Audio and Download Problems

If you have any trouble getting the forecasts to play please refresh your browser page and try again.  If that hasn't helped,  select the 'click here' button just below the welcome message for mp3 (audio) and mp4 (video) versions.

How do I start the forecast playing?

On the page showing your forecasts, scroll down to the forecast you want to listen to. If you are subscribed to more than one  sunsign forecast  choose the sign  you want to listen to from the drop down list (only the sunsign forecasts which you are subscribed to will be in the list).  Click on the triangle to the right of the sunsign name to begin the reading.  To pause the reading click on the orange lines, to stop click on the square and to fast forward or rewind click anywhere on the progress bar, which moves from left to right.

If the little progress bar on the player is moving and you can hear nothing, please check the volume controls by going to Start/Programmes/Accessories/Entertainment/Volume Control and make sure all the mute boxes are unchecked and the sliders are all at the top.  Make sure your speakers are plugged in and the volume turned up.  

Nothing happens when I follow those instructions

Your browser may be using a cached page and is trying to access a file which is no longer available.  Try the suggestions below to clear the cache.

Refresh/reload your browser page and try again.

In Internet Explorer go to Tools, Options, Temporary Internet Files – Settings.  Choose to automatically check for a new version of a stored page every time you visit by clicking in the spot next to ‘automatically’.

If none of the above helps, please sign-out of your account, close all your browser
Windows, then restart your browser and sign back in at https://5star.cainer.com/account/login.aspx 

It is possible that updating your browser will help the problem.  We recommend the free browser Firefox, available from http://www.mozilla.com/products/ - click on the Firefox logo to go to the download page.  

If still nothing, there may be a security setting on your computer stopping you accessing the reading from our servers.  You may need to add 5star.cainer.com to your list of Trusted Sites.  Check your browser privacy settings for this option or write to streaming@cainer.com with your browser details and we will advise.


You can also choose to listen to your forecasts in the old formats by clicking on the button above the forecasts.

I have received the update email but the old forecasts are still playing. 

Your browser or player may be using a cached page and is trying to access a file which is no longer available.  Usually 'refreshing' or 'reloading' your browser page is enough to get the latest content but if the problem persists, you may need to go into your browser settings and clear the cache.  Let us know if you need help with this.

 The forecasts are so quiet I can barely hear them.  Can you turn them up?

 First try adjusting the volume settings at your end.

If using Windows go to Start/Programs/Accessories/Entertainment/Volume Control and make sure WAV and Master volume sliders are turned up as far as they can go and the mute boxes are all unchecked.

When playing back using Windows Media, press the F10 button on your keyboard to increase volume or use the player volume slider.

When playing through RealPlayer or iTunes simultaneously hold down the control key and up button on your keyboard or drag the player volume slider.

In WinAmp hold down your keyboard up button or use the volume slider.

 Make sure your speakers are plugged in and the volume turned up on your monitor/notebook or the speakers themselves.

You must also be online.  Depending on the speed of your connection, the reading may take a few minutes to load before playback.

Why do the horoscopes keep stopping and starting on playback?

All streaming media files buffer before playing. Buffering is the process of sending a certain amount of information to the computer before the content actually plays. If network traffic interrupts a stream, the Player fills those gaps with information from the buffer. If network traffic is particularly heavy, you may notice interruptions in the stream after you begin playing the file because the buffer is empty and more information has not been sent. You can change the amount of time that content is buffered before it is played. If you notice several interruptions during playback, try increasing the number of seconds that content is buffered. However, in general it is recommended that you let your Player automatically adjust the buffering. 

In Windows Media Player go to Tools/Options/Performance tab.  Check the box next to buffer and increase the time that content is buffered before playback begins.

If you are using RealPlayer go to Tools/Preferences/General.  From the left hand menu choose Playback Settings.  Check the box to the left of enable Turbo Play OR try increasing the buffer time OR try checking the box to the left of ‘Instantly play webpage media links instead of downloading them’.

You may like to try another player. For free download information scroll to the bottom of your audio forecasts page for free download links.

I use iTunes and my forecast gets cut off at the end.

 There are two possible solutions.  Firstly, in iTunes try going to Edit/Preferences/Playback and then uncheck the crossfade playback option or adjust the slider downwards by dragging with your mouse.  If this does not work it may be because the original download did not complete and you have a corrupt file.   Delete the short forecast from your iTunes library and go back to your forecasts page to download the forecast again (see below for instructions on downloading to iTunes).

 How do I download my forecasts onto my iPod?

When you plug in an iPod it should automatically launch iTunes on your computer. If iTunes doesn’t start automatically you will need to launch it manually by double-clicking on the iTunes icon or selecting it from your programmes menu if you are a PC user.*

Syncing Automatically
iTunes can then be set to automatically update your iPod with new audio files (this is called Syncing) whenever it is plugged in. To do this, open iTunes and make sure your iPod is connected to your computer.  An icon for your iPod will show under ‘Devices’ in the menu to the left of the screen.  Click on the iPod icon so that it is highlighted, and then click on the ‘Music’ tab in the centre of the screen.  Make sure that ‘Sync Music’ and ‘All songs and playlists’ are checked.   If these are checked then Syncing will always start as soon as your iPod is connected to your computer.*

Syncing Manually
If you want to manually add an audio forecast to your iPod there are 3 simple steps:

1. Download the audio forecast you wish to add to your computer.  (Do this by going to the mp3 download option in the last column of the ‘Old Formats’ forecasts page. Then right-click on the file and choose 'save as' to save the forecast to a convenient place on your computer.  You should re-name the file if you don't want last weeks forecast to be over-written)
 2.    When it has downloaded, double-click on the forecast file on your computer and it should be automatically added to your iTunes library.
3.  If your iPod is already connected to the computer, click on the  iPod icon on the iTunes ‘Devices’ menu and then click on the  Sync button which is on the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
*
If you need any more help with Syncing your iPod there is a very clear and useful free tutorial here: http://www.apple.com/itunes/tutorials/#sync

How do I download my forecast to iTunes?

There are 3 simple steps to add an audio forecast to your iTunes library:
1.   Sign in to 5 Star and from your account Homepage click on “To listen to your spoken in-depth forecasts, click here”   Then click the button at the top of the next page to take you to the ‘old formats’.
2.  Right click on the mp3 download option in the last column on the right hand side of the old formats forecasts page.  Choose 'save as' and save the file to a convenient place on your computer.
3.  Double-click on the saved file and it should be automatically added to your iTunes Library.
These instructions are for iTunes7, which is available free for Mac or PC from http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/


My Love Sign reading won't play

Open the Love Signs page.
Click on one of the options to begin the reading.
When the dialogue box opens, choose 'open with'.
DO NOT choose the Save As or Download options.
Select your preferred player from the drop down list.
The reading should begin playing after a short time taken to load.
If you want to check you have the latest version of a player, or try an alternative, visit the links below for free downloads of four popular players:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx
http://uk.real.com/player/more
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
http://www.winamp.com/player

My forecasts aren't playing even though I have done all of the above.

Please note that some Google Chrome updates may affect forecasts playing. Please use another browser like Edge, Internet Explorer or Firefox.