I am having some problems using the streaming audio from my RioCar on my home LAN (wired). My RioCar is a MKIIa 60 GB with car2-developer-v2.00-beta13.upgrade, Hijack v300 and empeg web interface v1.3. My Dell Inspiron 3700 notebook is using Windows 2000 SP3 and car-emplode-v2.00-beta13.

The MP3 files I have are from my own CDs ripped using Audigrabber and encoded using LAME, 256k, CBR. They are stored on a network drive as well as being loaded on my RioCar.

When I first started using the server capability of Hijack, about six months ago, it worked fine with the exception that the display of artist-albumn-title-track information had % symbols rather than spaces between information as displayed on Windows Media Player v7. It was annoying but at least the sound was good and I could enjoy the music on my RioCar anywhere I had a LAN connection at home.

I read some earlier threads that indicated this was a problem with WMP so I started looking for alternatives. I have listed below the steps, as best as I recall, that I took in seeking a solution. Things got worse before a suprising outcome.

1. Updated WMP v7 to v8. No change, display artist%album%song%track.

2. Installed UltraPlayer. Great sound, small size but same artist%album%song%track display problem.

3. Updated Windows 2000 to SP3. No change.

4. Installed MusicMatch Jukebox v7.2. Same display problem with % appearing.

5. Upgraded WMP to v9. Same display problem with %. Also noticed the when using Empeg Web Interface that not all playlists would stream. Some would work after repeated clicking of stream icon and some would never bring up player and play. When the did the player would buffer the first song, hesitate and then go on to buffer the next song but never play any song. UltraPlayer would indicate a problem with the MP3 file and WMP 9 would give error messages indicating a lost connection to the server. THINGS ARE GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE!

6. Reflashed RioCar with car2-developer-v2.00-beta13.upgrade, Hijack v300 and empeg web interface v1.3. Deleted all MP3 files and playlists on RioCar and reloaded/syncronized with car-emplode-v2.00-beta13. No change, same problems!!!!!!!

7. Tested all 6,000 or more MP3 files using the excellent MP3 Utility v1.72. Three files with structure or sync problems were found and removed. Problems with Web server working and % display continue.

8. Individual files on the RioCar stream fine even those that would not when part of a play list. All players still have % display problem when playing an MP3 file direct from notebook hard drive.

9. Installed Winamp v3 telling it to associate with all compatible file types. When I double click on an MP3 file on my notebook HD or network drive Winamp starts, plays the file fine and displays information without % symbols!

Trying Charcoalgray99's Empeg Web Interface brought up WMP9, not Winamp3 as expected, but the display of song information is correct and without those pesky % characters. All playlists now stream correctly with one click. When opening an MP3 file from the notebook HD or network storage WMP9, Winamp3, UltraPlayer and MusicMatch all display song information correctly without %. BIG SURPRISE! WHAT ELSE MIGHT WINAMP FIX?

10. In WMP9 options I removed all file associations. I did the same with the other player software except Winamp3. I did my best to disable any options that would allow these programs, except for Winamp3, to auto reassociate when starting and discovering they were no longer the default. I also used Windows Explorer-Tools-Folder Options-File Types to make sure that all audio media types were associated with Winamp. The only files left associated with WMP were a few related to its own skins, installation, and WMP media.

Despite all of that WMP9 is what comes up when I click on stream in the Empeg Web Interface. The nice thing is that it always works now and the % symbols are gone. I suspect that some Windows registry entry is why WMP refuses to give up streaming MP3 audio to Winamp. It may also be a registry entry made during the Winamp installation that fixed the % display problem.

A. I would appreciate anyone's comments and suggestions on how to gain control of which player software starts and plays streaming audio from the RioCar.

B. What causes the % display problem? How can I avoid it next time I setup a computer?

C. Your recommendations on which player software is best would be appreciated. I am interested in quality, reliability and simplicity in that order.

Thanks,

Michael