Frequently Asked Questions

What is “streaming audio and video” and how do I get it to work on my computer?

Streaming is a technology that makes possible a dynamic listening and viewing experience on the web. Instead of having to wait for an audio or video file to fully download before you can play it—and this can take a lot of time if the file is large—streaming technology allows you to start listening to an audio or viewing a video with only a short delay.

When an audio or video is streamed, it is sent to your computer in small packets rather than as a single large file. Once enough packets have been received, the audio or video begins playing. Ideally, the packets are being transmitted faster than the audio or video is playing; this is called "buffering." Successful streaming requires that there is always extra information in the buffer. If the buffer runs out, you will experience some choppiness or breaks as you listen to an audio or watch a video. Three factors can cause this to happen:

• If you have a slow connection (i.e., a dialup, or modem, connection that uses a phone line).
• If you have a slow computer (because your computer may have to work hard to convert the packets back into the original audio or video).
• If there is congestion on the Internet.

Usually, audios can stream successfully even on the slowest modem connections.

You need to have a media player installed on your computer to take advantage of streaming audio and video. There are many players available, including RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, QuickTime and iTunes (for audios). You can obtain free versions of these players on the Web, or look for other software that you might prefer (MusicMatch Jukebox is another excellent audio player).

Windows Media Player
RealPlayer
QuickTime
iTunes

Why Do You Only Offer the MP3 format for the audios on WIE Unbound?

The MP3 format has become a universal format for audio files. You can listen to MP3 files with any of the widely available media players, including Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, QuickTime and many freeware and shareware packages. And you can easily download and transfer MP3 files to a portable MP3 player or burn them onto a CD so you can listen to the audios whenever and wherever you want. The quality of MP3 files is very good, yet the files are not too large, making them reasonable to download.

When I attempt to listen to an audio, the sound is choppy. What can I do to get better audio quality?

If you have a slow Internet connection (e.g., dialup, or modem), you may be need to look into getting faster Internet service—what is called a broadband connection. (DSL and cable services are widely available and well worth investing in if you spend a lot of time on the Web.) The audio files we provide should still stream reasonably well even on a normal modem.

Another factor is the speed of your computer. If you have a computer made within the last four or five years or so, you should be fine.

Sometimes, even with a good connection and a fast computer, you may experience audio drop-outs or choppy or delayed video because of high traffic on the Internet or congestion with your ISP (Internet Service Provider). This is usually only temporary.

Another alternative is to download the file and listen to it directly from your computer, rather than streaming it from our computers. This will eliminate all choppiness, but you will have to wait before beginning to listen to the audio. See below for how to do this.

What software do I need to listen to MP3 files?

You can use any of the popular media players—RealPlayer, Windows Media or Quicktime—or choose from many other freeware and shareware applications. Chances are you already have one installed on your computer (Windows Media Player comes with all Windows computers). Most newer model Macs will have iTunes installed. If not, visit one of the following sites to download a free media player:

Windows Media Player
RealPlayer
QuickTime
iTunes
Musicatch Jukebox (great software for burning CDs—see next FAQ)

How do I download files?

All audios on WIE Unbound have an option to either play the file directly (i.e., to stream it) or to download it.

On most Windows machines, clicking the Download button will cause your browser to start downloading the file and, when it finishes, to play it in your media player.

If you want to store the file on your hard drive—so you can listen to it later, burn it to a CD, or copy it onto a portable MP3 player—then you should instead right-click on the Download button, and choose "Save Target As." This will let you pick a location on your hard disk where you will store the file.

How Do I Burn Downloaded MP3 Files to a CD?

Transferring MP3 files downloaded from WIE Unbound to a CD is a simple process. You can burn them directly to a CD in their original MP3 format (you can fit lots of MP3s on a CD) if your CD player is capable of playing MP3 files. If your CD player can only play regular audio files, you will need to convert them to WAV files first using software that is available on the Internet. To burn CD's you'll need:

• A CD-RW drive installed in your computer.
• Blank CD-R's.
• Software for carrying out the burning process.

Our suggestion is that you download a copy of Musicmatch Jukebox (the free version works perfectly, although you can upgrade to Jukebox Plus, which will burn CDs much faster than the free version). Burning CDs with Jukebox is very easy to do and it is also an excellent media player for listening to MP3s and CDs. Visit www.musicmatch.com to download the software. Jukebox can burn straight MP3 files or convert them to WAV files, which can be played on a regular CD player.

Follow these basic steps to burn MP3s onto a CD using Musicmatch Jukebox:

1. Open Jukebox and click the Burn to CD button in the Music Center (along the left side of Jukebox to open the Burner Plus window).
2. Click the Change disc type to audio to convert the selected MP3 files to audio files that can be played on regular CD player.
   
   or
   
   Click the Change disc type to MP3 audio to burn the selected tracks as MP3 files. You can fit many more tracks in MP3 format than you can with regular audio files.
3. Build the list of MP3 files you want to burn to CD in the Burner Plus window. There are several ways to add files to the list:
   
   
   • Select the tracks you want to burn from your library in the main Jukebox window and then click Click here to add files currently selected in your library in the Burner Plus window.
   • Create a playlist in Jukebox (see Help in Jukebox to learn how to do this) and then click Click here to add tracks from your current playlist in the Burner Plus window.
   • Drag-and-drop files directly from Windows Explorer (or My Computer) into the Burner Plus window. By default, the Burner window will stay visible (on top) when you open Windows Explorer or My Computer, which makes it easy to add files to the window.
   As you add files to the Burner Plus window, you can monitor how much space you have left on the CD by looking along the bottom of the Burner Plus window.
   
4. When you finish selecting the tracks you want to burn, click Burn to begin the burn process.

How do I cancel my membership to WIE Unbound?

You can cancel your membership to WIE Unbound at any time. To end your membership, click the “Cancel Membership” link at the bottom of any WIE Unbound page and follow the directions. You can continue to use WIE Unbound for the remainder of the current payment period. There are no refunds for the balance of the current payment period.