Anybody know much about default media handlers for browsers?

[Vigilante]

Hey, I'm having a real problem with QuickTime right now. Normally I would just muck through the problem and find a solution, but I'm so pissed right now I just want to see what you all can come up with.

Basically, quicktime is taking associations of file types IN the browser. Such as audio, playlists, movies, etc...

Case in point to explain what I mean. The file extension M3U, a playlist file, is set in windows to use Winamp. And that works fine, I double-click a M3U file, it plays in Winamp.
BUT, if an M3U file is linked in a web page, or embedded I should say, quicktime tries to play it then. Which is driving me mad, I hate quicktime, and everytime it attempts to play something, the browser crashes and I have to kill the process. Even after upgrading to a new version. It crashes ALL my browsers, including Firefox.

I'm so sick of quicktime! I've went into the QT settings and it is not set to handle ANY extensions. Yet it still makes itself the default for web based links.

Can I force Media player or winamp instead?
The only thing I want quicktime for is the ocassional download in that format, and to watch movie previews on Apple web site.
Whats the difference between a file association for explorer, and one for embedded in web pages?

For some reason I can't find the info I'm looking for. A friend of mine also had a heck of a time with the same thing, QT taking over the world even when it's set NOT to.

I went into IE settings and disabled the plugin. This stops the browser crashing because it can't open. But all it does is IE pops up saying a "required control is disabled" and the media doesn't play.

What can I do?

 

[Vigilante]

Well a quick update.

I finally found the quicktime settings for streaming, which are different then the settings for file associations.
So I told QT NOT to have any streaming types either.

And lo and behold, that worked to stop QT!!
However, now all I get for media is a dumb blank square in the web page.
I went through Media Player's settings and Winamp settings and couldn't find anything for them to take over embedded content or streaming, whatever. So basically all embedded content is just dead.

So now, how do I make Media Player handle embedded audio and playlists etc...?

 

[DonNagual]

I guess you could try re-installing it, but as they say in Japan, めんどうくさいなぁ～。。。　

 

[Vigilante]

ERRR, wrong again!

I'd rather get rid of QT altogether.

Here is yet another update. Keep in mind that if a particular web page SPECIFICALLY embeds the CLSID of the player they want, this works fine. But some pages don't specify a control directly, and rely on the end user's mime types to take over. For example, in html you might get something like:

<embed src="somefile.m3u" type="audio/mpeg" otherstuff="">

This file doesn't specify a CLSID control or codebase, so my browser is supposed to use the default audio/mpeg m3u association. Right now since I disabled and stopped QT, this code results in a rather blunt little icon in the web page, nothing happens.

So how can I get Media Player to take over where QT used to be, for playing the default mime of audio/mpeg m3u or whatever? Some registry hacking I imagine.

 

[N3051M]

dunno if this'll help.. but try control panel>add\remove progs>set program access and defaults? go custom and choose default media player?

or try disable qt startup on windows....

just having a guess..

 

[DonNagual]

ERRR, wrong again!

I'd rather get rid of QT altogether.

Actually this is the first time to respond in this thread, so I am not wrong AGAIN, and secondly I was referring to re-installing media player in hopes that it would take over the settings. (not QT).

Anyhoo.

 

[Vigilante]

I was joking Don. It's meant to sound like a buzzer in a game show. Thought you were talking about QT.

Well I'm up on all my updates, so there isn't a new MP out. But I can try reloading MP I guess. Although I looked through every page of their settings and didn't find info on browser plugins or streaming media.

Does anybody know the difference between a file association and a mime-type association? I thought they were one and the same. But apparently, a M3U file in explorer can open with a different program when it's embedded in a web page with audio/mpeg m3u.
Even though I'm happy to remove quicktime, now I'm just stuck with a dumb little square icon and no media.