UCGSTP Media Access Using Linux
Use this page to list UCG St. Paul audio and video
files that you may play using "mplayer" (or "realplay").
Sermon and sermonette transcripts are also available.
Notes
Most of the ucgstp.org audios and videos are in MediaPlayer format.
Such audios have the .wma (windows media audio) file name extension,
or the .wmv (windows media video) extension.
In Linux, you can use mplayer to play them.
You can download mplayer from
http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.html
To set up mplayer as an extension of Firefox:
MediaPlayerConnectivity 0.8.3:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/446
See the results in your browser: Tools->Extensions->Options.
If when you click on one of our mms://www.ugstp.org... links
Firefox does not recognize the "mms" protocol, it's easy enough to
setup up Firefox to open mplayer when it sees that protocol.
1. In Firefox type this into the address box: "about:config"
2. In the filter box type "network.protocol-handler"
3. Right click and select New -> String
the preference name should be "network.protocol-handler.app.mms"
the string should be the full path to mplayer, which for example on
my system is "/usr/local/bin/mplayer"
4. Right click and select New -> Boolean
the preference name should be "network.protocol-handler.external.mms"
set the entry to true
5. Restart firefox.
(you may do the same for extension "pnm" (/usr/local/bin/realplay))
There are a few audios in Real format. Such files have the .rm or
.ram file name extension.
You can download realplay from
http://www.real.com/
If an audio or video playback hangs, pauses or quits prematurely while
playing it directly through the network from ucgstp.org you can
download it to your computer using the "download" link displayed
with each file.
The "download" link will cause the file to be copied to a place on
the ucgstp.org server from which you can download it.
Then you can do "mplayer <filename>" on the command line.
(or "realplay <filename>" for a Real .rm or .ram file).
Another advantage of this method is that you can use the arrow
keys on your keyboard to position yourself forward or back in
an audio (.wma) message.
An alternative way to play a .wma or wmv audio/video through the
network, but from the commmand line, is to create a script like the
one below. I call it "playmedia".
The "(alternate)" link (displayed with a file) will give you the command
which you can copy/paste onto a shell command line.
Sometimes you might get a better video image with this method.
And you can use the keyboard to alter volume, speed and position
for both audio and video messages.
A sample playmedia script:
FILE=$1
if [ "$FILE" == "" ];then
echo "usage: playmedia filename"
exit
fi
echo "control keys: (or just type "mplayer")"
echo " 9 and 0 volume down or up"
echo " / and * volume down or up"
echo " <- and -> seek back/forward 10 seconds"
echo " up and down seek back/forward 1 minute"
echo " pgup and pgdown seek back/forward 10 minutes"
echo " [ and ] decrease/increase speed by 10%"
echo " { and } halve/double speed"
echo " backspace reset speed to normal"
echo " p or space pause (pressing it again unpauses)"
echo " . step forward. pressing once will pause"
echo " video, every consecutive press will play"
echo " one frame and then go into pause mode again"
echo " (any other key unpauses)"
echo " + and - adjust audio delay by +/- 0.1 seconds"
echo " m mute sound"
echo " t toggle full screen mode"
echo " T toggle stay-on-top mode"
echo " v toggle subtitle visibility"
echo " j cycle through available subtitles"
echo " I show the file name"
echo " q or Esc xtop playing and quit"
echo " (may need to do it twice)"
echo "playing http://www.ucgstp.org/cgi-bin/playmedia.pl?$FILE"
/usr/local/bin/mplayer \
http://www.ucgstp.org/cgi-bin/playmedia.pl?$FILE \
> /dev/null 2> /dev/null
Note to cpw: update the index with updatemedia.