Some sites popping Flash error messages for video

[mmouse]

Hello

As per the subject, a few weeks ago I noticed that some sites (BBC for example) began to complain that my browser needed Flash (!) when trying to play some videos. Looking at the browser console, there was a more sane message about a missing codec. Browsing this forum a bit I found a reference to content configuration, so I clicked 'Enable MSE for MP4 video' in the Content tab and lo! videos played without Flash and Palemoon was great again .

Just wanted to share this in case someone else is bothered by this baffling message.

It's possible this would not work for people using a Linux distro not polluted by proprietary software like my Ubuntu 18.04, though.

[Moonchild]

Why did you disable MSE for MP4 to begin with?

It's not baffling. If no html5 video support of the right format is found, websites will try to fall back to Flash. If flash is also not found, it will error.

[mmouse]

Why did you disable MSE for MP4 to begin with?

Well, I have no memory of ever disabling it. Since I did not even know this existed, I would not have any reason to do so.
Possibly I am carrying over a very old config file from before this option appeared.

It's not baffling. If no html5 video support of the right format is found, websites will try to fall back to Flash. If flash is also not found, it will error.

Not baffling for you, certainly. Some people are not actively developing browsers

[Moonchild]

Possibly I am carrying over a very old config file from before this option appeared.

Not possible, since a pref that doesn't exist would use the default (and the default is "enabled") -- so you must have changed that setting one way or another to its problematic setting you have now fixed.

[Mike_Walsh]

The Beeb are in the middle of a major shake-up for their streaming services.

They, like everybody else, are well aware that Flash is due for its long-overdue demise at the end of next year. But at least (unlike some webmasters, who are procrastinating right to the bitter end) they are trying to get set-up for HTML5 well ahead of the deadline.

Personally, I find it very odd that any major streaming provider in 2019 is still reliant on Flash to provide the graphical rendering, given that HTML5 has been around for some years now.


Mike.