Palemoon 26.1.0 Atom/WinXP Youtube Trouble

[tigorrr]

By default option "general.useragent.override.youtube.com" have value 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:38.9) Gecko/20100101 Goanna/2.0 Firefox/38.9 PaleMoon/26.0'
As result Youtube detect browser as HTML5 Video compatible and switch to HTML5 player only, but available resolution maximum 360p, other don't available. To override restrictions Google require to install Chrome and/or Win7+.
Users on WinXP don't need this restrictions and HTML5 on Youtube because flash is faster on old hardware.
I test random values for option "general.useragent.override.youtube.com" to override restrictions and find the best value is 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:31.9) Gecko/20151126 Firefox/31.9 PaleMoon/26.0'
Youtube detect client by version and engine. If we set higher version and/or engine (by example - Goanna/2.0) in useragent - Youtube switch to HTML5 Video.

[Moonchild]

However, that UA will throw an error that "your browser is no longer supported" (and will do so every time if you clear your cookies).

So, our current dilemma is:

• With "Goanna" in the UA, it will force HTML5 (thinks mobile?)
• Without Firefox tag in it, it will force HTML5 (assumes unknown = mobile?) and restricts features
• With Firefox in the UA, with a low number, it will offer flash BUT show a nag screen "no longer supported"
• With Firefox in the UA, with a higher number, it will force HTML5

There is no single choice here that satisfies all Youtube's checks.

[New Tobin Paradigm]

Keep in mind that it is Google's intention to end Flash completely.. So I see the flash player and scripting that would allow this trickery to get the flash player to vanish one day.

[tigorrr]

However, that UA will throw an error that "your browser is no longer supported" (and will do so every time if you clear your cookies).

So, our current dilemma is:

• With "Goanna" in the UA, it will force HTML5 (thinks mobile?)
• Without Firefox tag in it, it will force HTML5 (assumes unknown = mobile?) and restricts features
• With Firefox in the UA, with a low number, it will offer flash BUT show a nag screen "no longer supported"
• With Firefox in the UA, with a higher number, it will force HTML5

There is no single choice here that satisfies all Youtube's checks.

With UA 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:31.9) Gecko/20151126 Firefox/31.9 PaleMoon/26.0' Youtube offer flash and doesn't show a nag screen "no longer supported".

[Moonchild]

With UA 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:31.9) Gecko/20151126 Firefox/31.9 PaleMoon/26.0' Youtube doesn't show a nag screen

Yes it does, unless you've already dismissed it once (and a cookie has been set in that case -- hideBrowserUpgradeBox).

[tigorrr]

Keep in mind that it is Google's intention to end Flash completely.. So I see the flash player and scripting that would allow this trickery to get the flash player to vanish one day.

Flash dies for last ~10 years. Until HTML5 Video still slow and glitchy - Flash will stay alive. Old hardware doesn't have required perfomance to show HTML 5 Video. Youtube lost part of visitors if disable flash. I can't predict what will happen tomorrow. But today trickery is needed.

[tigorrr]

With UA 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:31.9) Gecko/20151126 Firefox/31.9 PaleMoon/26.0' Youtube doesn't show a nag screen

Yes it does, unless you've already dismissed it once (and a cookie has been set in that case -- hideBrowserUpgradeBox).

I'm sorry, you right. On Palemoon 25+ Youtube also show this screen, not big problem because Flash is remained working.

New solution: UA 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; WOW64; rv:42.0) Gecko/20151126 Firefox/42.0 PaleMoon/26.0' work fine without nag screen.

[Moonchild]

...but no Flash with faking Firefox 42.

[tigorrr]

...but no Flash with faking Firefox 42.

Flash working fine with fake 42 firefox only if UA have Windows NT 5.1, not 6.1
With 6.1 no flash.
If we write Windows NT 6.1 it say we use Win7 which support h264 html5 video.

[Moonchild]

Aha!

Thanks for the research.

[tigorrr]

Aha!

Thanks for the research.

Thanks for fast answers
All "general.useragent.override" options must contain "Windows NT 5.1" on Palemoon for WinXP because "Windows NT 6.1" is Win7, and XP doesn't have required functionality.

[Moonchild]

Yes, I'm aware of that, but you have to understand that XP compatibility is not a prime reason for the Atom version to exist.

[tigorrr]

Yes, I'm aware of that, but you have to understand that XP compatibility is not a prime reason for the Atom version to exist.

I have fast PC but use WinXP and Atom version is what I need. UA overriding with value "Windows NT 5.1" don't broke functionality on Win7+ and Atom. I don't seen situations where HTML 5 Video beat the Flash in perfomance esp. in full hd and 4k on slow hardware like Atom. On my laptop with Win7 I also prefer to use Flash instead HTML5 on Youtube and other video services. I don't want to Palemoon turned into Chrome which dictated what I can use, and what can't. Thank you for your work

[Moonchild]

Other overrides aren't in place for Flash vs HTML5 video -- that's just YouTube dictating this. We're lucky they actually cater to Windows XP this way.

[tigorrr]

Other overrides aren't in place for Flash vs HTML5 video -- that's just YouTube dictating this. We're lucky they actually cater to Windows XP this way.

You right. Other overrides can be incompatible if Palemoon provided Win7 UA on old system with XP. Fake OS UA is incorrect imho.
Overriding sites are incompatible with WinXP UA?

[Moonchild]

The OS entry in UA overrides are usually completely irrelevant (but an entry for OS is still expected to be present).
This cannot be changed at run-time in the browser. If you insist that it matches your OS, then you have to change the overrides yourself.

[Frank Winkhorst]

Firefox has an add-on called: "YouTube Flash Video Player" that allows you to set the default player to "Flash Video Player." This allows videos to play at all available resolutions. Sometimes there is an error message, but, in that case, reloading the page will allow the video to play.

[Frank Winkhorst]

I just noticed that installing the Pot Player from Daum and using that as the default Flash player in Pale Moon appears to eliminate the need to sometimes refresh the YouTube video to get it to run in Flash mode. I'm sure Google will find some way to mess this up, but for now, it's quite nice.

Update, April 8: I have had one instance where the video didn't load without refreshing. Overall, still excellent response.