What is MIME type "application/x-mplayer2"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

application/x-mplayer2 is a MIME type that signals a file uses a specialized media container format. It mainly indicates that the file is in the ASF format, which was developed by Microsoft for digital video and audio.

This MIME type helps your PC know which software to use when opening the file. It is especially linked to media players like Windows Media Player that are designed to handle streaming and playback of digital media.

Main use: Playback of multimedia content with synchronized audio and video.
Streaming: Supports network streaming, making it ideal for online media delivery.
Metadata support: Encodes digital rights and other media-related information.

The MIME type ensures that your system launches the correct application and processes the file appropriately. For more details on file handling and specifics, you can refer to external resources such as Filext.

Associated file extensions

.asf

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:


    Content-Type: application/x-mplayer2

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:


    <a href="file.dat" type="application/x-mplayer2">Download file</a>

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:


    const http = require('http');
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-mplayer2');
      res.end('Content here');
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.asf

FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.