NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

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Kate1

NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by Kate1 » 2021-09-29, 21:28

I am trying to watch several free TV shows on NBC's website. No matter what browser or computer I use, the videos start using all the memory and the CPU usage goes to 100%. I have to force the browser to close or my computer will freeze up. I was hoping someone here might be able to help me with this. I asked on another forum and got no where.

I've tried with and without the extensions disabled, including script blockers. I deleted all the cache and cookies. I tried opening a private session. I tried disabling plugins. Nothing works.

The problem starts at the end of the first group of commercials - right as the show returns.

Here's one of the videos - https://www.nbc.com/law-and-order-organized-crime/video/the-stuff-that-dreams-are-made-of/4346217
If you try it, skip to just before the first commercial break and watch until the show returns from commercials. That's when the memory usage starts increasing dramatically.

I can watch videos on other websites with no problems. Any ideas on what could be the problem and how to fix it?

Relevant Info:

Computer 1:
Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia
Intel Core i5-3350P
8 GB RAM
NVIDIA GM107 [GeForce GTX 750 Ti]
Firefox 92.0.1
Chromium 93.0.4577.63


Computer 2 (Sorry, I don't have all the specs right now):
Windows 7 (I know, I know)
Intel Core i5
6 GB RAM
Latest versions of Pale Moon, Firefox, Opera, and Vivaldi

I've tried six browsers on two computers and the same problem occurs.

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Re: NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by Moonchild » 2021-09-30, 00:11

Not sure what you're hoping to get from us here when the problem occurs on all browsers. It's much more likely to be something system-wide in that case, which we can't really help with. Perhaps ask in a more generic computer support forum?
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Kate1

Re: NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by Kate1 » 2021-09-30, 02:53

Thanks. But it's happening on two different computers. Two different operating systems. Linux and Windows. Multiple browsers: Pale Moon, Firefox, Opera, Vivaldi, Chromium.

This particular forum indicates it's for topics related to Pale Moon and web browsers. I was just hoping someone could either check out the link I provided or give some thoughts on why it's happening on two computers with different operating systems? You guys know more than me about browsers. And since the developers post here, I thought I might get better help than posting on some random tech forum.

Any recommendations on what forum/website to ask on? This is the second one I've tried. Thanks. Not mad, just deflated and annoyed at the situation.

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Re: NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by Moonchild » 2021-09-30, 08:46

Unfortunately I can't help checking because the video is region-locked (I'm assuming to the USA)

If it's related to commercials... are you using an ad-blocker that might interfere with it? If it gets stuck in a loop as a result that might cause your problem.
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Re: NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by smithy » 2021-09-30, 09:01

I get the same region locked message as Moonchild in the UK
When I use a vpn connected to a US server I get this.
Screenshot_2021-09-30_09-58-06.png
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Re: NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by ron_1 » 2021-09-30, 11:27

I tested it as you said, skipped to just before the first commercial break, let the commercials play, then the show came back, and I've had zero problems with it. It's still playing as I type this, and it has just about reached the second commercial break.

EDIT
There was one weird thing that happened. At the second commercial break, the time counter didn't run, it stayed stuck at "0:00 / 2:00" but the commercials played just fine. When the show came back, the controls did not return to the control for the show. It stayed on the controls for the second commercial break. But the show continued playing just fine.

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Re: NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by therube » 2021-09-30, 17:04

No issue here, 29.4.0.1 x64, Win7 x64.
(PM) CPU usage ~9% (a bit higher on first load of the page, before anything started to play).
(Clip played fully, successfully. [I didn't watch, just had it playing in the background.]
At some point, coinciding with one of the commercials, timeline didn't update correctly, only showing 0:00..1:30.
Time before I actually last looked, clip was well into playback. And the last I looked, no video at all, so I assume it completed.)

It's much more likely to be something system-wide
My thought.
Maybe your antivirus (perhaps none in Linux?) or similar is injecting itself into the browser space?

On the Windows end, in Process Hacker, check the palemoon.exe (vivaldi.exe...) process & see if something "odd" isn't injecting itself into its' address space (in the Modules section of the palemoon.exe Properties window).

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Re: NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by coffeebreak » 2021-09-30, 20:55

PM 29.4.1, Win 7 x86:
I saw this issue several times running - though not every time I tried the episode / 1st ad group.
When it did happen, there was a "busy script" message for this script:

Code: Select all

https://static.nbc.com/prod/pdk-conviva-plugin-v2.2.14.min.js
There was always enough time to ask the script to stop and close the NBC page, but that didn't halt the OOM freeze.

It's just an impression, but the freezes only seemed to happen when this conviva plugin was in use (it wasn't used with every ad, or ad group). In any case, I tried blocking just that script and the freezes seemed to stop in my case.

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Re: NBC Videos Crash ALL Browsers on 2 Computers

Unread post by Moonchild » 2021-09-30, 21:15

So i guess NBC needs to be clued in that conviva causes denial-of-service and they should stop using it.
"Sometimes, the best way to get what you want is to be a good person." -- Louis Rossmann
"Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past; wisdom is of the future." -- Native American proverb
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