php - file_get_contents() without "Http" to access external URL -

i'm attempting access external url (api)

echo file_get_contents("http://services.runescape.com/m=itemdb_rs/api/catalogue/detail.json?item=4798"); 

however, want request url without "http://" - causes run slower, (not sure why). if remove http:// parameter can't find file (understandably)

any ideas?

@jack-hardcastle, based on comments below question: try increase timeout.
tried load url provided in chrome on machine , after big while of loading, showed me probably correct response.

here's how increase http timeout file_get_contents():

<?php  $ctx = stream_context_create(array(     'http' => array(         'timeout' => 16.0 // seconds     ) ));  $contents = file_get_contents('http://...', false, $ctx);  // $contents 

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i tried find out missing headers runescape services may check; wrote simple script sending simple get request against httpbin.org:

$ ./test {   "headers": {     "host": "httpbin.org"   } }  $ cat test #!/usr/bin/env php <?php  die(file_get_contents('http://httpbin.org/headers')); 

suprise: header sent file_get_contents() host. there might in headers missing runescape services.