Video issues with U-Tube, et al

[Bern Oulli]

A problem has recently reared its head regarding playing of videos such as those often embedded in Pprune threads, Youtube, and vids embedded in on-line newspapers, Yahoo News etc.

The 'puter normally uses Firefox, currently version 13.0.1, is running 64 bit Vista (I know!) and until a few days ago had no problem. Now, at least half, but not all, Youtube videos refuse to play, giving just a blank black rectangle, sometimes with a message to the effect that the video is "unavailable". Embedded videos on Prune and elsewhere just show a blank white rectangle. If I use IE (I'd rather not) same result except that a small place-holder appears in the rectangle. Now for the peculiar bit. While Gargling the problem, there was mention of Gargle Chrome. Not having that I downloaded it and - Result. All videos, wherever they are, play perfectly. They still do not on FF or IE. Yes I have downloaded the latest version of Flash Player. I have made no changes to cookies or anything else, so any thoughts would be appreciated. I really really do not want to stay with Chrome longer than I have to.

[Phalconphixer]

A new version of Adobe's Flash Player was issued this morning... it specifically addresses compatibility problems with Firefox 13...

pp

[Bern Oulli]

Yeah thanks, seen that, done that - absolutely no difference. I'm going to try uninstalling and re-installing FF.

[Milo Minderbinder]

Sounds like a firewall or internet speed problem

Reset the firewall to defaults and do an internet speed check.
What speed is the router reporting?

[Bern Oulli]

Internet speed check, from 4 different sites averages at just under 11 Mb/sec, with the occasional blip up to 16Mb/sec. Not exactly slow. As a matter of interest, I have realised that when I downloaded the Flash Player thingy for Firefox there was another version for IE. So I downloaded that and videos now work in IE, Chrome and I also tried Safari which also works. So the only one which doesn't is FF, FFS!

Firewall checked - not that I have ever done anything to it.
I'm not tearing my hair but it is a bit baffling. No doubt there is a very simple answer.

[Milo Minderbinder]

Chrome has its own built in flash decoder, so downloading updates will make no difference to that.
All I can suggest is clear the Firefox and Flash caches

[Bern Oulli]

Thanks. When I have a moment I'll try that. Strange to relate but yesterday FF displayed video without a hitch, not that I had done anything. Today, again, it doesn't. Very weird.

[Bern Oulli]

Further to all that, I cleared the FF & Flash caches, rebooted and - no joy. I uninstalled FF, rebooted and re-installed FF - no joy. Re-installed the Flash plug-in - no joy. So b@llox to it I shall stay with Chrome for the moment. Everything works fine on that, IE and Safari. But thanks for the suggestions.