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copied!<p>I don't know how to answer my own question. Maybe the best I can do is disqualify any ridiculous speculations. </p> <p>Summary of my original post:</p> <ol> <li>What is the magic in the background that accomplishes this desired client behavior (processing multimedia data on the fly)?</li> <li>What changed in Firefox so that it now plays MP3 audio "on the fly"?</li> <li>What protocol is used to accomplish streaming over HTTP?</li> </ol> <p>Based on how I understand <strong>Multimedia Mike's</strong> answer, the browser processes data "on the fly" if it can access an appropriate codec. So the answer to Q1 is to provide a plugin client, such as FlashPlayer or SilverStream, that includes a codec. In other words, everything boils down to codecs that are either proprietary or open. Similarly, Q2's answer is that, to comply with HTML5, Firefox now includes (by crook or hook) an MP3 codec.</p> <p><strong>Multimedia Mike's</strong> suggestion to load playlist tracks as separate files doesn't specifically answer the question about the underlying protocol. In my particular project, discreet seeks would be a functional downgrade, and probably not acceptable.</p> <p>I'm currently under the assumption that while handling a seek request, clients inelegantly sever their connections at the TCP level. And then simply issue a new request that specificies "HTTP Range". Anecdotedly, this explanation is consistent with the clunky and unreliable responses I experience. While a few conversations with other programmers have been lively enough, I still don't have an authoritative answer.</p>

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