Firefox will not play Foxnews videos

[zbd]

Does anybody know why Firefox browser will not play Foxnews.com videos?
They play on IE.
I have been trying fo find out for a long time.
The FF version is 2.0.0.3
I use MVPS Hosts file. Have tried to delete ad.doubleclick.net with no results.

[Alice]

I answered your March 31 post in this other thread:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=536343

Repeating what I said before:
Videos on FOXNEWS.com worked for me after disabling Adblock Plus, so turn off your adblock extension if you have it installed in Firefox. Also make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled, as mentioned in the FOXNEWS.com Video Player window's Help link, then try the video again.

Also make sure your Windows Media Player and Flash plugins are working:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_Media ... WMP_plugin
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Flash (Flash test pages are at the bottom)

[zbd]

I have never used Adblock Plus. All cookies and JavaScript are enabled. Windows Media Player works fine.
Flash player works fine. The links have no explanation about why using MVP hosts does not allow Foxnews.com from showing videos.
These two sites are not compatible.


http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/


This is what is explained on another site.
http://q13.trb.com/news/stv-video-troub ... .htmlstory


What browsers can I use to use the Video Player?

You need to have Internet Explorer 5.0 and above to use the Video Player.

This Video Player is not supported by the following browsers:

[Alice]

This is what is explained on another site.
http://q13.trb.com/news/stv-video-troub ... .htmlstory

q13.trb.com and www.foxnews.com work differently. I couldn't get the video link at http://q13.trb.com/ to work in Firefrox even with AdBlock disabled. It routed me to a troubleshooting page for Mac users!

The links have no explanation about why using MVP hosts does not allow Foxnews.com from showing videos.
These two sites are not compatible.

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/

I went to http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html and selected the "Hair-raising stunt " video. I had to disable AdBlock, otherwise the video did not play (I already have cookies enabled). Once Adblock was disabled the FOXNEWS.com video played fine (it uses Flash). I don't use a HOSTS file.

So, are you saying that, after disabling your HOSTS file (by renaming it XHOSTS, or whatever), you could then play the FOXNEWS.com videos in Firefox, where before they would only play in IE? A HOSTS file is often used to block advertising or other undesireable sites, as the MVPS.org link you provided explains, but it should affect both IE and Firefox. Why the FOXNEWS.com site doesn't go into more detail about disabling ad-blocking software (it "hides" that information under "Why am I receiving Javascript errors?") or doesn't mention that having a HOSTS file can also prevent the video from loading, if that's the case, I don't know. Why don't you ask them?

I copied this from the Help link:

What do I need to experience streaming video?
If you can see the video, you already have what you need installed on your computer. If not, you may need to download some free software to enjoy video on the Web by following the links below.

Flash Player 6 (or higher)

Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 (or higher)

Internet Explorer 5.5 (or higher)

Safari 1.2 (or higher)

Mozilla Firefox 1 (or higher)

Netscape Navigator 8 (or higher)

What are the computer requirements?

* Operating systems: Windows 98 (or higher), Mac OS X (or higher)
* 128 megabytes of RAM or higher
* Monitor settings: 256 or higher colors; 800 x 600 or higher pixels
* Sound card / speakers
* Cookies must be enabled

Why does the video sometimes stop or pause?
Our video uses "streaming" technology to start transmitting video almost as soon as it is requested, rather than waiting for the complete video file to download. If the video stream pauses, it is probably due to Internet traffic congestion, a slow modem connection, or insufficient computer hardware. If a pause persists, it is recommended that you restart the video.

What about firewalls?
Some organizations and Internet Service Providers filter or block video transmission. If you cannot get video transmission (even when your system meets the above computer and software requirements), you may want to contact your Internet Service Provider or Network Administrator to see whether its security firewall is intentionally or unintentionally blocking video transmission. For further information, please see service.real.com/firewall/ or www.microsoft.com/Windows/windowsmedia/ en/serve/, which provide useful information to both users and firewall administrators.

Why am I receiving Javascript errors?
Javascript errors in the video page are usually caused by ad blockers, which block files needed both for advertising and for basic display of the page. This is most easily diagnosed by turning your ad blocker off and reloading the page. If this still doesn't work, please email us at foxnewsonline@foxnews.com

If you still have a problem...
Please send a message to foxnewsonline@foxnews.com, noting as much as you can of the following: the Web site that you viewed the video from, the name of the video, the problem, and your system configuration (player, browser, and operating-system versions, modem speed, Internet access provider, computer processor type and speed, and quantity of RAM.)

[Alice]

I use MVPS Hosts file. Have tried to delete ad.doubleclick.net with no results.

For the record, I did a groups.google search within the mozilla.support.firefox newsgroup and found this post which does identify the HOSTS file entry ad.doubleclick.net as a possible cause of FOXNEWS videos not working.

Newsgroups: mozilla.support.firefox
From: "Jack" <snip>@gmail.com>
Date: 16 Mar 2007 18:23:41 -0700
Subject: Re: Fox News Video will NOT play on one Firefox installation, other install does?

On Mar 16, 9:57 am, Doc in Los Angeles <pc> wrote:
> Basic install.
> XP Pro, SP2 - T3 line feed.
> Interestingly, could not get the Fox News Video (right side ofwww.foxnes.com) to play... almost seemed like a Java issue but both have
> the same latest Java installed and "other" java stuff works fine.

> So is there a trick to getting a recalcitrant Firefox install to play
> the videos at Fox News Video?

> Thanks.

Doc, I just solved the problem at my end.

I am running Mike Meyer's Ad-Blocking Hosts and the problem at my end
was with the "ad.doubleclick.net" entry. If you are also using this
trick, just put a semicolon in front of that entry so that the line
that it is in looks like this:

127.0.0.1 ;ad.doubleclick.net

I only have to accept cookies from www.foxnews.com. I can reject all
others with impunity and the video still plays.
<snip>

...However, the Adblock extension or blocking cookies are most likely the more frequent causes. You can do a forum search here on FOXNEWS HOSTS Adblock or similar, to find other possible solutions.

P.S.: You probably should continue this topic in the other forum thread you started on March 31:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=537321 FOXNews.com Video

[Old Rick 752]

..... which does identify the HOSTS file entry ad.doubleclick.net as a possible cause of FOXNEWS videos not working.

Blocking "ad.doubleclick.net" is a DEFINITE cause of Fox video not working .... and also MANY other videos too as other sites use them for serving their video too. If you are using Adblock Plus with (only) the EasyList subscription, this will NOT be a problem with ABP because that problem has been addressed in the EasyList for a while now. Those videos should play just fine (they work fine here). OTHER filters and subscriptions could be a problem in Adblock Plus though.

[Old Rick 752]

One way to easily see if Adblock Plus is the cause is to add the string:

Code: Select all

@@|http://www.foxnews.com/video2/

to your ABP filters. This is not quite how the EasyList handles it but it will allow that page to run. If it doesn't, it probably isn't Adblock Plus's filters that are the problem.

[Anonymosity]

Alice stated that she could not get Q13.com videos, but could get foxnews.com videos. I have the reverse problem. I can view the Q13.com videos without a problem, but not the foxnews videos. Foxnews is using a Doubleclick ad server, and also using Akamai. If Doubleclick is serving the video, that explains my problem, because I am blocking that site. I have no intention of unblocking it because I do not trust them.
The moral here is that the website serving the page is not necessarily the server for the media files. It helps to check the server for the media that you want to view. If you use a Hosts file, after checking the page to see who serves the media, look for that in the Hosts.

[Old Rick 752]

The moral here is that the website serving the page is not necessarily the server for the media files.

That is absolutely 100% correct ... as it also is with MUCH content on sites nowadays. Blocking "doubleclick" will cause you problems on more than just a few video sites .... you will also find the same problem with media served through "brightcove".

Contrary to what you might think, "akamai" is NOT a problem with the video feeds, and DOES control many features and navigation on many websites ... you would be wise not to block akamai without VERY EXACT targeting or you will find yourself right back here wondering why some websites don't work properly.

[Alice]

Alice stated that she could not get Q13.com videos

The video link labeled "National News Update" at http://q13.trb.com/news/ is the one that I tried earlier, that routs me to a Mac troubleshooting page.... that one still doesn't work. Sorry I wasn't more specific.

The Q13 FOX News Video at http://q13.trb.com/ loads the Flash player automatically when I go to the page and the video plays without me having to disable Adblock or do anything else special. I tried a couple more videos linked from there (2 "Idol" links") and those videos also played fine.

[Old Rick 752]

There is a difference in these 2:

National News Update video at http://q13.trb.com/news/ is a Windows Media file.
Fox video is a Flash file.

This would create different types of problems as far as player errors go. The one thing that they DO share in common is that they are both served through Doubleclick (which in case you don't know, was just bought by Google )

[Alice]

National News Update video at http://q13.trb.com/news/ is a Windows Media file.

You're right, it does say "(Windows Media)" directly under the link.

Thanks, it gave me the idea to disable the new WMP plugin "np-mswmp.dll" which I recently installed, even though my original WMP plugin was working. See: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Windows_Media ... ows_XP_SP2

Once I disabled the new plugin by renaming it Xnp-mswmp.dll, that re-enabled the original WMP plugin. Clicking the National News Update video link at http://q13.trb.com/news/ then launched Windows Media Player as an external application and played the video. That Mac troubleshooting page still opened, though.

EDIT: I tested the the National News Update video link at http://q13.trb.com/news/ again with the new Firefox plugin "np-mswmp.dll". The video works now with the new plugin (it opens WMP externally, same as the old plugin did) so the problem wasn't with the new plugin at all.

[Old Rick 752]

It seems that everything is working ok now except for the error message. I am running Firefox on Windows and it also launches the player externally (it must just link to a file).

Well, Alice, I guess now you have your problem narrowed down to Firefox & WMP on a Mac ... that's a start

[Anonymosity]

I am not blocking Akamai, but I am blocking Doubleclick. The fact that Google bought them does not make me trust them any more than before. My problem seems to stem from Shockwave Flash more than the server for the media. I am unable to access that type of media most of the time, and with Windows and Mac. I am able to access Flash videos with no problem. I thought I had the Shockwave plugin, at least for Mac.

[Alice]

I am running Firefox on Windows and it also launches the player externally (it must just link to a file).

Well, Alice, I guess now you have your problem narrowed down to Firefox & WMP on a Mac ... that's a start

But I'm not on a Mac.... I'm on Windows, too