FAQ
The FMP256 series of flash playheads have been proven in high-traffic projects across the Web - and our range of
commercial and free playheads on sale from this site has proved very popular - but of course there are always
questions!
Draftlight's DNeX Group designs rich-media delivery systems for the music and movie industries, and our Flash
playheads are used by labels and studios across the world. We estimate that the core code used on our
playheads have seen over 100 million uses so far, and the FMP256 playhead uses a small part of the
same code. Reliability is not a concern!
Common questions
- I've bought it, and it's not working!
- Click here for our product support pages. You should also read
the 'documentation' folder supplied with your product, and the example files. If you're still stuck,
click the tab at the bottom of this page to contact us. Please specify the design you're using, the
date of your purchase and if your files are accessible online, send us the link so we can test them.
- I'm trying to load a playlist, config file or track image from another website, but nothing happens
- Flash is very security-minded, and won't allow a Flash document from one website open anything from
another (including your XML and image files) unless that second website gives permission. The site hosting the
playlist will need to upload a small XML file called a Cross-domain Policy Statement.
Click here for information.
- What version of Flash or Flash Player do I need?
- The supplied software contains source code written exclusively for the Flash 8 Professional IDE, and the 'FLA' file
cannot be opened in an earlier version of the authoring environment. It is also openable in the Adobe Flash CS3 IDE for
those with the latest edition.
The software is supplied with a precompiled SWF in Flash Player 8 format. Our current range
of playheads are designed to compile for Player 8 targets, and will continue to be written with this level
of compatibility until the official release of Flash Player 9 for second-tier platforms. This ensures that
the widest possible userbase can benefit from the playhead on a web page. Purchasers of the software can
choose to recompile the SWF to target any version of Flash Player from 8 onwards, however they should be
aware that relatively few users will have Flash Player 9 installed - especially on corporate networks or
Linux-Unix systems.
- Do I need any software to use the playhead?
- No. The SWF file just needs uploading to your website, anyone with a web browser will be able to use it.
The browser must have the Flash 8 (or higher) plugin, but over 95% of people have that installed already,
and it's free. To edit the playlist and configuration files you just need a basic text editor such as
Windows Notepad.
Many of our designs support skinning and color changes, set via the configuration file. Where a design
allows skinning, the original artwork (in Photoshop format) is supplied with your package.
To change the operation of the playhead, you will have to open the source code files - for this you'll need
a copy of Adobe Flash 8 Professional or Flash CS3 Professional - this is commercial software. We do
not provide source code for older versions of Flash, so please do not ask.
- Why do you only supply the source code in Flash 8 format?
- Flash 8 is firmly established in the market and has been for some time. Our products are part of a
far larger range of media control software and the logistics of retaining 'legacy' versions make it
commercially unrealistic. Remember though - you only need this software if you intend to alter the
functionality of the player, or embed it into a larger movie.
- What music files will it play?
- Click here for information.
- Why does my playhead miss a track?
- Usually it means the MP3 file cannot be found, is corrupted or the XML playlist has errors. Check
that the URL for your music file works, and that the format is correct, then check your XML file for errors.
This is best done by opening it in your web browser - Firefox for example has a very nice error-reporting
utility and will tell you where the problem is. Remember that the file is XML - and that is very strict
about things like using the & symbol (you have to use '&' instead). All our commercial
playheads have a unique feature to see realtime debugging information even without a copy of the Flash IDE -
a system called In-Page Reporting. See your documentation for how to use this feature.
- Why does the playlist use XSPF format?
- The XSPF Playlist Format is a public open-source
format for playlist files, that we actively promote as an emerging standard. Many large music-industry
companies, including Draftlight, support XSPF as our preferred way of describing playlists. XSPF
allows much more information to be given, such as links to websites, locations of images, artist
names and album titles.
- Why does the playlist support extended-M3U format?
- M3U is the default format for WinAmp, and is very common on Windows computers. Although XSPF gives
much more information, our playheads can be told to read an e-M3U file instead if you wish.
- Can I put the playhead in a popup window?
- Yes, of course you can. Just put the source code for the flash OBJECT into a blank page and call it
using the usual JavaScript window.open() method. However, this is often blocked by firewall and security
software, so if you're just trying to keep a tune playing as a visitor browses through your website,
take a look at how Skipjack works - it does all that
and much more!
- Is this a streaming thing? What is 'progressive download'?
- The playhead does not 'stream' in the technical sense. Streaming means that the music is sent by
the server in a controlled way, and the listener cannot pause or skip through the track. Streaming
also means that the music is never saved onto the client computer, so if they listen five times, it
downloads five times. The FMP256 playheads actually download the track into memory, so it is only collected
once by the listener, saving you money and them time. It is quite easy for people to save a copy, but
then it's also easy to do that with a stream! When the playhead is using MP3 files it can start
playback before the entire track is downloaded, but there is a small delay while it collects enough
of the file to inspect what's inside it - typically about 5 seconds of music. Although we produce
true streaming versions of all our playheads, a user will need a Flash Communications Server to control
the process, and cost makes this option strictly for professionals.
- When I use Skipjack, there is a huge delay every time the I navigate between pages
- Skipjack relies on the part-downloaded MP3 file to be in your browser cache. If the file is
downloaded from a website that sets special No-Cache headers, it has to be redownloaded every
time. Skipjack then has to wait before restarting playback. We do not suggest Skipjack is used
where the MP3 data is uncached.
- When I try and open the FLA file I get a message about missing fonts
- Some of our playheads use special fonts to display the LCD-effect panels. We have included the fonts
in each ZIP file, but before you open the FLA file you must install the fonts onto your computer.
The fonts are not needed on your website and should not be shared or sold.
- Can I remove your logo from the playhead?
- No. The prices in our public catalogs require that our brand identity and 'help' links stay
intact and are not disguised or blocked. If you require a non-branded playhead, contact us for
details of our pricing structure and custom-design services.
- Can the playhead play Shoutcast or Icecast streams?
- The playheads in our normal catalog can't - but we do supply a
FREE Minicaster playhead that will
play a Shoutcast or Icecast radio stream.
- Why do you say 'no refunds' in the purchase section? I don't trust you!
- This is standard with all software sold online in digital-download format - there's no way we
can refund a customer as there's no way you can 'send us the product back'. What you actually
buy is the license to use the software, and given the fact we've got demos and free versions to
play with, there should really be no reason for your purchase to fall below expectations. We
will try and help out wherever possible, but for a few dollars there are limits to what we're
prepared to do!
- I bought an older design, and now I see they're updated - can I have another copy?
- If the update is for performance or design purposes, then the simple answer is no. If the upgrade is
to address a bug, then you will automatically be notified and a new version will be delivered by
email.
- Do you make other designs?
- Yes, the DNeX Group produces playheads for our clients in hundreds of different designs, but the
only ones we're selling to the general public are the ones you can see on the site.