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July 17, 2005
Comfort Radio FAQ
Actually, there are no Frequently Asked Questions about Comfort Radio, but here are some unasked answers anyway.
Origins
Comfort Radio began as a ramshackle server stocked full of music and dragged to Burning Man several years ago, to play mostly continuous music in the main tent of Camp Comfort in e-Ville. After an enthusiastic response, we brought it back the next year with even more music and hooked it up to a transmitter so that folks could hear it all across the village. Returning to the real world that year, we determined that Comfort Radio was too enjoyable to stick in a closet, and so, the Comfort online media empire began. The Comfort Music blog followed a year or so later, when it became apparent that if all those other yahoos could do it, we could do it too.
Contact
Music programming - scotto@comfortradio.org
Hosting/website/technical issues - llew@comfortradio.org
To subscribe to the low-traffic, high-signal Comfort Radio mailing list, click here and follow the instructions. It's not moderated, but if you are annoying, we will zap you.
How to connect
You will need a program that can play MP3 streams. Winamp, iTunes (Windows), and Windows Media Player (version 8 or higher) are quite suitable. It's a 128kb stream, so it may not work that well over dialup. Winamp and iTunes display artist names and titles currently playing songs; Windows Media Player only seems to show "listen.comfortradio.org:7050".
Winamp is available here.
iTunes is available here.
Windows Media Player is usually installed on your Windows system. The latest version can be obtained through Windows Update here.
The recommended way to connect to Comfort Radio is to click on one of the following links:
* Winamp/iTunes
* Windows Media Player
You can also right-click on the above links to save these files to your desktop. You will then be able to launch Comfort Radio from your desktop by double-clicking on the file without having to visit this website.
If Winamp or Windows Media do not launch when you click on the above links (or double-click on the files), then try this:
* Winamp - Choose "Play -> Location" from the menu and enter "http://listen.comfortradio.org:7050"
* Windows Media Player - Choose "Open URL" from the File Menu and enter "http://listen.comfortradio.org:7050"
Troubleshooting
The first thing to try is to click on this link to launch the web page of the radio server itself:
http://listen.comfortradio.org:7050
If the web page does indeed display in the browser, then you are halfway there. Try all of the different options for connecting mentioned above.
If you get a "404" error, the chances are pretty good that your firewall is blocking you. We do NOT recommend that you ask your IT department to make a change so that you can listen to Comfort Radio! They probably won't appreciate it.
The next thing to try is to try to connect to someone else's server:
* Winamp - Try connecting to the servers you find at http://www.shoutcast.com
* Windows Media Player - Try the music section of the Windows Media Guide
If either of those work but the suggested methods do not, there is only a small chance that this is going to work for you. If you want to try one last thing, you are welcome to email us for advice. We can't promise that we'll be able to get it working for you, but we will try to help.
We're not sure about how to get the Macintosh version of iTunes to tune in yet.
Posted by Scotto at July 17, 2005 08:00 AM
Comments
"We're not sure about how to get the Macintosh version of iTunes to tune in yet."
If all else fails, open iTunes, open the Advanced Menu and select "Open Stream..."
Put http://listen.comfortradio.org into the window and click OK.
Posted by: teno at July 18, 2005 08:46 AM
"We're not sure about how to get the Macintosh version of iTunes to tune in yet."
You can download the ComfortRadio.pls file and drag that into an itunes playlist or library, double click and it's good to go. Then at least you have a bookmark for it. :o)
Posted by: Kernit the Font at July 18, 2005 03:35 PM
Hello...I have enjoyed your website and have found many great cds via your posts. Do you trade cdrs ever? I would really like a copy of the ORANGE BLOSSOM- everything must change. I could send you a copy of the WAX TAILOR cd which is amazing. Or if you have it, something else, I could send a list. Let me know, or we could trade mp3's. I have the mp3's you posted for ORANGE BLOSSOM. Let me know.
thanks.
dana
Posted by: Dana Ferrara at September 5, 2005 11:46 AM