URLs' hunting

This short manual is written to be understandable even to totally beginners, or intermediatte level internet users. From this reason, a lot of things are simplyfied to that level, that professionals will, for sure, fall to faint. But there should be no misinterpretation arrised. I suppose you have Microsoft Windows installed and that you normally use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your viewer for browsing internet.

I like to shortly explain a few hints how easy is to grab URLs for clips in most presently used solutions. Both Windows Media Player (HTTP or MMS) and Real Player or RealOne Player (HTTP or RTSP). Others technologies, such as Java-based media, Apple QuickTime Player and Macromedia Flash are shortly mentioned also.

Ideas presented here are not step-by-step manuals, because of legal purposes in most of world - as far as I have been able to check, you can try to break protection technologies. But, it does not mean, that law allows you to success. There are no links for any application mentioned, of which author declare that non-official informations or reverse-enginnering knowledge has been used. I believe, that link can be treat as specificate form of distribution. The word "save" is not a part of meta-content-keywords. My demonstration of possibilities are intended as base for their elimination by concerned companies, which are not so extravagant with investment to technologies. You can be in command, but are you in control? "The law conditions honest people rather than protect them." François Gayot de Pitaval, avocat au Parlement de Paris, Cause Mege, 1688

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First at all, I should appologize for my English. If anyone could be so kind and correct eventually errors, I will be glad.

If you use Opera, you need not this tutorial. Opera has excellent - because quick, simple and really useful - feature called "Handling the file types" which allows user to determine an action for individual file types. This action can be "Save (directly) to disk", also. It is accessible from the Opera main menu through File > Preferences :: section File Types at dialog Edit. Or through Alt+P shortcut.

Picture 1: Handling of file types feature of Opera. Example setting for saving wmv videos directly to disk - collage.
[ Full picture ]

Using this function accordingly, you are able to save any clip or, at least, its redirector. In both cases you will got the URL which you can later paste to Net Transport. Please note, that embeded media MIME is usually pointed to the application itself instead of media type.

But back to the Microsoft Internet Explorer users. Maybe we should start with basics.

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What URL is?

URL is acronym of "Uniform Resource Locator". Simply said, it is an address of file as well as instructions what to do with it.

Here are a few examples:

• http://www.freshcontent.com/content/1h4t9qceqsjqxvx/index.php?th=2&csp=l
• mms://204.17.45.35:554/3201-f-h.wmv
• http://www.viewsomepics.tk/members-area/week002/big2015.jpg
• rtsp://w905w69q:q0vvv0vrqwq4@content01.ppw-videos.net:554/cf23/3097_s331ts53.rm?mode=co&cloakport=8080%2c554%2c7070/streamid=1;seq=0;rtptime=0

URL consists with four basic parts:

1. Protocol (mostly HTTP) defines what to do with file. In case of HTTP just download, save and interpret (open and view, e. g.)
2. Server name (usually called host) identifies the computer that runs web server, or web server application. Usually it is a name, but combination of 4 bytes is also allowed and sometimes is used because it is quicker.
3. Next is the file name and its place (location) on the server path, or directories. This part can be shortened at HTML as we will see at ActiveX example.
4. The last one are parameters for that file. Usually there are parameters for query - as first example shows - and that parameters must be specified. But parameters for clip can also occur and in the most cases can be - and should be, in fact - omnitted.

For sure you mention that there are two other part on the URL examples.

1. Well, the first one is user-name and password authorization. It is allowed to specified them in this form. If we forgot about them, we will be asked. It is only convenient to you to provide authorization in shown form and to make this your habbit.
   Please note, that Microsoft prohibits this kind of authorization in its newest service packs. You will get an "Invalid Syntax Error". Please, continue here for detailed description how to fix it, if necessary.
2. The last one is overriding the standard communication port. When it has more than 3 digits, as you can see on the last example in parameter part, the first pair describes input port and the second output port. We will not go any futher - just stay at this. When it is given and you have no problems, let it be as is.

You can notice that almost all protocol of addresses written at Address bar, or reacheable during browsing the internet is HTTP. Well, world-wide-web, that part of internet services you usually use, is based on it. To be strict, it is based on HTML - which is the language described how to diplay a web-page , I mean its content, on user computer's viewer. That viewer is usually called browser and Microsoft Internet Explorer is one of them. Just not to complicate, once the information is displayed, why provide something another to transfer? So, HTTP together with HTML becomes universal esperanto of communication.

HTTP can transfer both text and binary data with almost perfect error-free aprovement. It means that you can get only exact copy of file from server. You even need not Net Transport. Just choose from pop-up menu "Save target as..." (or simillar) at your browser over URL link and wait until transfer complete. And here problems arrised.

Downloading everything about HTTP URL is known ability, is not quite acceptable for many companies. Not anymore. The second problem is with exact copy. Telecomunication capability just not follows other computer technologies capabilities. At least, not for public market. So, the telecomunication companies bills turns to be far most expensive item on using computer costs, and, therefore, many of users can said that "quality is amazing, but it takes so much time to download that it is not worth for me." So other protocols specially designed for media has been defined - as MMS or RTSP - but a new problem arises. How can I inform browser that it must contact a player? In result, the rediredictor appears and later also ActiveX elements entries.

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Redirectors

The redirector is - say for simplicity - text file which contains the configuration for player to play concrete clip.

Here are a few examples.

Filename: Photo_Shoot_01_56K.asx
<ASX version = "3.0">
<Entry>
<Ref href = "mms://121.20.59.22:8080/Photo Shoot 01 56K.asf"/>
<Ref href="http://hotboxvideos.preview.ppv.com/index.html"/>
</Entry>
</ASX>

Filename: clip0001.asf
[Reference]
Ref1=http://sleepy:80/showv/sneakysamples/eyss001_1.asf
Ref2=http://64.38.251.141:80/wm.secure.drmnetworks/dosamples/eyss001_l.asf?HashKey=c6b8d2ffdae2a0a5a581302542b50880

Filename: wftops-2.ram
rtsp://208.184.157.11/B3li29xPhE6/features/tops/vftops-2.rm
--stop--
pnm://208.184.157.11/B3li29xPhE6/features/tops/vftops-2.rm

Filename: 7714uqa2.mov
RTSPtextRTSP://movies1.trailers_tv.com:554/znBL9beg/next-week/charlies3_02_hint_bmt.mov

As you can see, there is always URL given. Sometimes even a few alternatives.

The most important and widely used redirectors file extensions are outline in the following table:

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Embeded media

ActiveX element is a script which is a part of displayed web-page. These kind of media is also called "embeded media" and they are much more used than external player. The latest, but still very rare, are media called through SMIL, which is standard language for configurating the view and behaviour of all players.

The most important thing for us, I mean current clip's URL, is at row starting almost always with src=.

Here is one example.

<!-- saved from URL: http://www.freshcontent.com/content/1h4t9qceqsjqxvx/index.php?th=2&csp=l

<OBJECT ID="WinMedia"
classid="CLSID:22d6f312-b0f6-11d0-94ab-0080c74c7e95"
CODEBASE= "http://activex.microsoft.com/activex/controls/mplayer/en/nsmp2inf.cab#Version=5,1,52,701"
standby="Loading Microsoft Windows Media Player components..."
type="application/x-oleobject">

<PARAM NAME="FileName" VALUE="video.asx">
<PARAM NAME="ShowControls" Value="false">
<PARAM NAME="EnableFullScreenControls" VALUE="0">
<param name="AutoStart" value="1">
<param name="AnimationAtStart" value="1">
<param name="AutoSize" value="1">

<Embed type="application/x-mplayer2"
pluginspage="http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/MediaPlayer/"
src="../clips/am-van-l.vcs"
Name=MediaPlayer
AutoStart=0 Width=290 Height=300 autostart=0
</embed>
</OBJECT></TD>

At URL explanation I mention that location at directory structure on web server can be shortened. Here is a good example of this.

Because source web-page URL is
http://www.freshcontent.com/content/1h4t9qceqsjqxvx/index.php?th=2&csp=l
and clip source is located at
"../clips/am-van-l.vcs",
the resulting URL for downloading this clip is
http://www.freshcontent.com/content/1h4t9qceqsjqxvx/clips/am-van-l.vcs

Much worse case is, when source path is kind of JavaScript or look as strange equation. This kind of URL is sometimes refered as "dynamical", because it is created on fly. Target file remains on the same place - only authorization procedures are dynamic at URL. But also this can be hadled.

Here is one example when JavaScript and server-CGI-engine are used to build-up URL:

<td width="320" valign="top" align="left" height="240" bgcolor="#000000">
<object classid="clsid:CFCDAA03-8BE4-11CF-B84B-0020AFBBCCFA" id="vid" width="320" height="240" align="center">
<param name="_ExtentX" value="6350">
<param name="_ExtentY" value="4763">
<param name="SHUFFLE" value="0">
<param name="PREFETCH" value="0">
<param name="NOLABELS" value="0">
<param name="CONTROLS" value="ImageWindow">
<param name="CONSOLE" value="shrclip1">
<param name="LOOP" value="0">
<param name="NUMLOOP" value="0">
<param name="CENTER" value="0">
<param name="MAINTAINASPECT" value="0">
<param name="BACKGROUNDCOLOR" value="#000000"><embed name=vidx SRC="" type="audio/x-pn-realaudio-plugin" Console="shrclip1" Controls="ImageWindow" Height="240" Width="320" border="0" align="center" Loop="false" Autostart="false">
</object>
</td>

<!-- skipped >

<area href=JavaScript:startClip('http://www.web-prds2.com/yxy/v.cgi?fufipcfgqoxhu`flashoff`off04');
shape="rect" coords="1, 73, 99, 96">

And here is another one - JavaScript is used to create whole HTML web page source-code (incl. clip URL itself, which is provided through PHP engine):

<!-- skipped >

function VidWin(TheUrl) {
window.open(TheUrl, "VidWin", 'width=250,height=272,')
}

function NewMediaWin(CId) {
VidWin("/ff/adsl/feedlauncher.exe?IntId=0&L=Y&CustId=5855&Task=Template&Template=MediaWin.html&ContentNum="+CId+"&ContentName="+escape(VContent[CId].Title)) }

<!--skipped >

document.write('<Tr><Td Width="82" Height="24"><A Href="javascript:NewMediaWin('+XInt+');

Two more things from basics and we will go to practice.

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Temporary Internet Files Directory

As I mentioned somewhere, HTTP always downloads files to your local computer. Well, these files browsers (not players!) store at special directory. Microsoft Internet Explorer use directory as following:

Windows98:
C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\

WindowsXP:
C:\Documents and Settings\[current-user-name]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\

Opera 7 has its own cache in:
C:\Program Files\Opera 7\cache4\

In that directory and its sub-directories you can find all HTML documents, images, even flash-animation and Apple QuickTime movies. Sumarizing, everything what has been transported to you through HTTP protocol.

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View source ...

The second basic thing is how to view source code of current web-page. You must remember that almost all of web-pages contained embeded media are framed. So when you choose "View source ..." command from Microsoft Internet Explorer pop-up menu or "Edit" submenu you must point your cursor to the correct frame. It is not always easy task to do, but just under player window lower edge is the most sure point.

It is possible to change Microsoft Internet Explorer window in that way, that you will be unable pop-up menu through right-click or main menu will not be seen. In that case, just go to the upper mentioned Temporary Internet Files directory and find the information there. You can use even standard Find command of Microsoft Windows shell.

When you do not see "View source ..." command at pop-up menu, you probably hit the image which surround player window. In this case you can see commands "Save picture as ..." and "Set as background". Just try again to really click web-page space or try looking at Temporary Internet Files directory.

Anyway, you are looking for "*.ht*" file containing the text which is your clip-name, or probably clip-extension (e.g. text string ".wmv" or ".rm" or ".asx", etc.).

Opera 7 can prohibit pop-up windows, mouse tricks, generally all JavaScript (through File > Quick Preferences or F12 key) so right-click is always possible. You can view source from pop-up menu - choose Frame > View Source - or, quicker, press Alt + F3.

Bored with theory? Me, too. Let's go to check it at practice.

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When external player is launched

The simplest situation occurs when the external player is launched. To be sure, that Windows Media will not be played at Media bar, please go to Microsoft Internet Explorer main menu, choose Tools > Internet Options ... and check option "Do not play clips at Media bar" (or similar) at Advanced tab (folder) under Multimedia section.

Therefore Microsoft Internet Explorer calls external player, every other application "hears" it also. And can catch this request and process it in its own way. So Net Transport can download a file - or target file, or at least redirector. Once we have redirector, we can copy URL from it and download the target file.

To make it possible in the easiest way, we should add a following file-types into monitoring (please choose from Net Transport main menu Tools > Options and go to the Monitor tab):

.AVI;.DIVX;.MPG;.MPEG;.QT;.MOV;.RA;.RM;.ASF;.WAV;.WMA;.WMV;.ASX;.WMX;.TIX;.RAM;.SMIL;.SWF

This is the list of the most popular file-types and their redirectors among clips. A few years ago, it was popular to pack clips into archives or fake their extension into something innocents or absurd (e.g., remark the clip extension at this Notepad window). Presently you can meet this techniques sporadically.

You can check also Confirmation on the same tab - so you will be asked for properties before download starts. It can be anoying, but on the other side, you will have possibility to resignate from downloading. You must check "Monitor browser click" option on Drop-Zone pop-up menu to functionning this correctly.

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Downloading tips

There are a lot of usefull tips about downloading at Net Transport documentation as well as FAQ's section. However, here are the short recapitalution:

• Be sure you provide correct passwords and have cookies enabled.
• Never pause a download from server which cannot resume connection!
• You can delete everything after file extension - i.e. file parameters - but, not always! When you experienced problems with downloading, please let URL as is.
• You can change PNM protocol to RTSP by replacing protocol and setting the communication port to 70. E.g. when your address is "pnm://208.184.157.11/vf2.rm" change it into "rtsp://208.184.157.11:7070/vf2.rm"
• You can try to change protocol, e.g. HTTP to MMS, RTSP to HTTP or vice-versa (i.e. MMS to HTTP and HTTP to RTSP). It can help to speed up download or even makes the download possible, sometimes. But do not ever do this on already started downloads - MMS and RTSP do not point to "fix physical file" on server.
• Real Server 6 (cca 1999) can be confused with present bandwidth (internet connection speed or capacity). When you have fast internet connection (512 ADSL and over) and server do not want to comunicate through RTSP protocol, please try to simulate lower bandwidth at clip "Properties > Other settings :: Streaming > RTSP bandwidth" drop-down list. 112k ISDN is usually enough.
• When you have a problems with new RTSP servers, try to get the clip-file exact copy from server.
  It can be done by three different ways (all at Properties dialog "Properties > Other settings :: Streaming"):
  1. Check Optimal image quality
  2. Simulate maximum available bandwidth 10M LAN
  3. Change RTSP protocol to HTTP - just replace "rtsp://" in URL with "http://". Then start download from beginning!
• Do not expect a miracle while downloading Multicast or UDP sessions (both MMS), generally any live broadcast. These are without any error-feedback.
• Try to use different proxies when you have troubles with direct connection. And vice versa (reversible).
• Check a file after downloading it for one minute. Just drag *.*.nv! into a player (it is not necessery to pause its download usually) and drop it there. Is it playable? Fine - now, you can be sure about this.
• Is the filesize [ kBy ] / clip length [ min ] ratio acceptable for you? Check the clip length better now to not waste your time and money, or to being dissapointed.
• It is not possible to download Apple QuickTime movies transported through RTSP protocol, yet. You have to capture them from your monitor during playing.
• You can be able to download clips protected by Digital Rights Management technology in rare cases (when programmer forgot about player's check). They are almost always send through HTTP or HTTPS. It is applicable to DivXPro media (*.divx, *.tix), RealMedia (*.ra, *.rm) and Windows Media (*.asf, *.wma, *.wmv) clips. However, you will probably not be able to re-play them off-line. Good news is, that you should have all necessary hash-codes stored on the computer (when the clip has been recorded during playing on player), so you can try post-process decryption (DRM2) and to dissable their "copy protection". Refer to appropriate application help.
  Note: Flag-based protection (DMR1) - so clip cannot be played unless you are on specific www-page - is ignored by almost every non-official player. DMR1 is also much more popular than DMR2.
• When download starts, but cannot be completed, please check if server does not change its authorization procedure meanwhile. Surf (sign-in) to the source page and check again current URL, passwords and referer. It can be also a question of cookies - you just sign-in again, so the cookies has been updated. Now you should be able to finish download.
• There is usually another redirector inside of SMIL file. No need to be suprised, just continue with the new ones until you find actual URL for clip.
• 56k modem users only: Downloading high-speed quality clips using RTSP 56k Modem bandwitdth can finish with incredible quality result. Usually clip has nice sharp video-picture but its framerate is around 1 fps (check on RealPlayer menu View > Statistics :: Streams > RealVideo stream). If so, and you do not want to download full clip - because it can take more-less 10 times clip length, you can try this:
  1. Set bandwidth to dual ISDN (112k or 128k) and download clip. You should reach at least 15 fps and download more than 40% of filesize.
  2. Set bandwidth to 256ADSL and start download max. 3 different clips simultaneously from the same server. When the clips have simmilar length, all of them finish same time and server will drop 2/3 of all frames. All clips will therefore have about 10 fps and in fact you download only 1/3 of their filesize. Quite smooth motion for watching ...

Please note, that internet connection bandwidth is always given in bits per second! Therefore 56k modem has theoretical capacity 56 kbps / 8 = 7 kBy per second. For the same reason, the clip prepared for transport through 10Mb LAN (network card) will need 10 x 1024 x 1024 x 60 / 8 = 78643200 by, i.e. 75 MBy of filesize per minute at maximum, as well as clip for 256 ADSL connection must be satisfied within 256 x 1024 x 60 / 8 = 1966080 by, i.e. (only) cca 1.875 MBy of filesize per one minute of run.

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When "embeded media" occurs

And now to the much harder part - embeded media. These are presently much more popular and - probably - will soon wipe-out an "external-player-need" solution. The last barrier - double (tripple) programming for different players - falls when all major companies approve and implement SMIL standard to their players and browsers.

Pages contained embeded media are almost always framed. So we must be sure that we are looking for a source code of correct frame. And this can be done only by right-click somewhere near of player borders. As I mentioned before it is not always an easy task. Just under player lower edge is the most sure point. As you can see on picture there are 2 pixel by height area where you must point. You can also try to click the player window and choose "View source..." from Microsoft Internet Explorer "Edit" main menu - but, you can try.

Picture 2: Point the right frame is not an easy task, sometimes. Specially when decor pictures surround player window.
[ Full picture ]

Unfortunatelly, this can be impossible. Web-page itself can hide Microsoft Internet Explorer menu bar as well as dissable right-click possibility. You can prevent this using a firewall or simplex advert-remover. We will talk about this later. By now, please go to the Temporary Internet Files directory and file apropriate source code there.

Source code is usually opened in Notepad. Sometimes you can see "blank" window with notice that source code is protected - ignore this and just scrool down until text appears. We are looking for a part of ActiveX element definition. In concrete, for a parameter src. Please use a Notepad Find function to locate string src=". For sure, check if it is a part of Object tag - just look a few lines up and visually compare with given example. If yes, you have your URL. Complete it - I mean expand it up to protocol and server name - when necessary and start download.

Picture 3: Semi-"protected" web page HTML code. Remark followed by cca 200 empty rows on web-page source-code begin. Just scrool down to see the HTML.
[ Full picture ]

The more advanced technique is using the one source code for full pack of provided clips and creating the URL on fly. Line of source (it begins with src, also) looks like a strange equation with a few variables.

When we are going to download a Real Media, we can use this simple trick. At first we set a Connection Time-Outs at Real Player to some short intervals. Then we will find something big to download: we will paste it to the Net Transport, but for now, we uncheck "Start instantly" at Add New Download dialog box. Also, we have to uncheck Obey speed limit at Tools menu or Drop-Zone pop-up menu. And now, it becomes to being very rapid. Click the link for clip, so RealPlayer plug-in establish the connection. Wait second-or-two, switch to Net Transport and start your big download. What have we done? RealPlayer got its (interpreted or parsed) URL, but, because Net Transport occupies all internet connection capacity, no clip data are transfered to player. In result a funny window appears. From there, you can copy your URL, and even you can treat it as template for other clips.

Picture 4A: Setting the RealPlayer (or RealOne Player) to squeeze it to show clip's parsed URL - collage.
[ Full picture ]

Picture 4B: RealPlayer bug - clip URL is displayed as soon as network difficulties experienced. No matter how well you protect your web-page or how complicated script for URL definition you construct (programm).
[ Full picture ]

Acrobatic as described is unnecessary with Windows Media Player. URL is always accessible through player pop-up menu item Properties. Unfortunatelly, there is always the first attemp URL. So it can be clip actual URL, but you can find there also redirector. Sometimes even scripted (please note the doubleslah "//" at adress). And as you mention, file extension is missing in both cases.

Picture 5: Clip URL at Windows Media Player plug-in window Properties. Note, that file extension missing.
In this concrete case, file extension can be guess basic on URL (string "asf"), but this is rather exception and, by the way, many times even false scent.
[ Full picture ]

Picture 6: URL to first attempt script (please note double-slash "//" in the adress) for clip source.
The real URL to clip is displayed at lower right part of image.
[ Full picture ]

So you can try, but with no guarantee for result. By the way, please note that also icon remains the same, in default.

What about Apple QuickTime plug-in? Most clips are transported through HTTP protocol. You can find them in Temporary Internet Files directory. So, just check, if there are any files *.qt, or *.mov and drag them to player for check. If the clip is playable, just wait until is download completely through QuickTime plug-in and then copy it from Temporary Internet Files directory. Apple QuickTime plug-in can be very agressive to keep connection active, so connection falls in very rare cases. This can be good reason to associate also MPEG clips to it, by the way. Player window is still - only big blue letter "Q" and control bar are displayed, followed by the first frame (usually black screen) - when clip is downloaded through HTTP.

Picture 7: Apple QuickTime movie HTTP URL displayed at status bar during its caching (see the player's control bar).
[ Full picture ]

When you want to ensure this and download via Net Transport, you can usually find URL at browser's status bar (see pic. 7). If not, try to find *.ht* files containing string ".mov" or ".qt" at Temporary Internet Files directory. Please remember, that you can not download Apple QuickTime movies transported through RTSP. There is only redirector to them at Temporary Internet Files directory. When Apple QuickTime (no matter if external player or plug-in) is going to connect through RTSP, you can see at status bar (in queue) word "Connecting ..." changed with "Live Broadcast", accompanied with animated line of nodes and finally word "Buffering ...". Even on high-speed connections. Exactly as it is seem at Microsoft Windows Media Players or RealPlayer during their initial. If you want to save these RTSP-QT/MOV clips, you can capture them during their playback with special hardware or with capture-screen software, e.g. shareware TechSmith Camtasia.

Apple QuickTime player look	External player	Plug-in
HTTP
RTSP

Because of this well-known deficiency, the reference Apple Quick-Time MOVs are more popular. It is a normally playable movie, usually consisted from a few chapters, and you can not recognize on player that the streams you downloading are cached only in memory. These MOVs are quite small - a few kilobytes at maximum. If you look into them, you will see a pack of URI references to particular chapters. Just copy them and download individually.

However, it should not be possible. Not only because of RTSP in use, but rather because the a player identification is required for checking its version. So presently, the only sure way to download them, is Apple QuickTime Pro application. You can open movie at desired URL and Save it as Self-contained. Or directly export it to something else - as Movie to AVI, e.g.

Other possibility is a QuickTime Link (*.qtl), which is an XML entry compatible with SMIL. This is a "text-file" and all URIs founded there, can be normally download. Each URI usually belongs to one chapter, but it is possible, that single chapter will have a few alternative adresses. This time, the simplest way is to turn it into pure text file and import it into Downloads page of Net Transport.

The last one possibility how to grab a URL without additional software installed, is to delete a MIME settings at Microsoft Windows. Open Control Panel and choose Tools > Folder Properties. File types associations are on the tag with the same name. Microsoft Internet Explorer then will always request a help with open media-types you just deleted and because Microsoft Windows will be unable to help it, it will ask you if you want to save the file to the disk. Funny. This can be easilly repaired because all players can rebuild association without reinstalling it. However, I do not recommend you to do it, unless you really know what to do and how to repair it.

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Firewalls and other sumplement tools

We are almost at finish. As the last thing, we will talk about firewalls. Firewall is an front-end application for internet and all communication comes through it. It knows everything as the first and it can take preventive actions by modifying HTML source code.

Firewalls are typical professional applications. They are small, tiny, sometimes dark and full of secrecy, which do exactly what they are told to do. Nothing more, nothing less. So, they are also full of suprises and hard to set.

Probably one of the best firewall for Microsoft Windows is Proxomitron. It has a huge support, its own groups and lot of special settings available for free. Application itself is freeware, also. It will not help you only block out right-click-dissable codes, advert-banners, etc. but also to grab URL for media or even fake yourself. You can use it, but please remember, that no other application described below will not work - because Proximition will block localhost:8080 proxy.

The advert-removers are more friendly to ordinary users. The most sympathic to me is AdMuncher. Block-out most of JavaScripts tricks (mouse tricks, menu-hidding, self-focus, etc.) and almost all advert-banners. It has no special settings for ports and it can be used with any browser. Unfortunatelly, it is a shareware.

These two application can, of course, crush some sites. They will function only partially, or not function at all, or even they will be unreacheable for you ("Access denied" error). It can happened because the HTML source-code is modified. By my opinion, it is a small fee for services they provided - speed up browsing, save traffic volume, block unwanted pop-ups and, not at last, giving anonymity. When you encounter this situation, you should temporary deactivate them, hold the left Shift key and click Reload button on your browser. The page will be loaded again from server (normally is loaded from Temporary Internet Files directory). This will be probably not enough to log-in - if your problem resist, just wipe-out Temporary Internet Files. Choose from Microsoft Internet Explorer menu Tools > Internet options and on the first tab (General) click buttons Delete cookies, Delete files and Clear history. If this not help you, read what gone wrong exactly and why your access is denied.

Windows Media Recorder can help you to grab exact URL for Windows Media player clips. Application itself can be used for recording them, however simple grab through Save URL button is also possible and sometimes necessary. The most useful release for WindowsXP is 3.2 by my opinion, because later release can make troubles with correct drawing its application window. Present version is 7.0. It is freeware. It must communicate at localhost:8080 (it can setup itself, players and browser easily during start) and, of course, only windows opened after its launch will function correctly.

For RealMedia there is an URL Snooper freeware application works on WinPCap library. Alternativelly there is CommView. Both application are straight at use, however their setup is manual and can not be titled as easy. You can use them if above mentioned methods seem to you be complicated. Shareware CommView seems to me to be better for use with Microsoft WindowsXP. By now, there should be available R7C (Real7ime converter) freeware application. It should provide the same "firewall" capability for RealPlayer and RealOne Player, as Windows Media Recorder for Windows Media Player. So, the most straightful and easiest way to find-out clip URL.

And this is really finish. Hope, this short article gives you a hand, and that the ideas mentioned here will help you protect your clips more effectivelly.

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Legal stuff

This short manual has been written to show Net Transport full scale capability. Please read also disclaimer.

If anyone wants to translate this, he is welcome. If you need a permission, you have got it in forward: "fair use" for non- profit purposses exclussive with source and credits mentionned. Otherwise, please contact me.

Next, I like to notice, that all examples here are pure fiction, althrough based on facts. Any similarity to existing nor late or future pages and URLs are pure accidental. No similarity is indeed or should be infered.

Thanks

I like to thanks everyone from that nameless "crowd" - people those sincere helpless expressed on forums gives me a hints. A specially I like to thank Mr. Kevin Wang for his priceless involvement, constructive comments and cooperation.

Any comments, reflections and/or requests that by your oppinion can improve understability and educational quality are welcome and thanks for them in forward. Please use some meaningful subject at your post.

Copyrights

The brandnames protected by trademarks or registered trademarks appear through all text. I have made a conclussion that I use this names exclussively for informational purpose. Therefore, the appropriate trademark symbols are not accompanied every single reference. They are listed only here. Instead of that, there is always producent named This solution I accepted only for convenient of readers and goods of trademarks and rights legal holder, not even mention of aim to disturbe or break these rights in any way.

AdMuncher is copyrighted by Murray Hurps, © 1999 - 2002

Camtasia (software pack) is copyrighted by TechSmith Corporation, © 1999 - 2001

CommView™ is trademark copyrighted by TamoSoft, Inc., © 1996 - 2003

Flash™ is trademark of Macromedia®, Inc.

HTTP as short-name of Hypertext Transfer Protocol, HTTPS as short-name of Secure HTTP, HTML as short-name of Hyper Text Markup Language, MIME as short-name of Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension and SMIL as short-name of Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language are all generic terms and intelectual property of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C®), © 1994 - 2003

Java™ is trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Microsoft®, Windows®, Windows® 2000, Windows® XP, IE as short-name of Internet Explorer®, MMS® as official short-name of Microsoft® Multimedia Stream protocol, Windows® Media Player®, NetShow® as Windows® Media Player® 6.4, SmartTag™, DirectX®, ActiveX® technologies, ASF© as the Advanced Systems Format shortname, WMA© as official short-name of Windows® Media Audio and WMV© as the official short-name of Windows® Media Video are registered trademarks or trademarks or copyrights of Microsoft Corp., ©1985 - 2003

Net Transport is copyrighted by Kevin Wang, ©2003

Opera is copyrighted Opera Software ASA, ©1985 - 2003

Proxomitron is copyrighted by Scott R. Lemmon, © 1999

QuickTime® is registered trademark of Apple® Computer, Inc., © 1997 - 2003

Real7ime converteris copyrighted by Dessloch / [ uCF ], © 2002 - 2003

RTSP as official short-name of Real-Time Streaming Protocol, Real® Server, Helix Server®, RealPlayer™ and RealOne™ Player are registered trademarks or trademarks copyrighted by Real® Networks™, ©1994 - 2003

WinPCap is copyrighted by Loris Degioanni, NetGroup, Politecnico di Torino, © 2002 - 2003 with partially copyright of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, © 1988 - 1997

ZoomPlayer is copyrighted by VirtuaMedia, © 2000 - 2003

Credits

URL Snooper is programmed by EAT&EATiSO, yzdmail@wx88.net (?), but original copyright probably belongs to Streambox, Inc.(?)

Windows Media Recorder is programmed by alexur@ix.netcom.com, © 2001 - 2003

3D effects of paragraph at disclaimer section image is made by Kostadin Kutryanov "Graphics 3D v2" tutorial.

Marián Stach, Prešov, Slovakia, Central Europe
2003-05-23

Updates

2004-03-04

Added note about Invalid Syntax Error. Added notes about QTL as a new extension for Apple QuickTime redirectors. Added notes about reference Apple QuickTime movies.

2003-06-07, 2003-06-12

As usually, after a week I discover a few matters that can be described in better way, found some errors and also got a few notices. So here is update.
I have got a kind request to fill up producent names - it is done now. I am terribly sorry I have overlooked "thanks" section in previous compilation. Some misstyped errors are corrected. Images are resized to 972 pixels wide.
A few tips are added and extended (no. 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15). Added explanation "kb" vs. "kB". Firewall parts is extended with potential problems arised. Real7ime application note added. SMIL error corrected (I forgot about redirectors). JavaScript embeded media example added. "View source ..." extended with a click-on-background-picture situation's description. Apple QuickTime information extended: samples, player look captures and screen capture software (Camtasia shareware) with DirectX abbility.
I have got a kind request to decribe streaming media protocols and/or DRM principle for better understanding some of tips. This tutorial is not the right place for these. I will try to do my best and write some special article about mentioned topics.

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