Firefox won't display YouTube video

[k4kyv]

Has anyone else had this problem?  A few days ago I noticed that YouTube videos won't play when I use Firefox.  I can copy and paste the URL into IE, and it works OK.  I have the same (latest update) version of Firefox on my laptop, and it works OK.

The  sound works, but the screen stays blank white where the picture is supposed to be.  The comments section at the bottom works normally, and the thumbnails of related videos off to the right side display normally. This seems to be a problem only with the YouTube site proper; YouTube videos that are embedded in other web pages appear to play normally.

I couldn't find any useful suggestions on the Mozilla or Firefox discussion forums.

Adobe Flash, Firefox and all the plug-ins are up to date.  I even tried disabling all the plug-ins and re-enabling them one at a time, but that didn't work or tell me anything. I discovered an old plug-in for McAfee, which I haven't used for years, and removed it, but that didn't change anything.

I haven't yet tried, as a last resort, to uninstall Firefox and then do a clean re-install.  That would be a hassle, because I would have to replicate all my tweaks and personal settings, with no guarantee it would even fix the problem.

I know they are working on FF Version 4, and I understand they have already released a beta for it, but I am not particularly interested in running a beta version or waiting for the official release of V4, if I can fix it before then.

I'd be interesting in hearing from anyone who might have had this same problem and managed to find a solution.

[AB1OQ]

You might want to check to see if your flash plugin is up to date.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

It might be helpful to indicate which version of Firefox you are running.

[WQ9E]

Don,

A couple of times I have run into problems caused by the add blocker plus so if you are running that temporarily turn it off while on the youtube site to see if that is the issue (If you are running ABP a small red stop sign will show up in the top right corner, click on it to access the disable option).

You might also upgrade to the latest version if you aren't running it, in addition to the improvements from the upgrade it will likely reset whatever is causing the problem as part of the upgrade process.  I am running 3.6.15 which I believe is the highest standard release version.  There is also a beta test version 4 available.

[K7LYF]

Don, did your Java script get turned off?

mike

[ZL4MD]

 Hello Don,
 I have the same problem - normal sound etc. but no picture.
 Another computer, is displaying normally.
 I had a lengthy discussion with my computer expert son but none of his suggestions have worked.
 
 In passing, I have enjoyed your wisdom and sage comments for years. Great stuff - keep it up.

 Kevin        ZL4MD

[k4kyv]

Hello Don,
 I have the same problem - normal sound etc. but no picture.
 Another computer, is displaying normally.
 I had a lengthy discussion with my computer expert son but none of his suggestions have worked.
 
 In passing, I have enjoyed your wisdom and sage comments for years. Great stuff - keep it up.

 Kevin        ZL4MD

Let me know if you come up with a solution, and I'll do the same. In the meantime, it's just a few clicks to open IE and copy and paste the URL.

I am used to doing that for saving YouTube videos.  For a long time, there was an incompatibility problem between Firefox and Realplayer, and you couldn't save a flash video using the FF browser (which I much prefer over IE).  They had just fixed the problem a few weeks ago, and I could save videos directly using FF, and now this occurs. Now, other players besides Real claim to allow you to save Flash videos, but I can't play them at the outset.

73, Don k4kyv

[Opcom]

Firefox/3.6.13 here and it works well. Add-ons can mess it up, like NoScript, but you should still see something to click on and it should then play fine.


After upgrading to IE 8, I quit using IE and am going to remove it and reinstall 6 and to heck with the 'consequences'. 8 is too much of a memory pig on the older machine @ 30-60MB per tab and window. It also has what seems to me dysfunctional controls and unwanted 'things' in the window. "View Source" no longer is opening in Notepad but in some bizarre editor or built-in auto-reformatting viewer. That "feature" is a major inconvenience for me when i work on my website.

[k4kyv]

I upgraded to IE 8 but rarely use it - mostly for occasions when something doesn't display correctly with FF.  Not sure how many processes it keeps running in the background to hog up memory when the prog is not opened.

Firefox used to be bad about using up memory, but later versions seem to have reduced the problem with the "leak".  I used to to periodically minimise and restore the window and that would knock the memory usage back down, but it would slowly build back up as I continued working with it.

Supposedly there exists a version of Windows XP that has IE stripped out of it, but I have heard that it is available only in certain countries outside USA. Not sure if M$ would support a copy purchased offshore and brought back here.

[K5UJ]

don't videos eat up a heck of a lot of storage?  why not just leave them on YouTube?  Or do you have one of those 1 Tb external drives?  What's on YouTube anyway?  Have not seen it in a few years.  Last time might have been Derb's video of your shack Don.   

[w5omr]

don't videos eat up a heck of a lot of storage?  why not just leave them on YouTube?  Or do you have one of those 1 Tb external drives?  What's on YouTube anyway?  Have not seen it in a few years.  Last time might have been Derb's video of your shack Don.   

Everything's on Youtube.  I watched the whole series of "Taken" (Sci-Fi channel stuff) on Youtube.  Watched that film with Jody Foster - "Contact" on youtube... saw "Frequency" on youtube... everything musical you could ever want to see/hear.  I like instrumentalists like Chet Atkins, Bela Fleck, Tony Rice, Jerry Reed, Sam Bush, Marcel Dadi... those guys are -masters- at their respective instruments and watching the just 'play' is awesome.

Whats' on youtube?  EVERYTHING is on youtube!

[k4kyv]

don't videos eat up a heck of a lot of storage?  why not just leave them on YouTube?  Or do you have one of those 1 Tb external drives?  What's on YouTube anyway?  Have not seen it in a few years.  Last time might have been Derb's video of your shack Don.   

I don't very often save YouTube videos, but I do bookmark and watch some of them.  Problem is, I can't view the video portion using FF.

There used to be an incompatibility between Realplayer and FF, so that I could view the video on FF but had to download and save it using IE.  Just as they resolved that problem, now I can't view them with FF.

[K5UJ]

Don, you probably have javascript disabled and/or you need to install the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

I can't watch youtube either but web browsing and email are all I care about.

[Steve - K4HX]

Just use a different browser. There are tons of them out there.

[W1ATR]

Try this Don

Go to YTube and bring up a video, ANY video. Click the users name that uploaded the vid to get to their YT channel.

Right click the screen where the video would play and select 'settings'.

A box will pop up that says Adobe Flash Player Settings. The bottom left of the box has tabs. Click the first one that looks like a video monitor. Uncheck the box where it says 'Enable hardware acceleration.', then click close. Go back and try watching another vid to see if this works.

Not sure if it's your exact problem, but it's worth a look.

J 

[k4kyv]

That part of the page is blank also.  The thumbnails under that that relate to similar videos is displayed, but the user information on who uploaded the video is missing.

[K5UJ]

Hmm, i just checked and I can watch YouTube videos now; my DSL speed makes it unpleasant at times so I normally don't bother.  I'm running firefox v. 3.6.13
Plugins:
Default Plugin 2.0 Gecko default plugin

Java Embedding Plugin 0.9.7.4 MRJ Plugin version 1.0-JEP-0.9.7.4
runs Java applets using the latest installed versions of Java

Java Plug-In 2 for NPAPI Browsers 12.7.0
Java plugin 2 for NPAPI browsers

Sockwave Flash 10.1.102.64
shockwave flash 10.1 r102

I also have a couple others but they are for mac OS X apps.

Click on the About tab under Firefox in the toolbar at the top of the browser page to get the version, then click on Tools and then Add Ons then Plug ins to get the list of plugins mentioned above.

Your windowing and desktop config may (probably) is slightly different so the above may be different but if you hunt around you should find the equivalents for your desktop and windowing system.

[K4TLJ]

Some folks on the ARF forum had the same problem. Check http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=159667 for the solution. Seems just clearing the cache solved the problem.

Clear the cache

   1. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (Tools menu in Windows XP) and then click OptionsOn the menu bar, click on the Firefox menu and select Preferences...At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Edit menu and select PreferencesAt the top of the Firefox window, click on the Tools menu and select Options...On the menu bar, click on the Firefox menu and select Preferences...At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Edit menu and select Preferences...
   2. Select the Advanced panel.
   3. Click on the Network tab.
   4. In the Offline Storage section, click Clear Now.

[Ott]

Has anyone else had this problem?  A few days ago I noticed that YouTube videos won't play when I use Firefox.  I can copy and paste the URL into IE, and it works OK.  I have the same (latest update) version of Firefox on my laptop, and it works OK.

Same problem here Don... turns out there is a problem with the current flash player...

http://forums.adobe.com/message/3509262

Go to: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/142/tn_14266.html

Drop down the page to "Older Archives" and download "Flash Player 10.1"

Uninstall your current flash player and install the older one... fixed problem here...

May need the cleanup program too: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html

Paragraph "1": http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html

Good luck...

[k4kyv]

I'll try that.  The problem occurred right after I downloaded updates to both FF and Flash.  I figured I had a corrupted file during one of the updates.  Clearing the cache didn't help.

[k4kyv]

Same problem here Don... turns out there is a problem with the current flash player...

http://forums.adobe.com/message/3509262

Go to: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/142/tn_14266.html

Drop down the page to "Older Archives" and download "Flash Player 10.1"

Uninstall your current flash player and install the older one... fixed problem here...

May need the cleanup program too: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html

Paragraph "1": http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html

Good luck...

It worked.

But now YouTube won't play on IE.  I get an error message saying I must upgrade to the  latest version of Flash Player to watch the video.

But since I normally use FF, I'll just wait till they get the incompatibility straightened out.

This computer uses WinXP.  My laptop uses Win7.  I have the latest upgrades to both FF and Flash player in the laptop and it works OK.

[Ott]

It worked.

But now YouTube won't play on IE.  I get an error message saying I must upgrade to the  latest version of Flash Player to watch the video.

But since I normally use FF, I'll just wait till they get the incompatibility straightened out.

This computer uses WinXP.  My laptop uses Win7.  I have the latest upgrades to both FF and Flash player in the laptop and it works OK.

Well Don, that's good enough news. I too use different browsers for different sites. The bank insists on just one browser, the news wants another. Amfone "Best Views" on Firefox... sez so in the "Site Info" section. Nothing ever seems to really work quite right... kinda like when the tv went digital. Now, no two channels display the same on the screen... all are different sizes... they even change size from one scene to the next. Some channels display people as kinda narrow, some as way too wide. We'll have gone on to our maker and compatibility will still be a distant dream.

[k4kyv]

It seems you have to have one version of Flash on your computer, or the other.  I haven't figured out a way to put v10.1 on Firefox and v10.2 on IE.  When you install Flash, you just install it in the computer, than you have the option of using it as an "add-on" or "plug-in" in whatever browser you are using.

I like Firefox a lot better than IE.  I originally switched over years ago when some malicious site was redirecting certain web pages to a scam site that promised to pay me  money to take on-line surveys. I used all kinds of malware removal techniques, and still couldn't get rid of it using IE, but the problem was gone when I used FF.  I have never been back, except I do use IE (which I keep up to date) sometimes when certain pages don't load properly with FF.

[K4TLJ]

Apparently the true 'fix' found in this link http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=159667 was to disable hardware acceleration. Guess the latest version of flash is having problems with some video cards.

[Steve - K4HX]

This site apparently works FB with a number of different browsers. Here's the stats for the last month.

Browser                                     %
Firefox 3.6                        24.34%  
Internet Explorer 8.0           15.13%  
Mozilla 5                           11.73%  
Safari                                6.88%  
Internet Explorer 7.0            5.50%  
Internet Explorer 6.0            5.28%  
Firefox 3.5                         3.74%  
Opera 9.8                            1.75%  
Wget                                   0.91%  
Firefox 3.0                         0.90%

I've tested it with four different browsers on two different operating systems and all were FB.