# I want my mp3.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329 "2000-02-15T03:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/1 "2000-02-15T03:11:00Z")
I really didn’t know where to post this question so if it’s in the wrong place by all means move it around. I would love to play MP3’s on my computer but when I download them to winamp or musicmatchjukebox they play but are intermittened. I only get every other beat in a song. ☹ I am running IE5/windows95. I don’t have a lot of memory 516 MB’s to start and only about 150 MB’s unused (ok you can stop chuckling now). Can anyone out there give me a hint as to why those mp3’s won’t play well enough to even listen to? PS. the same thing happens when I put an MP3 Cd in. Thankee ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/2 "2000-02-15T04:09:00Z")
You should have posted this in General Questions, which is where it’s going. your humble TubaDiva Administrator The Straight Dope ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/3 "2000-02-15T04:26:00Z")
What kind of processor do you have? And how much RAM? If it’s only a 486, programs like WinAmp won’t work well, but I believe there’s a special mp3 player that will work with 486 machines, I can’t remember the name, though. I’ll try to find it for you. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/4 "2000-02-15T04:34:00Z")
Here it is, WinPlay3. It should run on any computer fast enough to run Windows95. Give it a whirl and tell me if it works. ftp://ftp.iis.fhg.de/pub/layer3/wp32v23b5.exe ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/5 "2000-02-15T14:17:00Z")
I often get the same or similar problem when I download mp3s with my PC from certain sites. The problem seems to be with file corruption, though it strikes me as strange that the download software doesn’t detect that something has gone wrong. The wierd thing is that not all sites give me this problem, but for the ones that do, corrupt songs are always corrupt. For a while there I was just assuming that the files were corrupt at the server, however the other day I was talking to a friend who had successfully downloaded one of the files, that failed for me, using his Macintosh. I then transferred the file that failed on my PC to my Mac at home… still didn’t work. Then I downloaded the file using my Mac and everything was fine. I transferred the file to my PC… still fine. I re-downloaded the file to my PC once again… corrupt! I don’t know what’s going on, but it sure is frustrating. I suspect that what you’re seeing is the same. Try using the “download” link on a few songs at [mp3.com](http://mp3.com) and see if they play right for you. I never have problems with file corruption from [mp3.com](http://mp3.com). ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/6 "2000-02-15T15:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > What kind of processor do you have? And how much RAM? If it’s only a 486, 32 mbs ram 486 or smaller can’t remember at this moment and I am at work. Remember I said these mp3’s don’t work on 1. Musicmatch 2. Winamp 3. CD I had a friend in london burn me a CD and send it to me. Sounds the same as a download from the net…intermittin…like maybe it isn’t buffered correctly, altho I don’t think that is the case. ## HEP HEP anyone and thanks for the suggestions so far! “I’m the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I’m still the best.” (Paul Newman in The Hustler) ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/7 "2000-02-15T15:44:00Z")
aha Your problem isn’t corrupt files its just your computer is a sissy, like Crunch said. Try his link for that MP3 player. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/8 "2000-02-15T16:53:00Z")
Cooper I think you are absolutely right! * * * “I’m the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I’m still the best.” (Paul Newman in The Hustler) ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/9 "2000-02-15T17:05:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Chief Crunch: > \*\*Here it is, WinPlay3. It should run on any computer fast enough to run Windows95. Give it a whirl and tell me if it works. Thanks Chief I will try it tonight and get back to you! * * * “I’m the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I’m still the best.” (Paul Newman in The Hustler) ---
**Author:** ![Mojo\_Rising](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@Mojo\_Rising](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo_Rising)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2000, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/10 "2000-02-16T06:00:00Z")
You might also try changing the settings in WinAmp to be 486 compatible. Under the Options menu, choose Preferences. Then under plug-ins, highlight Input, then find the Nullsoft MPEG audio decoder. Choose Configure. Under the Decoder tab you can change the quality to half or 1/4. This will stop the skipping. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2000, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/11 "2000-02-16T00:22:00Z")
Chief and the rest of you were correct…it was a matter of going in and changing the decoder to 1/25 for my pitiful little 486. Thanks to all you!!! * * * “I’m the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I’m still the best.” (Paul Newman in The Hustler) ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2000, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/12 "2000-02-16T01:42:00Z")
Did you try WinPlay3? You won’t have to sacrifice sound quality for performance. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2000, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/13 "2000-02-16T01:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Chief Crunch: > **Did you try WinPlay3? You won’t have to sacrifice sound quality for performance.** ## Aye that I did chief and it works well! “I’m the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I’m still the best.” (Paul Newman in The Hustler) ---
**Author:** ![Darkfox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@Darkfox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkfox)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2000, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-mp3/7329/14 "2000-02-16T16:40:00Z")
ALSO, you may run into a situation where the mp3 files sound scrambled - you can still pick out the tune, but it sounds pretty hosed up. I’m not sure of the details, but I think that if you upload an mp3 as ASCII instead of binary, you get this phenomenon. There’s a piece of freeware called “phix” that can clean those files up. It’s worked really well for me in the past.