available audio
The audio section of our web site contains MP3 format recordings of Buddhist chants and dharma talks given by BCIMS teachers and visiting teachers. BCIMS does try to record all talks, although sometimes we’re foiled by technical difficulties. New talks are added regularly, so please check back often.
Download Instructions for Windows
The talks are in mp3 format (audio) files and may be accessed by either of these two methods:
-
Download: Right-click on the "Download" option, select the "Save Target As" option (Internet Explorer), "Save Link As" (Firefox), or "Download Linked File As" (Safari), and specify the filename & directory where you want the file stored. After the download is complete, you can play the talk by double-clicking on the mp3 file which will automatically start your mp3 player software and play the talk. The disadvantage of this method is that the files are large and a 45-minute talk can take up to an hour to download on a 56k modem. (On a cable modem or DSL line, download time isn't an issue and this method may be preferred.) The advantage of this method is that you now have the talk stored on your computer and can play it again without downloading, start it in the middle or even make a recording to CD, tape or mp3 player if you like.
-
Play: Either (1) left-click on the "Play" option next to the talk you want to hear or (2) left-click on the "Download" option if (1) doesn't work. The advantage of this method is that you can listen to the talk immediately, however, if you should lose your connection in the middle or don't have time to finish, you will have to restart from the beginning the next time you want to listen to it.
In either case, you will need mp3 player software to play the files. Windows Media Player is on Windows systems by default and can be used if available. If you don't have mp3 software, you can download one for free: iTunes, Windows Media Player, MusicMatch Jukebox , Winamp and Real Player should all work.
Download Instructions for Macintosh
The players that seem to work best for both downloading and playing on the Mac are Real Player and iTunes. These instructions assume you have this player:
-
Download: Control-click on the "Download" option, select "Save this link as", and specify where you want the file stored. After the download is complete, you can then play the file using the Real player also. The advantage of now having the file stored on your computer is that when you play it, you can stop and start the talk at any time and then restart it later, if desired, from where you left off.
-
Play: Assuming you have Real Player or iTunes installed, simply clicking on the "play" option should start the talk playing immediately. The advantage of this method is that you don't have to wait for the download to complete to start listening to the talk. The disadvantage is that you can't stop and restart the talk as you could if you had downloaded it to your computer.
Connection Problems
If you should have a problem connecting to the files to download or play, it sometimes works to close and reopen your browser and go back to the desired file link. If the download is going very slowly, it's possible the server is loaded or connections between you and the server are bad. It might help to try again at a different time.
B eing Disconnected for Inactivity
Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will disconnect you if they don't see any outgoing activity from you for a certain time...usually 10 minutes or so. This could cause you to lose your connection if you are using the streaming audio (Play) option to listen to a talk, or even if you are downloading a talk over a slow connection and it takes longer than the limit imposed by your ISP. A solution for this problem is to download and install one of the many "stay connected" programs that will periodically send something to your ISP to let it know you are still active. One such program that may be used for the PC is AC-Plug. (Click on "Open" when it prompts you and this will automatically install it).
Since there doesn't seem to be any Macintosh software that provides this function, it may not be a problem on that platform. If anyone knows otherwise or has a solution, please contact us.
