Mac Forum / Applications / Mac Applications / May 2007

I visit several websites which have the following code (or equivanent):

   <embed name="wmplayer" TYPE="application/x-mplayer2"
      FileName="http:some_streaming_file"

The intent of the code is to stream background music while you hop
around the site and you can turn it on or off using the WMP controls.

Safari loads Windows Media Player 9 which then throws an error message
when it can't load the streaming file (presumably because it requires a
newer version which M$ doesn't support on Macs).  I get an error
message from WMP that has to be dismissed every time I go to a new
page.  Argh!  Firefox does the same thing.

If I install FlipForMac, it still doesn't play the file, but I get a
blank box where the Windows Media Player used to appear and don't get
the error message.  That solves the problem, but I don't want to
install FlipForMac.  I just want to disable the plugin.

There must be a table somewhere that maps the TYPE to a plugin.  I'd
just like to map it to the null plugin.  Alternately, VLC opens and
plays the stream just fine.  Maybe I can direct it to VLC?

Internet Explorer had the ability to specify which plugin opened which
type of file but I don't see any equivalent in any of the newer
browsers.

Can anyone help?