.smil
.smil is a filetype with a tagget structure which apparently describes a media player layout.
Usage[edit]
The website marketplace.publicradio.org has "Listen to this story" links. You're supposed to be able to listen to their .. information.
But you click that link and you get a .ram file. This file contains nothing but a long link to a .smil file.
This ".smil" file contains a markup-langage without a header spec.
.smil is -- apparently -- a media player layout description.
Format[edit]
Example from marketplace.publicradio.org:
<smil>
<head>
<layout>
<root-layout width="320" height="100"/>
<region id="content" fit="hidden" z-index="1"/>
<region id="bugs" fit="hidden" z-index="2"/>
<regPoint id="dead_center" left="50%" top="50%" regAlign="center" />
</layout>
</head>
<body>
<seq>
<par>
<img src="http://www.public...ismap=" region="content" regPoint="dead_center" dur="1s" fill="freeze" />
<audio src="rtsp://archive...tplace_promo_200508.rm"/>
<img src="http://www.publ...3bbb8fc" region="bugs" regPoint="dead_center" dur="1s" fill="freeze" />
</par>
<par>
<audio src="rtsp://ar...port/2007/01/23_mktmorn0550.rm?start=00:00:00:01.0" />
<img src="http://www.publ...smap=" region="content" regPoint="dead_center" dur="1s" fill="freeze" />
</par>
</seq>
</body>
</smil>
HOWTO play .smil files in GNU/Linux[edit]
- Wget the "Listen to this story" link (or similar) on the site with the media you want to hear.
- cat this file and you sometimes, as in this example, see a .smil file.
- grep audio filename.smil and you get a list off all the rtsp (or other) audio references in it.
- Open it. xine rtsp://archive...o_200508.rm or mplayer rtsp://archive...o_200508.rm
The .smil file used in this example has two file-links: "marketplace_promo_200508.rm" and "23_mktmorn0550.rm?start=00:00:00:01.0".
What ever application .smil is for much likely reads the .smil file, presents the <par></par> tags as sections of the "player" view generated and probably uses the <img> (as in xhtml) tags for images who represent the audio. It should be apparent that the URL ending with "23_mktmorn0550.rm?start=00:00:00:01.0" is the one you want to play, where is "marketplace_promo_200508.rm" is likely just some lame self-advertisement.
