Media Playing Problems

The machines we love to hate

Moderator: Wiz Feinberg

Post Reply
User avatar
Jon Light
Posts: 13745
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Saugerties, NY
Contact:

Media Playing Problems

Post by Jon Light »

I've got two issues----maybe someone has an idea?

1) I have no sound when I play Youtube videos. Nothing is muted on my audio control panel or locally on the youtube player. If I save the video with DownloadHelper I can play it back fine, with full audio (on Windows Media Player)

2) I can't play any streamed audio on Myspace. It shows that it's downloading but it never starts playing regardless of whether I wait or hit play or whatever. As far as I know my flash player is up to date and current although I'm not sure at the moment how to check it out.

I don't think I've got anything blocked but one never knows, do one?

System sounds all work fine, saved mp3's play fine.

WinXP, Firefox 2.0.0.15

Anybody have ideas?
Joe Law
Posts: 145
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Leslie ,GA

UTube Problem

Post by Joe Law »

Jon,
Sorry I Can't help you but, welcome to the club,seems as though you got about as much response as my problem posted below yours.
User avatar
Wiz Feinberg
Posts: 6091
Joined: 8 Jan 1999 1:01 am
Location: Mid-Michigan, USA
Contact:

Post by Wiz Feinberg »

Jon;
I'm sorry it has taken forever for me to get to your question, but let's see if we can figure it out together.

Fact: Sound system is working and plays system sounds and downloaded movies stored on your hard drives.

Fact: YouTube presentations do not play any sounds online in Firefox.

Fact: Streaming MySpace audio is not played back either, in Firefox.

Question: The audio control sliders are not muted or at zero level, are they?

Fact: Maria Gambrelli was seen in the parlour with ... Oops; wrong movie!

Firefox uses plug-ins for Flash, Move, Quicktime and Windows Media playback, and other audio visual presentations. Open your options in Firefox, go to the Applications tab (FF 3.0) and look to see if your desired file types are listed and properly associated with the correct application, or plug-in. Also, open your Add-ons box and see if there are any updates available for your installed add-ons and plug-ins.

Another test is to visit the same sites using Internet Exploder, equipped with up-to-date Adobe Flash, Shockwave and other required plug-ins and see if they playback in that browser.
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog
User avatar
Jon Light
Posts: 13745
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Saugerties, NY
Contact:

Post by Jon Light »

Wiz Feinberg wrote:Jon;
I'm sorry it has taken forever for me to get to your question,
Don't be silly. Thanks.

This is FF 2.0.0.15. Just tried my almost-never-used IE with I have no idea how up-to-date utilities and the myspace player behaves exactly the same as it does with FF. If you are familiar with the player appearance----it shows the download in progress (as do taskbar indicators like the Zone Alarm icon and the connectivity icon. The player has these bar graph graphics that music to be playing. But the time readout stays at zero and the time bar does not start moving. The player says 'playing' and says 'paused' when you pause it.
All of this but no nuthin. All of these symptoms behave consistently---nothing erratic. And like I said, the behavior is 100% identical on IE.
Weird.
User avatar
Jon Moen
Posts: 368
Joined: 13 Mar 2005 1:01 am
Location: Canada

Post by Jon Moen »

For the streaming problem, try this if using XP.

On your Start Menu, choose "Set Program Access and Defaults.

Expand the Custom section by clicking on it.

Scroll down to "Choose a default media player" and select "Windows Media Player" instead of using the "current media player".

Jon
User avatar
Wiz Feinberg
Posts: 6091
Joined: 8 Jan 1999 1:01 am
Location: Mid-Michigan, USA
Contact:

Post by Wiz Feinberg »

Jon Light;
Could this be a "failure to communicate?" I mean is something on your computer blocking the communications from the Internet, but allowing them from your hard disks? The first things that come to mind are ZoneAlarm's "Programs" settings and your security program possibly interfering with Flash or streaming media content. More and more threats are being embedded in web pages and the content called from them. I use the "NoScript" add-on in Firefox and it blocks Flash by default, unless I allow scripts from a web page or domain. Check your add-ons for anything that blocks Flash, or active content in web pages.
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog
Post Reply