settings preventing
the audio from working. For Windows Media Player to stream, your firewall must
be set to allow mime-type integrated objects. For example, if you are using
ZoneLabs Zone Alarm Pro, open the Zone Alarm Control Center and click on the
Privacy link. Find the panel labeled "Mobile Code Control". If the
“On” radio button is selected, click the “Custom” button.
Uncheck “Block mime-type integrated objects.” For other firewall
products, please consult your manual or contact the manufacturer.
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I get a funny error message when I click on “Listen Now,” or Real Player comes up but won’t play anything.
All the streaming media files at Unknown Country are in Windows Media format. This
means you must listen to them with Microsoft's Windows Media Player, or a compatible product
that accepts the Windows Media format. Computers will produce various errors
when you don’t have Windows Media Player or don’t have it properly
installed. The solution is to make sure you have Windows Media Player installed.
Get the right version for your computer here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/default.asp
Be aware that
some playback software attempt to take control of
audio playback away from the Windows Media Player, especially when they
are installed with their default installation options. This can cause erratic
playback, no playback and other errors when attempting to listen to our media
files. Use care when installing audio playback software to insure that it is
only going to playback the media formats you specifically want it to play.
Sometimes, you
can have the latest Windows Media Player installed, but still not hear anything.
Often times this means your specific Windows Media Player is missing the right
codec to enable proper playback. A “codec” is software used by the
Windows Media Player that tells it how to decode audio. Different methods of
encoding audio require different codecs to play them back. Occasionally
these codecs can get corrupted or replaced by other audio playback software. Reinstalling them will help. This is one reason why, incidentally, you
might be able to listen to audio at one website, but not another.
If you'd like
to learn more, please visit Microsoft's
Windows Media Player Codecs 101 page.
To reinstall the basic set of codecs
that ship with Windows Media Player, please visit the Microsoft
Codec Package Installation (For Windows Media Player 7.1 or later) page.
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I can’t use Windows Media Player or I would prefer not to.
Our streaming audio is in Windows Media format. Any audio software compatible with Windows Media files may be used to listen to our programs.
There are a variety of options available to people who cannot use the Windows Media Player, or would prefer not to. Many alternative products
exist for users of Microsoft Windows. Fewer options exist for Macintosh and Unix/Linux users.
Macintosh users might begin with Microsoft's Windows Media Player for OSX.
Linux users can add WMA functionality to the popular XMMS with xmms-wma. MPlayer, the movie player for linux, also supports WMA playback.
A popular alternative for Windows systems is Winamp
The latest Dreamland is also offered via Podcast.
Additionally, Subscribers have access to a download area containing most, if not all, of our
programs, in high-quality mp3 format.
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