My5 TV Hangs

[greybeard2012]

My5: UK's Channel 5 TV catch up service which should work for me as I'm in the UK is not working with the current Firefox build.

I don't use it that often on my PC but the last time I did a few months ago using whatever the Firefox version was current at the time I had no problems. But if I go there now the My5 home page starts but the rotating loading icon stalls resulting in a blank background with no content.

The page graphics do load but, similarly, the Settings option there hangs. Oddly you can both login and register even though neither is actually a requirement to use the service.

Reluctantly I tried My5 with Internet Explorer which I use only if I have too ie. very rarely and that works fine. So it is definitely a Firefox issue.

I did find this thread here from last year:-

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=3022451

which reports what sounds like the same problem BUT in my case I do already have Firefox's Options > Privacy > History > "Accept cookies from site" ticked and "Accept third party cookies" set to "Always".

However it seems too much of a coincidence for it not to be something related to this matter. I'm wondering if in the latest build that problem of being able to access My5 without needing to accept third party cookies was fixed but has inadvertently caused the annoying issue I'm experiencing.

Help/advice appreciated.

[DanRaisch]

Please post the specific URL you are trying to access.

[greybeard2012]

https://www.my5.tv/

[dfoulkes]

Just to put what I found out... and I do not know the cause...

It ran fine in my IE
It ran fine in my portable Chrome
It ran fine in my portable Opera
It ran fine in my portable Firefox ESR
It did not run in my skinny Firefox test profile
It did not run in that skinny Firefox test profile when it ran in safe-mode.

So... just confirming what you see.

[dickvl]

In case you suspect that third-party cookies are involved then you can temporarily enable all cookies to see what cookie domains are involved and create an allow exception for these domains.
Once you have done this then you can disable third-party cookies and test if the exceptions you created it works work.

[TheVisitor]

I see same, freezes during loading. I turned off all tracking blocking/set accept 3rd party... no dice would not load page. Register worked when I clicked on that Icon as did Sign-in.

Tested on latest Nightly build win32 running on win10 x64

[JayhawksRock]

https://www.my5.tv/

the site http://www.my5.tv is using/forcing HTTPS in the URL but the site is not secure
Using IE will me give a proper warning and allow me to accept or refuse to continue

[atlanto]

It is a JavaScript error. The error unables continuing page loading.

In https://d349g9zuie06uo.cloudfront.net/app/browser/1.0.61/script/comscore.ott.1.3.0.min.js (loaded within https://www.my5.tv/)

g = 'undefined' != typeof FileSystem ? new FileSystem : null,

'FileSystem' defined in Firefox 51(50 doesn't have it) is a function, not a class, then "TypeError: Illegal constructor." occurs. (->Web Console)
If you could inject "FileSystem = undefined;" by GreaseMonkey, page loading goes on. I cannot say it will work since I don't have an account on that site, though. (it may cause other issues also)

BTW, what's 'FileSystem'? Neither Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge don't have such object. Is it defined elsewhere? I couldn't find it.
Is it a bug of comScore? I have no idea.

P.S.
My5 Website Not Loading Using Firefox 51.0.1 – Help centre

[dickvl]

The website works for me in Firefox 45 esr and in Firefox 50, but not in 51 and later.

I see security messages in the Web Console:

Code: Select all

SecurityError: The operation is insecure.  comscore.ott.1.3.0.min.js:7
SecurityError: The operation is insecure.  streamsense.4.1505.18.min.js:2
window.controllers is deprecated. Do not use it for UA detection.  www.my5.tv
SecurityError: The operation is insecure.  gigya.js:96
TypeError: gigya.accounts is undefined[Learn More]  desktop.js:1551:316
XML Parsing Error: syntax error
Location: https://d349g9zuie06uo.cloudfront.net/isl/api/v1/dataservice/ItemLists('85750')/Items/$count?device=desktop_pc&subscriptions&v=1.0.61.9
Line Number 1, Column 1:  $count:1:1
XML Parsing Error: syntax error
Location: https://d349g9zuie06uo.cloudfront.net/isl/api/v1/dataservice/ItemLists('85781')/Items/$count?device=desktop_pc&subscriptions&v=1.0.61.9
Line Number 1, Column 1:  $count:1:1
XML Parsing Error: syntax error
Location: https://d349g9zuie06uo.cloudfront.net/isl/api/v1/dataservice/ItemLists('85785')/Items/$count?device=desktop_pc&subscriptions&v=1.0.61.9
Line Number 1, Column 1:  $count:1:1
TypeError: ns_.comScore is undefined[Learn More]  desktop.js:1501:199

[greybeard2012]

All cookies are enabled, as said, I have "Accept cookies from site" and "Accept third party cookies" set to Always ie. all cookies enabled.

Interested to read that others here has confirmed they're experiencing the same problem.

BTW I'm using Win7 64 bit Pro and Firefox is up to date (v51.0.1 32-bit)

The suggestion that it is a JavaScript (error) might be involved is also interesting as long ago I removed all Java related stuff from my laptop and never installed anything Java on this particular PC. In the past I have had web sites, like my electricity supplier's one, that would not load unless JavaScript was enabled in the browser, but I've not had any issues like that since I started using this PC about nine months ago.

Also, and why I'm fairly sure the problem with the My5 web site is due to a Firefox update, is that I've not changed any Firefox settings/preferences for months and I had no problems using My5 on this same PC before Xmas. So this must have been due either to My5 web site change or a Firefox update because I've not altered anything.

One thing perhaps I should mention is that when I used IE (11) I did have to update the Flash version before it would allow me to access the TV program I was wanting to watch. I thought that might be the trouble with Firefox. So afterwards I checked its Flash Plugin was up to date, it was, and yet unlike IE, I still couldn't get My5 to even display the homepage correctly let alone stream the program.

Whatever the cause I hope that a solution to using Firefox with My5 can be found because I do not want to be using EI at all.

[dickvl]

JavaScript has nothing to do with the Java programing language.
JavaScript is build in a browser and Java needs an external plugin.
See http://kb.mozillazine.org/JavaScript_is_not_Java

I can usually fix such issues by creating a cookie allow exception for specific domains, but I don't know what domain(s) are involved in this case.

[greybeard2012]

This is interesting information but doesn't really explain what was changed and why it was changed in Firefox between the last version that worked with My5 TV perfectly and the current one.

dickvl has indicated it is some form of security or other error. But why is this occurring on a major UK TV broadcaster ie. Channel 5, online catch up channel?

[dfoulkes]

dickvl pointed out that what he saw was a security problem... as newer versions of Firefox increase/patch their security holes ... this type of problem can and will surface. Even major sites don't always follow the standards with regard to security and protection of its users. If that site it the only problem that you are having with Firefox then you might want to just watch it in IE? ... or, many bring down an older version of portable Firefox? ... and just have its home page set for that site.

PortableApps.com: Portable Software/USB - Browse /Mozilla Firefox, Portable Ed. at SourceForge.net

[atlanto]

fwiw, imgur.com/a/vFA6F
also webcompat.com/issues/4627
It's a site matter for now. Firefox 51+ user can do nothing.

(btw, I can see SecurityErrors in the web console if I denied 'Accept cookies from sites', and page loading stops in this case even on 45esr, but it is not the case. I don't have a reason to doubt about cookies.)

[greybeard2012]

Thanks for the advice/help. Looks like I'll have to use IE or other browser for the few times I'm likely to want to view My5 on PC.