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#185444 09/09/07 03:45 PM
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I have a very strange problem. I asked questions about this at the script forum but nobody seems to know the answer. The problem is that a certain mp3 player script acts differently on various PC's:
- I run Windows/ME, mIRC 6.17 and I can play mp3's with this script but no wma's. When I try to play wma, mIRC issues the error: "/splay unable to play file xxx.wma". It can find the file, but just cannot play it.
- Same problem exists at the PC of a friend of mine, who runs Windows/XP and mIRC 6.17.
- Other friends of mine use Windows/XP and mIRC 6.17 and they can play wma's but no mp3's. On playing mp3, mIRC says: "/splay unable to play file xxx.mp3"
- All of us can play mp3's and wma's with Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc.
What can be wrong? In which cases does mIRC issue this "/splay unable to file" error? Btw, the playerscript we have, uses /splay - p filename and none of us use NTFS partitions.

noMen #185445 09/09/07 03:50 PM
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For whatever reason, the file(s) you are testing are not being supported by mIRC (assuming you *are* using the correct *full* path when calling the file). There have been various mp3s that I've tried playing in the past that work fine in WMP, but actually crash mIRC. I'd imagine it's a codec issue, but beyond that I don't know which one(s) you'd need. I'd try just updating to the latest WMP version and see if that helps. For that matter, I'd update your mIRC version as well. It's really old.


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noMen #185455 09/09/07 07:04 PM
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mIRC has no ability to play sound or music files itself, it only passes the play request on to Windows which then uses installed codecs to play the file. This means that the system you are using will need to have the required codecs installed.

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Some users have reported to me the same problem. /Splay can't play mp3 files. Not double spaces problem, no long names, just with /splay c:\test.mp3. MP3 files are correct, works in Winamp or Windows media, and works in oter systems with mIRC.

Error message is * /splay: unable to play "c:\test.mp3"

Affected systems works with wma files, but the most curious is that after rename test.mp3 to test.wma, it works.

Users have installed the fraunhofer mp3 codec from www.codecs.com but the problem persist.

There are some method to know what codec is using mIRC to play MP3s if there are some installed?

Last edited by GSi; 17/01/08 12:54 AM.
GSi #193233 17/01/08 01:29 AM
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The key is in the fact that you said it "worked on other systems with mIRC", and I assume you mean the same version of mIRC, 6.31, and I assume you tested the same file... if so, this proves that the operating system is indeed the factor in the equation as Khaled said.

XP and up should be able to play mp3 files natively without manually installing any codecs at all. That is definitely the case for Vista. These codecs probably come with windows media player for 98. You should not have to download and install anything if you are on XP or above.

You also said it works after renaming .mp3 to .wma.. Sounds to me like it's not an mp3 file to begin with. You can't just rename a .wma to .mp3 (or vice versa) and expect the mp3 to become a wma file-- they have different headers, different contents, etc... obviously trying to /splay a .mp3 file [as an mp3] that *isn't* an mp3 will result in an error. This is not surprising, and definitely not a bug. It in fact should be a clear sign that you are doing something wrong-- not mIRC. mIRC (Windows) probably selects the codec to use based on the file extension; you must make sure the file has the right extension. This is reasonable behaviour, and there is no reason to change that.


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argv0 #193239 17/01/08 03:38 AM
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i cant play em on XP, i got 6.31

Last edited by foshizzle; 17/01/08 03:38 AM.

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"em" is what? mp3s? wma?


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argv0 #193259 17/01/08 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted By: argv0
You should not have to download and install anything if you are on XP or above.


Just a note on this. We had someone come into the Invision channel who couldn't play sounds/music who was using a European version of Windows XP that doesn't come installed with WMP due to anti-monopoly laws or whatever they're called. The person downloaded and installed WMP and suddenly the sound worked fine. Based on that, I'd say that if you have a version that does not come with WMP, you may also not have the appropriate codecs installed (at least with XP).

As far as the renaming goes, I agree. If it worked after renaming, it probably wasn't an MP3 to begin with. WMP will automatically try other codecs for you if the file you're trying to play doesn't play using the codec that matches the extension. mIRC doesn't try other codecs, it will just give you an error.


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Files are MP3. Affected users have thousands of MP3s and they can't play none of them with mIRC. But it works with Winamp, Windows Media and others players.

For example, one of these MP3 files have this Mpeg info:

Size: 7712976 bytes
Header found at: 2048 bytes
Length: 482 seconds
MPEG-1 layer 3
128kbit, approx. 18491 frames
44100Hz Joint Stereo
CRCs: No, Copyrighted: Yes
Original: Yes, Emphasis: None

Its a MP3. It works correctly in my mIRC but not in the affected users mIRCs.

That users have MP3 codecs in their Windows. Some have installed fraunhofer codes, and others are using the XP native codecs. But they cant play MP3 using mIRC.

I'm not telling that after renaming to .wma the file is converted to a wma, please ... But the fact is that after the .mp3 is renamed to .wma or to .wav, mIRC plays the file.

I think isn't a codec problem. I think the problem is the way of mIRC recognize the format and call the codec after. Can be a Windows media problem, I don't know.

GSi #193281 17/01/08 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted By: GSi

It works correctly in my mIRC but not in the affected users mIRCs


That statement right there means it's not a problem with mIRC, but with the affected users systems.

RoCk #193282 17/01/08 10:45 PM
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Quote:

But it works with Winamp, Windows Media and others players.


And this means it's not a problem with the system.

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Well then I guess it must be one of those magical systems because as Khaled stated earlier in this thread...

"mIRC has no ability to play sound or music files itself, it only passes the play request on to Windows which then uses installed codecs to play the file."

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Is it possible that mIRC is using a specific call to check if the media is valid which isn't always available, but if he renames it to another file type, it bypasses that call?

I know it seems a sort of silly idea, but that's the only thought I can come up with for something like this to happen.

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I had the same problem with a couple of mp3's a couple of years ago, they played fine with WMP (9) and WinAmp (2.91) but not mIRC, so I tried to play them with DragonZap's MCI DLL (Media Control Interface) which uses the same method that mIRC uses, and it wouldn't play them either.

~ Edit ~
I forgot to mention that out of the thousands of mp3's I had at the time, only two would not play with mIRC, the rest were fine.

Originally Posted By: GSi

Affected users have thousands of MP3s and they can't play none of them with mIRC.



GSi #193307 18/01/08 05:16 AM
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Originally Posted By: GSi
And this means it's not a problem with the system.


No. If the file was an mp3 renamed as .wma it only means that winamp and wmp use smarter methods to detect what the filetype is and selected the right codec. Maybe mIRC can do smarter file detection-- but why would an mp3 have the .wma file extension?


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argv0 #193332 18/01/08 02:36 PM
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Sorry arg0.

System (codecs) works fine playing the mp3.

Players (Winamp, WM, VLC) works fine playing the mp3.

The MP3 file (all the MP3 files of affected users) are MP3, not WMA.

But.. mIRC can't play these MP3 for affected users. It works if the file are renamed to .wma (not converting MP3 to WMA, only renaming). Its absurd, but its REAL, and how its real, I tell you.

So, where is the problem ? In the system that works correctly? no. In the codecs that works correctly? No. In the players that works correctly? No.

I think its not exactly a mIRC bug, because mIRC plays the MP3 correctly in the most systems. But some users have this problem, and I have no idea why. I think the problem is the way of mIRC reads the header. When its renamed to .wma or .wav works, but with .mp3 not.
For me its very difficult to find the error because my system it's no affected and I have no idea how reproduce the bug. So I made test with users, installing codecs, renaming files, sending files, etc. and I have no solution.

GSi #193340 18/01/08 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted By: Gsi
I think the problem is the way of mIRC reads the header. When its renamed to .wma or .wav works, but with .mp3 not.
Someone remind you that mIRC doesn't do anything


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GSi #193349 18/01/08 09:40 PM
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Originally Posted By: GSi
I think its not exactly a mIRC bug, because mIRC plays the MP3 correctly in the most systems. But some users have this problem, and I have no idea why.


What you said there clearly shows it isn't a mIRC bug. If it's only on certain systems (and very few systems at that), then it's not going to be a mIRC issue, but an issue with those systems or their settings. As has been pointed out, mIRC doesn't do anything except send the file through Windows to be played.

If it's not working on someone's computer, then either they are using /splay incorrectly, sounds are disabled in mIRC, WMP is not installed (can be an issue depending on the OS version), or the files are incorrectly named and/or corrupted. Beyond that, I have no idea and it would have to be worked out on those systems to find the problem.

I will reiterate that mIRC doesn't actually play the file itself. It sends it through Windows and it is up to Windows to actually play it. If mIRC can't play it, then any other program that sends the file to Windows to be played instead of playing the file itself will also be unable to play the file. Note that Winamp and WMP play the file themselves and aren't going to experience the issue. Earlier in the thread, one thing was mentioned that uses the method mIRC uses. I bet that if you test with that, you'll find it also cannot play the files. That would clearly show that it's not a mIRC bug.

All of that said, it would not be a bad idea to put a feature request in to have mIRC handle playing sounds/music differently so that if the codec that matches the extension doesn't work, it will try some others just like programs like WMP do. That would reduce problems where a file is named incorrectly. That isn't what your problem appears to be, but it still isn't a bad feature request. Beyond that, though, it's not really a mIRC issue.


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OK, general response time. There's no point saying this definitely isn't a mIRC bug. It's simply impossible to know that with the information at our disposal. The fact that it works on some systems but not others isn't proof of anything. The fact that it works in Media Player and not mIRC suggests that there is a very real problem and sticking our fingers in our ears without even going through any proper checks to try and reproduce the issue or confirm the true source of the problem isn't going to get us anywhere. The fact that mIRC passes the audio playing onto WMP doesn't eliminate the chance of a problem with mIRC completely.

What would be useful is a public link to an MP3 file (non-copyrighted!) that causes the issue. Preferably several files with/without ID3 tags and if possible encoded by different programs (to eliminate these as potential causes). Then, if people who cannot get it to play correctly (but who have no problems with other MP3s) could provide the following information:

  • OS version
  • mIRC version
  • Value returned by //echo -a mirc.exe digest: $md5($mircexe, 2)
  • Value returned by //echo -a Splay alias: $isalias(splay)
  • Values returned by:
    Code:
    var %i = 1
    while %i <= $dll(0) {
      echo -a DLL $+(No.,%i,:) $dll(%i)
      inc %i
    }
    echo -a Total DLLs: %i
  • Any specific codec packs installed (if known)
  • Confirmation of whether renaming the file extension from ".mp3" to ".wma" really does make it play correctly.
  • Version(s) of Windows Media Player installed
  • Confirmation the file(s) play in Windows Media Player


If we got all that it might actually be possible to get a real idea of what's happening here. There have been various bug reports along these lines for years now, it's about time it got a serious look to see if mIRC has either a) a bug or b) could simply fix the issue by using a different method of having WMP play the files. Even if mIRC is doing everything right, at least then we might have a chance of finding what the real culprit is and perhaps even how to fix it.


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The fact that he's stated "NO" mp3s will play indicates that it's something wrong on that person's system. If it was just a few, that would be one thing. But if a person can't play any mp3s at all, it's not going to be a mIRC problem.


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