SetMedia problem with MediaPlayback - external MP3s

Question

I'm using the MediaPlayback component to play an external MP3
file, and it's working fine, EXCEPT that when it first loads it
plays the first part of the clip for a split second, then stops and
re-plays it -- regardless of the autoPlay settings that are used.
I have autoPlay set to false, both in the component
properties panel AND explicitly in the code before the setMedia
call. In the code below, the trace executes even though I've set
autoPlay to false.
I can stop the "blip" from happening if I inject a pause() or
stop() command after the setMedia() call -- HOWEVER, it happens
again when I call the play() method to play the file.
HELP!! Anyone else out there had this problem and solved
it??? I'm at my wit's end. See code snippet below.
soundFile = "arabian_dreams.mp3";
// Make sure media does not start playing 'til we tell it to
myMedia.autoPlay = false;
// Set the sound file for the MP3 player
myMedia.setMedia(soundFile, "MP3");
// Attempting to fix problem where the setMedia
// function plays the clip for a fraction of a second
// on loading, regardless of the autoPlay settings
//myMedia.pause();
//myMedia.stop();
if (myMedia.playing == true) {
trace("playing!");
// Now play the sound
myMedia.play(0);

Answer 1

How old is the property? It may be that if it's pre60s, it was originally wired for 15amp (round-pin) and was not rewired correctly when converted to 13amp (square pin). It may also be that what you are experiencing with your system is indicative of the sort of wiring degradation that normally warrants a rewire (or partial rewire) of the house.
There are testers available (Argos, even Tescos in their electrical sections, and other electrical retailers) that will check both grounding and possible wiring defects such as the transposition of live and neutral, but it may also be a wise move to try and isolate the problem as much as possible by connecting your mini to the TV, leaving aside the hard drive and hi-fi, to see if the problem still exists, then juggle components to see if you can determine whether the mini, the drive, the tv or the hi-fi appears to be the primary cause of the problem. It may even help to take the basic system elsewhere, and connect it to someone else's display etc just to test it.