OT: no working video in Facebook/Firefox

[Dave Labrecque]

Facebook videos won't play for me in Firefox. They do in IE and Chrome. Youtube videos in FB are fine, but not FB-specific videos. I tried un and re-installing Flash, Java and Firefox. Anyone have any ideas?

[Microstudio]

Facebook videos won't play for me in Firefox. They do in IE and Chrome. Youtube videos in FB are fine, but not FB-specific videos. I tried un and re-installing Flash, Java and Firefox. Anyone have any ideas?

Use Chrome...easy as that but then if you are in love with Firefox you are getting f...ed. ;)

[Wink0r]

Yes, use Chrome because Google really is interested in 'Every breath you take - Every move you make' they'll be watching you.

[Wink0r]

On the other hand, I have yet to see a video that does not play in FF. In fact all the auto-play videos in my newsfeed are a point of frustration to me. This includes obvious phone videos that I suspect are on the FB platform.

On my old computer all, or nearly all, videos would stop working if I had too many email windows open. There would be audio and pretty pink and green hash in the video window. Closing the extra email windows and restarting the computer cured that problem when it occurred.

[jcgriggs]

Dave,

This may help:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/flash-113-doesnt-load-video-firefox

If not, can you post more details of what happens? Are there error messages? Does anything (colour flashes, grey screen, etc.) appear or does attempting to play just do nothing?

Regards,
John

[Wink0r]

I don't have real player on my computer. I do have VLC, though.

[Dave Labrecque]

Thanks, guys. I give up. I tried a bunch of stuff; nothing's working. Looks like I'm switching to Chrome. I'm always behind the curve on this stuff. Considering making the switch from Windows 3.11, too. :p

[Dave Labrecque]

Dave,

This may help:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/flash-113-doesnt-load-video-firefox

If not, can you post more details of what happens? Are there error messages? Does anything (colour flashes, grey screen, etc.) appear or does attempting to play just do nothing?

Regards,
John

Just a black square where the video image should be -- in Facebook. Video seems to work at other sites in FF. Youtube videos in Facebook work, BTW. Thanks, I'll have a look.

[Ian Alexander]

On the other hand, I have yet to see a video that does not play in FF. In fact all the auto-play videos in my newsfeed are a point of frustration to me. This includes obvious phone videos that I suspect are on the FB platform.

On my old computer all, or nearly all, videos would stop working if I had too many email windows open. There would be audio and pretty pink and green hash in the video window. Closing the extra email windows and restarting the computer cured that problem when it occurred.

On Facebook.com on a computer, click the drop down arrow in the top right corner.
Choose Settings.
Click Videos on the left margin.
Change the Auto-Play Videos setting to Off.

HTH

[Wink0r]

Ian,

Thanks! Coincidentally the information showed up in my newsfeed last night. A friend concerned about mobile data plan charges had posted it.

Wink

[Dave Labrecque]

On Facebook.com on a computer, click the drop down arrow in the top right corner.
Choose Settings.
Click Videos on the left margin.
Change the Auto-Play Videos setting to Off.

HTH

Tried it. No joy. Thanks, though!

[jcgriggs]

Dave,

It looks like FireFox does not support H.264 in MP4 (which is what FaceBook is likely using - I'm personally FaceBook-averse, so I'm not sure) natively due to licensing issues, so any issue you are seeing is likely the Plugin. Mozilla seems to recommend RealPlayer as the plugin for H.264, but I'm on Linux, so I'm using VLC, which I believe is also available for Windoze. You might try that if you want to avoid switching to Chrome...

On the other hand, there are worse fates than Chrome (cough Internet Exploder cough)

Regards,
John

[Wink0r]

As I mentioned I do have VLC installed and no video problems on FB with FF.

[Dave Labrecque]

As I mentioned I do have VLC installed and no video problems on FB with FF.

Thanks, guys. I do have VLC installed. But are you saying there's a VLC plug-in for FF?

I installed the latest Real plug-in yesterday, btw. Nuthin'.

[Wink0r]

My addon/plugin list does not show VLC but it is set to be the default media player on the computer.

[jcgriggs]

Dave,

I'm on Linux (work computer), so I did not have to install VLC manually. Here are instructions for Windoze, but I haven't tested them and cannot vouch for them:

http://139.102.78.11/vlc_help.htm

Hope this helps,
John

[Ian Alexander]

Tried it. No joy. Thanks, though!

Would've been cool if it had. I was responding to WinkOr about shutting off the autoplay "feature". I don't really mind the moving pics, but when I decide I want to hear a video and click on it, it doesn't go back to the beginning, but just turns on the sound wherever it happens to be. Argh.

[Wink0r]

it doesn't go back to the beginning, but just turns on the sound wherever it happens to be. Argh.

You can, of course, click at the beginning of the progress bar to 'rewind' the video in a case of that kind.

[Ian Alexander]

You can, of course, click at the beginning of the progress bar to 'rewind' the video in a case of that kind.

Aye, that's true, but I don't think you should have to.

[Dave Labrecque]

Dave,

I'm on Linux (work computer), so I did not have to install VLC manually. Here are instructions for Windoze, but I haven't tested them and cannot vouch for them:

http://139.102.78.11/vlc_help.htm

Hope this helps,
John

Thanks. But, alas, no difference. Actually, I already had it enabled, I think. But I did do an update, being sure those options were ticked, and... still nuthin'. I've been trying Chrome. Seems pretty snappy. Maybe I'll just stick with that.

Thanks, everyone, for trying to help me out. Must be some weird system-specific thing. :confused: