prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelper

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jaisee
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prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelper

Post by jaisee »

Hi,
I am looking for a way to detect/disable if Video DownloadHelper extension installed in their browser (Firefox) Is there any way to do this? Can someone give me an example,

If firefox has extension Video DownloadHelper then alert "Video DownloadHelper is installed on this browser" if not alert "Video DownloadHelper is not installed on this browser"

how I can prevent/stop downloading videofiles(mp4) on my website through Video DownloadHelper?

Note:
This is become very critical for us because lot of our users are using firefox and facing this problem.

Thanks,
JC
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DanRaisch
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by DanRaisch »

Moving to Web Development.
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by patrickjdempsey »

Even if you *could* detect it, which I'm guessing you can't, it would be a useless exercise since there are DOZENS of extensions available for downloading video content.
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therube
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by therube »

You could round up all the GUI IDs of "video download helpers" & do a search for them.

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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by patrickjdempsey »

And what good does that do a website that doesn't have permission to peek into the user's profile?
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therube
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by therube »

Well if the OP has a site that external systems are connecting to, then nothing.
(If VDH or if the majority of other [whatever that might mean] downloaders don't support RTMP streaming, maybe doing that could lessen [not eliminate] unwanted downloads.)

But I took it to mean that the OP is managing/deploying FF (like in a company environment), & not wanting (its) users to use (VDH type programs). And if that's the case, & in Profiles are in a single area, then can be searched easily. Even if deployed on individual (networked) machines, would still think they could be searched fairly easily. Then just cut a DELETE daemon loose, removing the wanted extensions. (Perhaps not "proper", even virus-like, but likely effective.)
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jaisee
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by jaisee »

Hi,
Thanks for your replies.
Future video DownloadHelper support RTMP,please refer this url
http://www.downloadhelper.net/applian-replay-media-catcher.php

Can I disable the extension using javascript code in my application?
waiting for your reply.

Thanks,
jaisee
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by jaisee »

Is there any solution for disable/hide VDH?
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by patrickjdempsey »

Unless it injects code into the website that the site could detect, no. There's a strict boundary between website content and browser chrome (including extensions). You could try offering the video in a streaming format instead of downloadable video, but even then someone can use video recording software on their machine to make a copy if they are determined to copy it.
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by jscher2000 »

I haven't used DownloadHelper in the past year but if I recall correctly, it would inject a little widget into the YouTube page to choose a format. Anything added to the page is something you could detect. However, that wouldn't apply if there is just a toolbar button outside your page.

You may be familiar with anti-Adblock scripts. And anti-anti-Adblock countermeasures. You could research those to see what those people are doing in case it's applicable.

Or you may need to raise this issue with your users and ask them not to save the MP4s and explain why that's important to you.
jaisee
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by jaisee »

Hi,
While trying to use javascript to check if my firefox add-on(VDH) is installed or not
So, does anybody know a way detect wether a extension is installed using javascript? :( :( :(
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trolly
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by trolly »

There is no way to detect a correctly working addon.
The only way to detect some kind of addons is to check if the web site is displayed exactly as wanted (e.g. no additional or changed elements, all images loaded etc.).

But that does not help if a user is cutting your detection script out (and that's possible).
Then you can only detect on your server if a page is loading all elements.
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by patrickjdempsey »

And that would only for extensions that modify the page... which smart extensions that do not want to be blocked aren't going to do. Again, there is a strict separation from website code and browser code. Websites are not allowed to look into the browser for very good security reasons.

Like I said, you might look into offering the video as "streaming" instead of as a normal video. In normal video, the browser downloads the entire video and plays it... as such a browser extension can easily intercept the video and save it. With "streaming" video, it's broken up into tiny blocks and each block is sent separately and then played in order they are received by the player.
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Re: prevent/stop downloading videos(mp4) Video DownloadHelpe

Post by patrickjdempsey »

See also, this same question on stackoverflow:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9756 ... lick-saved

And this article:
http://www.mediacollege.com/video/streaming/protect/

Note that the big disadvantage to streaming services, is that they may require the end user to download an exotic plugin, which may not be available for all OS's.
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