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just john
Joined: 09/27/01
Location: Poughkeepsie
Posts: 110
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Are ringtone downloads working?
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 11:41 AM
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Right now, mark this up as a newbie question, since I'm new to cellphones.
BUT, here are a couple errors I've gotten when trying methods #2 and #3 of getting ringtones from here (I forget which method gets which message):
Network unavailable. Please try again.
and (This is the method that uses the "Try 1st" and "Try 2nd" links):
Network unavailable. Please try again. (in response to the "Try 1st" link)
Access denied (in response to the "Try 2nd" link)
And method #4 doesn't work because this phone (Kyocera x-tc, on Virgin Mobile) doesn't seem to want to deal with any non-picture attachments. Also, it doesn't seem to have a way to import an mp3 (or any sound type) from its SD card as a ringtone.*
And no, my main computer isn't infected with Windows.
Anyway, my next steps may include trying the URLs with Opera rather than the default browser, as well as some other flips and twists, but before that it would be best for my sanity to make sure the download methods are actually up and running on Artistserver's end.
* It DOES, of course, allow one to play mp3s from the SD card, and silly me, the first thing I tried whe I got the phone was loading up 2.5 gig of mp3s on the card. That tied up the phone for six hours attempting to load the stuff, until I came to my senses. Now I just keep my own music catalog and two albums that might keep me sane if all my other music playing options were taken away. (The two albums: Joe Jackson's Look Sharp! and a complete set of Chopin Nocturnes.)
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just john
Joined: 09/27/01
Location: Poughkeepsie
Posts: 110
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RE: Are ringtone downloads working?
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 12:00 PM
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PS:
Sometimes -- like right now -- I get the error (in both method #2 & #3):
HTTP Error 406: Not Acceptable
Later:
I've tried the above with the Opera browser. Got the 406 error on #2&3. I think this phone is specifically designed not to be able to import any ringtones from other than their official way of downloading 'em.
Even later:
At least two commercial reviewers have declared it impossible to import new ringtones from the "Music" folder (that holds mp3s). And I've tried. No go.
But despite that, there are goobers on many phone "help" forums that say that it's really easy to import ringtones, and then they tell you how to get stuff to your "Music" folder and act like they've given out good info. Even worse are the ones who say to load 'em via the USB cable, even tho this phone uses a hinky USB setup that renders it used only for recharging the phone's batteries, not for any data transfer. (I learned about this "feature" within two minutes of seeing the phone in the store.)
So, my conclusion is that the more "consumer-oriented" a product is, the more utterly wrong advice there is out there about it.
I mention this partially to avoid this: If anybody here posts the mp3->"Music" folder non-solution or the USB non-solution, I will hunt you down and I will hurt you.
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Sonic Wallpaper
Joined: 05/22/01
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1266
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RE: Are ringtone downloads working?
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 2:05 PM
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Hi Just John -
Welcome to the hell that is mobile phones and mobile carriers - an industry with few interface, process, or Web standards, even across different phones by the same company.
Sending the ringtones to phones is very tricky - and we certainly don't make it easy since you have to figure out which way will work, and for most phones and mobile providers... only 1 method will work, or in some cases... none. The companies that have successful ringtone services have a lot more work involved in the process, and a database of phone providers, how they handle mp3 transfers, as well as a database of all mobile devices - so all the 100's of quirks related to transferring and setting up ringtones can be verified for every request for a ringtone. I don't have such a system - ours is much more manual and relies on you the user to go though the trial and error process to figure out your phone and what works.
Honestly - the best way is to download to your computer and transfer to your phone via bluetooth, or if your phone connects to your pc via USB, do it that way. This way you avoid the mobile provider. Another option is using an app like ToneThis to do the transfer. http://www.tonethis.com/ - PC only
What was the ringtone you were trying to transfer? I can take a look at it.
>>>my sanity to make sure the download methods are actually up and running on Artistserver's end.
Yes - it works - but as explained above - I have no means to have the site to decide which transfer method works with which mobile provider and device - the mobile market is quite a mess. And certainly, none of the methods may work for you, as I have never used your phone nor tested with it.
method 1 requires a 3rd party Windows app - available for free: http://www.tonethis.com/ - so that is why you saw the error message for that method, as you don't have the app installed.
>>>Sometimes -- like right now -- I get the error (in both method #2 & #3):
do you mean from your computer - or on your phone?
>>I've tried the above with the Opera browser.
If you mean opera on your computer - I do not test with Opera nor support it since there are so few users of that browser. Please use Firefox or IE. If you mean on your mobile - I have no idea, I don't have a means to run the mobile Opera browser.
>>>At least two commercial reviewers have declared it impossible to import new ringtones from the "Music" folder (that holds mp3s).
Ah - bummer - so it 'is' the phone.
if the phone is still under warranty, bring it back - get a phone that doesn't restrict you so much. Before my iPhone, I had a motorola clam shell style phone that I selected because I found online that it did support importing your own mp3 rigntones.
Let me know if you ever work out how to transfer and set up mp3 ringtones on your phone.
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just john
Joined: 09/27/01
Location: Poughkeepsie
Posts: 110
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RE: Are ringtone downloads working?
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 3:03 PM
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In answer to each "do you mean from your computer - or on your phone?," it's the phone. And I've already said I don't use Windows.
Ringtones are among the very last of my priorities in having this phone, so if it's really unworkable, it's no big thing.
But the official way to get ringtones does involved the phone's installed browser, and it's implied that some of the available ones are from sites other than Virgin Mobile's. Perhaps, as an owner of a site that provides content, you might contact Virgin Mobile and ask them how you might be able to partner with them?
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just john
Joined: 09/27/01
Location: Poughkeepsie
Posts: 110
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RE: Are ringtone downloads working?
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 3:17 PM
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I've gone to the Virgin Mobile website, and after seeing all this "Get the latest ringtones from your favorite artists!" crap there, I sent them a message (from my phone's account page.)
My favorite artist is me. I have tracks available at various places on the net, including http://www.soundclick.com/justjohn
So, how can I get my favorite artist's ringtones (once I start producing them) onto my X-tc?
As a guy who's been recording since the 1960s and doing "computer music" since 1984, I can handle all the file conversions myself just fine. It's where to put them online I'm asking about.
PS: Buy my stuff: http://www.cafepress.com/justjohn_g.47691928
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Sonic Wallpaper
Joined: 05/22/01
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1266
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RE: Are ringtone downloads working?
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 3:53 PM
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>>>In answer to each "do you mean from your computer - or on your phone?," it's the phone. And I've already said I don't use Windows.
So you are browsing the ArtistServer site on your mobile and trying to use the Ringtone Transfer tool with the mobile browser? That would a good reason why it didn't work. Mobile browsers aren't very good - they often don't support everything that a browser on your computer does. Did you try from your computer too?
>>>so if it's really unworkable, it's no big thing.
Can you email your phone? If so, did you try downloading the ringtone to your computer and emailing it? You previously stated you could upload mp3s to your phone, were you able to select any of those mp3s as ringtones? If not - then there's nothing that can be done here at ArtistServer to help you with this. It would be a limitation or problem with the phone.
I don't see anything in the specs that says you can add your own mp3 ringtones:
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/xtc-phone - most likely Virgin locks things down to force you to buy from them.
I also found this on the Virgin Mobile site - from their FAQ (although I have no idea what "Studio V" is):
Question: Can I upload my own audio files to create ringtones on Studio V?
Answer: No, sorry. The usage rights around audio samples are really strict. But we have thousands of audio files available for you to choose from in our Ringtone Studio.
And this from the FAQ:
Question: Can I download files from the web to my phone?
Answer: No. Virgin Mobile phones do not currently support file downloads from the web. Sorry.
>>> Perhaps, as an owner of a site that provides content, you might contact Virgin Mobile and ask them how you might be able to partner with them?
I can see if they have a partner program and if it is worthwhile - but most likely, we don't have enough content for them. We've offered ringtones on this site for about 5yrs, and in all that time, we've never had more than 300 ringtones. So far, I don't see anything on their site concerning partnering.
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just john
Joined: 09/27/01
Location: Poughkeepsie
Posts: 110
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RE: Are ringtone downloads working?
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 4:02 PM
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Thanks for trying; I'm satisfied that the bits on Artistserver worked. I'll continue harassing Virgin Mobile, as the mood strikes me.
(In your correspondence with them, don't forget to include some ads for your stuff. It's only fair.)
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