Sound recordings on the America's Story website are offered in two formats, RealAudio and .wav (WaveForm). Both formats require special players.
RealAudio
American Memory sound recordings presented in the RealAudio format deliver sound faster, with a minimum of download time. To use RealAudio, you must have a 14.4 kbps
(kilobits per second) or faster Internet connection for your computer.
RealAudio frequently upgrades its players for improved performance. If you have trouble playing a sound recording presented in RealAudio, please try downloading the most recent
version of the RealAudio player.
You can download the RealPlayer for Windows or Macintosh at http://www.real.com. This player will also play RealMedia video files.
WaveForm (.wav)
American Memory sound recordings are also presented in a higher-quality version, known as the .wav (WaveForm) format. Sound recordings presented in the .wav format must
download completely before they can be played. Download time for .wav files is longer than for RealAudio.
Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows 2000 operating systems
are equipped with a player that plays .wav files. Most newer web browsers
for both Macintosh and Windows platforms have a built-in media player
that will play .wav sound files.
For users with earlier browsers, please search the World Wide Web for free or inexpensive players that will play .wav files. (Helpful keywords for searching are ".wav audio player" or
"audio helper application.")
