Why don Real Audio files always play on WebTV?
In order for a Real Audio file to be accessible with WebTV, a file with a .RAM extension has to be created that points to the actual audio file (with an .RA extension) on a Real Audio server (this is special hardware, handling dozens to hundreds of simultaneous connections and streaming the sound data in real time). Many websites try pointing to the .RA file directly to avoid the cost of the server software. For some computer users using RealPlayer on their systems, that works; but to handle a lot of users at the same time, the proper server software has to be installed, pointing to the .RA files using .RAM meta files. If a site uses .RA files directly, WebTV users can’t hear anything (“a kind of information WebTV can’t use”). Many popular sites are also upgrading to require Real Player G2 for full features, and WebTV doesn’t have that software. If a site like this encoded their files with Real Audio 3.0 specs, though, you should be able to hear the sound (as long as they’re using .RAM
