21 replies to this topic

[SpiceWare]

Just noticed that videos don't work anymore. I'm running Safari w/out Flash installed. I have YouTube5 installed, which worked in the prior forum software, that re-wraps YouTube and Vimeo videos with HTML5 for Flashless viewing.

It wouldn't be so bad if there was a link to the actual video instead of the "Missing Plug-in" message.

[Albert]

I'm not sure you can blame this on the forum software--the "Missing Plug-in" message is being generated by Safari, and it removes the appropriate link (or the YouTube5 plugin is). Not sure what changed in the forum software that would cause YouTube5 to stop working, but I can look in Invision's site to see if anyone else has a solution. Which is unlikely, as most people will use Flash, and of those who don't probably only a small subset are using YouTube5. Hmm, a quick search of the Invision forum doesn't return any results for "youtube5".

I'm not a big fan of Flash either, but I think it's more convenient to leave it enabled rather than completely disable it. In Chrome I use Flashblock so I can selectively enable Flash on various sites, and you can whitelist sites (like AtariAge) so Flash is always enabled.

You could use something like ClickToFlash for Safari.

..Al

[SpiceWare]

Yeah, I used to use ClickToFlash. I prefer not to because it reports to the web site that I'm using Flash, giving them less incentive to support HTML5.

I use Gruber's Cheat with Chrome trick for those few sites I must use Flash with. It works for here as well, I'm just now less likely to check something out.

[SpiceWare]

I thought perhaps a recent Safari update might be involved - but I just checked Cliptip and all those videos show fine, so something did change here.

Anyhow it's not a major issue, just an FYI.

[Albert]

I just read that article. Wouldn't using YouTube5 still cause the Flash content to be loaded from the website you're visiting, effectively letting them know that you're using Flash?

..Al

[SpiceWare]

Not sure how it works, but if a site tests for flash, it doesn't see flash installed.

http://www.codegeek....ash-version.php

[Albert]

SpiceWare, on Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:44 PM, said:

Not sure how it works, but if a site tests for flash, it doesn't see flash installed.

http://www.codegeek....ash-version.php
Flash Test.png

Interesting, but sites will know if they are still serving Flash content, since the browser will request and download those assets. That would be a more useful metric in my opinion, especially knowing that people can spoof whether or not the Flash Player is installed.

..Al

[SpiceWare]

Since I went Flashless back in November, I've noticed a number of sites that used to not work at all (they'd check and put up a "Flash Required" page) that now work with YouTube5. Because of that, I think somebody's noticing something. It could also be related to iOS.

[Albert]

SpiceWare, on Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:28 PM, said:

Since I went Flashless back in November, I've noticed a number of sites that used to not work at all (they'd check and put up a "Flash Required" page) that now work with YouTube5. Because of that, I think somebody's noticing something. It could also be related to iOS.

I think iOS is a big reason you're seeing a push to HTML5 video, especially with the success fo the iPad on top of the iPhone.

..Al

[SpiceWare]

One thing that I have found interesting is a number of sites used to require me to fake them out by sending the iPad User Agent String. Hardly have to do that anymore.

[Albert]

SpiceWare, on Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:32 PM, said:

One thing that I have found interesting is a number of sites used to require me to fake them out by sending the iPad User Agent String. Hardly have to do that anymore.

I haven't used my iPad to do much surfing--mainly I use it when traveling and don't want to bring my laptop. It's great for getting online (as long as I have cellular access!) and surfing, responding to emails, etc. I usually will bring my Apple Bluetooth keyboard along as well since I can type much more quickly on it than the on-screen keyboard. Good to know that sites are adopting to the iPad/iPhone and endorsing HTML5 video more.

..Al

[SpiceWare]

The embedded videos in the store still work,though the one for Stella's Stocking has a "This video has been removed by the user."

[SpiceWare]

I was in San Antonio this weekend and noticed that embedded videos work fine on the iPad. I'm back home now, so I tried telling Safari to use the iPad User Agent string. Still got the missing plug-in message. I then tried turning off YouTube5 with the iPad UA, no luck with that either.

Not sure what to make of it, but thought I'd post it just in case it makes a go off or that it might be helpful to IPB.

[wood_jl]

So it is a bummer, then that these devices don't use Flash? I just don't understand why they don't, when everything else does. Maybe won't matter in the future.

[SpiceWare]

This is about my Mac, where I personally uninstalled Flash because it's utter crap (something with Flash gets loaded and the fans would kick into overdrive, plus there's a high probability the browser would crash). The embedded videos used to work here w/out Flash, but don't after the update. As I discovered this weekend, they play just fine on my iPad w/out Flash. As far as installing the "new improved Flash" on my Mac, there's an old saying that comes to mind - "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Apple doesn't have it on iOS for a number of reasons such as it crashes a lot and is a major power drain on portable devices (#3 and #4 in Thoughts on Flash). For years now Adobe's been bitching that Apple wasn't including Flash on iOS, yet the only thing that was available was Flash Lite which wasn't even compatible with the sites people wanted to use it for. It wasn't until recently that Adobe even got out a beta release of Flash [non-Lite] for mobile devices - and it wasn't even ready for the Xoom's release, which was supposedly one of the Xoom's major selling points. So even if Apple had been inclined to do so, what were they supposed to include for all these years???

Edited by SpiceWare, Mon Apr 4, 2011 9:21 AM.

[Albert]

I really think Apple is being an ass over the whole Flash business and iOS devices. Yeah, I know it's a resource hog and drains battery life on portable devices, but I'd rather make the choice to visit a Flash-only site on my iPhone rather than Apple preventing from doing so entirely. In the long term users will win as we may see less dependency on Flash, but short term it sucks. It's a pissing match between Adobe and Apple, and end users are the ones being pissed on. I don't have Flash disabled on any of my computers, but I do use Flashblock on my laptop (not on my desktop though).

I remember the first time I saw Flash displaying video. My first thought was, "Well, that's pretty stupid, that's not what Flash was designed for!" And here we are now, where 99% of the sites using Flash are doing so to play videos. Genius on Adobe's part at the time. It's just a shame that they seemingly put so little effort into making Flash more efficient. If they had, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation!

..Al

[SpiceWare]

And yet another "iPad Killer with Flash* support" where the * = coming soon in a future update.

Kinda hard to be upset at Apple when Adobe still doesn't have it ready for prime time. Of course, it could be that Acer and Motorola want the initial reviews <cough>battery life</cough> done without Flash.

[emkay]

Not reading the whole thread, I want to add something.

Apple has it's causes NOT to add Flash to their system. The biggest cause is the vulnerability of the OS.

To gain any security status "Windows" like, they have to jump a decade into the future. Apple always got attention by very small innovations. Adding something to handle and sell cheap stuff for expensive money, did their way ....

Really, there must be all PC and Mobile resources banned from Planet Earth, before buying something from Apple.

I guess Apple fans are just like People who prefer a Photo of a naked blonde girl, than to have a sexy brunette girl right in the bed

[SpiceWare]

I've read that 3 times now and still don't know what you're trying to say.

[SpiceWare]

Definitely not ready for prime time - Flash on Android: Look but don't touch

[batari]

Thought I'd mention that the embedded videos here work fine in Linux with Gnash. Too bad nobody has bothered doing a proper port of Gnash to OS X or any other platform.

[SpiceWare]

Don't know what changed, I'm still on Safari 5.1.1, but the videos are showing up again.