RealPlayer SP won't play .ra files

[Clabbe]

Hi there,

I've got a MacBook with OS X (10.5.8) 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo.
I've also got the RealPlayer SP - version 12.0.0


I run a web-page with loads of .ra files, I have now switched to a MAC and the RealPlayer SP for MAC will not play the .ra files. It only gives me the following error message;

A general error has occurred
file://localhost/users/xxx/downloads/filename.ra

As I've still got a Windows PC, I've tried the same files from that and it works...
Have also got the information from other MAC users that the .ra format seems not to be properly supported.


So any ideas on how this (hopefully) can be fixed would be greatly appreciated...

 

[chas_m]

Real has always treated Mac users as second-class citizens, and have not endeared themselves to the community despite recent efforts at reform in their behaviour.

.ra files should, however, play fine in RealPlayer. I can only suggest uninstalling it and then re-installing it. You could also test it against files not from your own hard drive but from the web or someplace like that.

 

[Clabbe]

Hi chas_m,

Sad to hear about Real and the Mac community...

I have uninstalled and reinstalled the Real SW, but still I get the exact same errors. No matter if the file first gets downloaded to the downloaded files or if I enter the URL of the file on the Net. It's really bugging me.
Have also checked the settings in the RealPlayer and they are set to play Real Audio and Real Media files, so that's not the problem either.

Would really love to get this working in some way - and it seems Real only have support for their paying customers and doesn't address this issue at all in their site.

Please let me know if there are any other suggestions on how to proceed, as it really seems strange that Real does the effort to create a Mac version of their SW without making sure their own file formats run properly on Mac...

THANKS !!

 

[cwa107]

Please let me know if there are any other suggestions on how to proceed, as it really seems strange that Real does the effort to create a Mac version of their SW without making sure their own file formats run properly on Mac...

THANKS !!

Perhaps you could point us to a URL or maybe share a file that you're trying to play with it. If others can replicate the problem then we know it's not isolated to you or your install of RP.

 

[Clabbe]

Sure thing...
Try for example:

http://www.disco-disco.com/sounds/starstruck.ra

THANK YOU !

 

[vansmith]

A general error has occurred
file://localhost/users/xxx/downloads/filename.ra

The URI doesn't make any sense. I don't know why localhost is included in there. The only time localhost would be included was if these files were hosted on a local web server and if that were the case, you wouldn't be seeing the file URI scheme at the beginning (the file:// part). It would seem then that RealPlayer has botched up that URI nicely.

Are you downloading the ra files or trying to stream them?

 

[Clabbe]

Just trying to click the links - just like before in Windows.
The files are not really streamed, but in Windows they're loading and starting the RealPlayer and then when completely loaded the file starts to play.
But when using Mac OS X, Safari and RealPlayer it gets downloaded and then stries to start the file with the mentioned error as a result !
Strange (at least to me) !?

 

[chas_m]

Thanks for including the URL.

I tried to play it in RealPlayer SP (downloaded it just for this) -- and you're right, it doesn't work (at least not in Lion, I don't have Snow Leopard to check on that). Wow, Real have gotten even worse than I remembered! Shocking.

I even tried it with an older version of RealPlayer (v10.x) that I had lying around, same error -- which makes me think this is an incompatibility with Lion. I have used the older RP under Snow Leopard and other systems and it worked fine in the past.

Good news, however: I also have <a href="http://mplayerx.org/">MPlayerX</a>, and guess what -- it plays the file perfectly. It's free.

 

[Dub]

MplayerX Worked Great for .ra files

Thanks so much for recommending MplayerX (MPlayerX) for reading .ra files. I just encountered this problem and this forum was the only place I've been able to find an actual answer to the problem. I tried Audacity, VNC, et al., and nothing would do it. That is until I found your recommendation of MplayerX. I'm going to send those folks a donation.

Thanks also for letting me join this forum if only so that I can express my thanks to you all. There is clearly a ton of knowledge here. And I say that as retired computing guy with 35 years of experience encompassing nearly every known platform.

 

[chas_m]

Glad my three-year-old answer can help someone!