Closed Bug 646554 Opened 13 years ago Closed 13 years ago

Windows Media Player doesn't work with Radio Stations in my copy of Firefox 4.0

Categories

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Product:
Firefox
Component:
General
Version:
4.0 Branch
Platform:
x86
Windows XP
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
major

Tracking

()

Status:
RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

People

(Reporter: jgmaxwell, Unassigned)

Details

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.16) Gecko/20110319 Firefox/3.6.16 ( .NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.16) Gecko/20110319 Firefox/4.0( .NET CLR 3.5.30729)

Problem with Windows Media Player in Firefox 4.0.
Windows Media Player (WMP) doesn't work when connecting to Radio Stations in my copy of Firefox 4.0 but works fine using  Firefox 3.6.16. I use this application a lot and am reverting to Firefox 3.6.16 until hopefully this can be fixed. I will illustrate the problem using two Radio stations as they each seem to treat the opening of WMP somewhat differently. I will try first to detail how things work using Firefox 3.6.16 and then indicate where differences occur using Firefox 4.0.

NOTE: I am running Windows XP with service pack 3 on a Dell Dimension 8300. The version of WMP I have is 11.0.5721.5280 which I think is the latest version.

First Radio Station (this is the station I use most).
Using Firefox 3.6.16 .
(1) Go to:
	http://www.wksu.org/classical/classicalchannel/
	Tab shows:
		WKSU-News, Classical, other smart stuff.
	Page shows:
		General information about current programming.

(2) Below “Listen” Click on:
	“Windows Media” 
	(2.1) Address bar shows:
		http://www.wksu.org/listen/classical.asx
	(2.2)Tab shows:
		Classical.asx (video/x-ms-asf Object)
	(2.3)Page shows:
		Solid Black

(3)	Shortly WMP appears in the Page (but separate from it in the sense that if you click the WMP minimize button WMP goes to the tray while the black screen remains in tact) and
		(3.1) WMP shows: “Connecting to …:
		(3.2) then shows: “Buffering”
		(3.3) then begins the current feed and random multicolored display.
(4) As a point of curiosity if you click in the Black Page nothing happens.

Now same Radio station using Firefox 4.0
Repeat (1) through (2.1) above.
Instead of (2.2) above, the Tab now shows the same as the Address bar, namely:
		http://www.wksu.org/listen/classical.asx
	This is followed by (same as (2.3) above):
		Screen turns Solid Black.
	If you click in the screen, the screen turns from Black to White.
	WMP never starts.

Now for the second Radio Station
Using Firefox 3.6.16
(A) Go to:
	http://www.wkhr.org/information/liveonline.aspx
	Tab shows:
		WHKR-91.5 FM
(B) A page of general information appears.
	Below “Select your player to Listen Now: “
	Click on: WMP
	(B1) Address bar shows:
		http://www.wkhr.org/live/wkhr.asx
	(B2) Tab shows:
		whkr.asx (video/x-ms-asf Object)
	(B3) Page turns Black simultaneous with the appearance of WMP and WMP begins to load and play the current streaming along with a random multicolored display.
(C)As a matter of curiosity if you click in the black Page, nothing happens.

Now same Radio station using Firefox 4.0
Go to:
	The same address as in (A) above
There is no Tab this time, only the page of general information as appeared in (B) above.
Below “Select your player to Listen Now: “
	Click on WMP.
The address line shows:
	http://www.wkhr.org/live/wkhr.asx
which is the same as in (B1) above.
The page turns all Black as in (B3) above.
There is some blinking of the cursor.
Nothing else happens
If you move or click the cursor, the Black page changes to all White.

WMP never starts.

An observation:
What seems to be an obvious part of the Trouble with Firefox 4.0 is that the module identified by
Classical.asx (video/x-ms-asf Object) in the first Radio station, and
whkr.asx (video/x-ms-asf Object) in the second Radio station
doesn't seem to get loaded.

I hope someone can fix this whatever the trouble is.
Please let me know if the trouble has been corrected so I can return to the newest version of Firefox.
Thank you in advance.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.See above.
2.
3.
Actual Results:  
See above. Windows Media Player doesn't load.

Expected Results:  
I want Windows Media Player to load and play.
I installed firefox 4 in a new Program directory and not over the original firefox directory. This caused me much confusion about where things are for monthly backups.

To get media player files to play I had to copy C:\Program Files\mozilla firefox\plugins\ directory to C:\Program Files\mozilla firefox4\plugins\ (note the 4) directory .

Installing via the recommended MS WMP plugin install did not work

vista ff4.0 no-antivirus
(Forgot to add to previous post) Numerous people have the same problem. 

72 people clicked yes at (see description of problem) http://support.mozilla.com/pa-IN/questions/795963
Version: unspecified → 4.0 Branch
I am unable to reproduce this issue on FF4 using the latest version of WMP. Works for me on:

Build identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:2.2a1pre) Gecko/20110407 Firefox/4.2a1pre

Could you see if the issue occurs if using Firefox in safe mode:
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode

How about with a new, empty testing profile? (Don't install any addons into it)
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Basic+Troubleshooting#w_8-make-a-new-profile
Thank you Simona B. I started ff in safe mode. I did not check any of the 5 boxes in the safe mode window. Everything worked perfectly. I'm not sure how safe mode works if no boxes are checked so I don't know yet what what the nature of the interference is which is causing the failure I described. I will try the testing profile you suggest in the morning. It's getting late here now. I am most thankful for your references to the relevant help pages. I would be completely lost without that information. I will post additional comment after trying the testing profile.
Glenn Maxwell
The offending code turned out to be titled: "RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin 14.0.1" and list as: "Detects all recordable content on the browser". Last updated "Tuesday Dec. 21 2010". I don't have many addons so this was relatively easy to isolate.
Curiously this "Plugin" was filed among the "extensions" instead of with the "Plugins" and was the only "Plugin" so filed.
Thank you Mike and Simona B for helping me out with this glitch.
Glenn Maxwell
I don't have "RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin" anywhere in addons !

SafeMode does not help ! Only the following works, see my Comment 1: 

"....To get media player files to play I had to copy C:\Program Files\mozilla firefox\plugins\ directory to C:\Program Files\mozilla firefox4\plugins\ (note the 4) directory ...."

I have : 
- RealJukebox NS Plugin 1.0.3.69
	RealJukebox Netscape Plugin
- Reallusion CT4Player for Mozilla 1.0.0.1
	npRLCT4Player
- RealPlayer Version Plugin 6.0.12.69
	6.0.12.69
- RealPlayer(tm) G2 LiveConnect-Enabled Plug-In (32-bit)  6.0.12.69
	RealPlayer(tm) LiveConnect-Enabled Plug-In

Graphics: (about:support)

Adapter Description ATI Radeon X1270
Vendor ID 1002
Device ID 791f
Adapter RAM Unknown
Adapter Drivers atiumdag atiumdva atitmmxx
Driver Version 8.501.0.0
Driver Date6-2-2008
Direct2D Enabled:  Blocked on your graphics driver. Try updating your graphics driver to version 10.6 or newer.
DirectWrite Enabled false (7.0.6002.18409, font cache 0.55 MB)
WebGL Renderer(WebGL unavailable)
GPU Accelerated Windows 0/1
Mike, is this issue still reproducible for you? Did you had the chance to verify if the problem persists on a clean profile?

http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Basic+Troubleshooting#w_8-make-a-new-profile
Simona B,  See my April 13, 2011 post in the Firefox Support forum thread, https://support.mozilla.com/questions/795963(which mike referenced above):

(Quote)
(aardvark2zz) "....To get media player files to play I had to copy C:\Program Files\mozilla firefox\plugins\ directory to C:\Program Files\mozilla firefox4\plugins\ (note the 4) directory ...."

That was because the WMP plugin was already installed in the "default" Mozilla Firefox program folder, where you had Firefox 3 installed. Since you installed Firefox 4 in another location, you had to copy the WMP plugin over to Firefox 4 program folder. That was mentioned in the note I quoted in an earlier post:

Note: Starting in Firefox 4.0 Beta, the Firefox installation directory does not include a plugins folder. If you need to copy the plugin from another location to Firefox 4, you can manually create a new "plugins" folder within the Mozilla Firefox 4.0 program folder and then copy "np-mswmp.dll" to the plugins folder you created.
(In reply to comment #8)
> Simona B,  See my April 13, 2011 post in the Firefox Support forum thread,

https://support.mozilla.com/questions/795963
Mike, if you do as Alice suggested, does it work for you?
Reporter -> Any update?
I too would like an update.   Since going to Firefox5 I cannot play asx radio stations.  I notice "moonlight" is not functional for FireFox as well.  What gives? Can't find anything definitive on this.  I know others have brought this issue up so is there some kind of politics going on behind the scenes.
Closing bug as Incomplete - if you are still experiencing this issue or have more information to provide feel free to post back here and we can re-open the bug. You can also get assistance by visiting the Firefox help site -> http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Ask+a+question
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 13 years ago
Resolution: --- → INCOMPLETE
Closing??? I never got an answer to whether moonlight is functional with Firefox5.  On my Linux OS I have to cut and paste the pubpoint asx file in the site location box.
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