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Audio files - help page
Summary: Answers to frequently asked question about using audio files.
MP3 files
MP3 files are streamed from the server (the sound starts playing without having to download the whole file first) and are suitable for most users, especially broadband users.
Why am I having problems hearing the files on my PC at work?
Your company may security measures in place to stop employees listening to streaming audio. If you can hear the files at home but not at work, that's very likely. You'll need to contact your IT department to see if they can help.
Why is there a break or stutter in the sound stream?
This can happen if you're on a slow connection, or an old PC or the server is especially busy. When the line is busy the sound is temporarily stored or buffered until it can be successfully sent to your PC. This can sometimes cause a stuttering or delaying effect when receiving an audio stream.
Why do you include a link to Winamp - there are other MP3 players?
There are lots of other MP3 players around but we've linked to Winamp as it's free and seems to work well with screen reader users. It doesn’t matter what player you use to play these files.
Content author: webteam@rnib.org.uk
Last updated: 28/05/2008 17:01
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