--- Forwarded Message from Amy L Wordelman <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 09:44:29 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Amy L Wordelman <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5248 Real Player software and .smi
>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum    <[log in to unmask]>

------------------
The .smi file is a file which contains instructions which tell the
RealPlayer how and what to play.  To play the live radio stream you
need to download RealPlayer from www.real.com  .  There is a free
version of the player, although the most prominent links lead you to
"RealPlayer Plus" which is not free.  RealPlayer will play both audio and
video files.  RealPlayer files have .rm or .ra file extensions, but you
will also see links with .smil (or .smi) or .ram file extensions.  Those
later extensions link to files which tell the player what .rm or .ra files
to play.  On a well constructed site all you should have to do is click on
the link that says "live stream" or something like that and RealPlayer
will tke care of the rest--no need to worry about file types.

Amy Wordelman
Assistant Director
Five College Foreign Language Resource Center
UMass, Amherst, MA, USA

On Wed, 13 Oct 1999, LLTI-Editor wrote:

> --- Forwarded Message from Rosina Neginsky <[log in to unmask]> ---
> 
> Hello All,
> 
> Can somebody help to answer these questions?
> 
> "Do you know anything about downloading real-time audio files and Real
> Player software?  A live stream radio broadcast I want is in the .smi
> (smil) format.  I apparently have to download it.  There is an icon of
> the Real Player on the page, but RealAudio has a different prefix.
> 
> Do you know what .smi is?  Is it safe to download?"
>