Trying to play mpv, can play ogv and mp4 amongst others but mkv fails 'please install VLC player and try again' however I have vlc installed on all the PCs.
Have a few dvds converted as mpv on my synology box. When using Firefox to access them it fails to run saying 'please install VLC player and try again' however I have vlc installed on all the PCs both windows 7 and linux debian. I've tried to find a vlc add-on but can't locate on.
Playing mp4, ogv and others work fine.
Chosen solution
to John99:
This doesn't help. To make it work I need to get an addon that will play mkv's e.g. vlc.
The only one I've found supposedly play them by using a context menu to route it to vlc outside firefox. Clever but I can't get a context menu when accessing synology as it supplies it's own special menu of options.
I will close this support request as it's hopeless.
The only thing I can do is either use synology's own video package (which I scrapped as being too complex or convert my mpvs to another format!
Thanks for your help anyway, I'll slink off into the sunset.
John
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That does not sound like it is a standard Firefox error message. I think you would do better trying Synology's own forum
It appears you are not even using Firefox to post this question thread.
For info about VLC check out their own site
- http://www.videolan.org/
- Windows: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html
- It also has a player for Debian https://packages.debian.org/jessie/vlc
There are some VLC related extensions for Firefox but I have no idea if any of them provide the functionality you are looking for
- For example https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/search/?q=vlc
Type about:addons<enter> in the address bar to open the Add-ons Manager. Hot key;’’'<Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> A)
On the left side of the page, select Plugins. Is VLC listed and active?
if not;
Firefox v52+ disables all plugins except for Flash Why do Java, Silverlight, Adobe Acrobat and other plugins no longer work? {web link}
to: John99 followed your link for searching. of the 27 add-ons shown none really do the job, i.e. give me vlc in firefox but I've have now installed 'vlc context menu' which appears to let me use an external vlc to run them.
I have tried running mkv file directly from by PC in firefox and get the same problem, so it'd not a synologyproblem.
As for not using firefox to post the question, so what? I had firefox open with other items showing at the time and I used QupZilla instead as this is my usual browser - quick and simple. I normally only use Firefox if I want to play tunes or films, Qupzilla can't handle these well.
To: FredMcD
checked plug=ins and vlc is NOT listed nor active which is probably the real fault.
obviously I need a way to install vlc addon to firefox. being told that firefox doesn't support any other than flash (which I avoid like the plague) doesn't solve anything.
VLC uses a plugin.
Firefox v52+ disables all plugins except for Flash Why do Java, Silverlight, Adobe Acrobat and other plugins no longer work? {web link}
To: FredMcD
not only disables but apparently makes sure there aren't any to enable!
Yes that is the point of the changes. Use of plugins is stopping with only a temporary exception for FlashPlayer.
If for instance I want to open a pdf document I must use the built in Firefox feature or open it externally. With Videos again use the natively supported HTML5 or use an external player.
- Use Adobe Reader to view PDF files in Firefox
- Plug-in support has been dropped other than Flash
https://www.fxsitecompat.com/en-CA/docs/2016/plug-in-support-has-been-dropped-other-than-flash/ - 2015 Important Firefox Mozilla blog: NPAPI Plugins in Firefox
https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2015/10/08/npapi-plugins-in-firefox/
For just using your Synology box you could install an additional older version of Firefox and use that. On Windows the easiest method may be to use a third party Firefox Portable either on the hdd or from a memory stick. On Linux install a Mozilla build of Firefox on a per user basis in addition to the Firefox installed by the distro. You should ensure that you have multiple profiles and so do not try to use a Mozilla build of Firefox with the same Firefox profile as the profile used by the Distro.
Chosen Solution
to John99:
This doesn't help. To make it work I need to get an addon that will play mkv's e.g. vlc.
The only one I've found supposedly play them by using a context menu to route it to vlc outside firefox. Clever but I can't get a context menu when accessing synology as it supplies it's own special menu of options.
I will close this support request as it's hopeless.
The only thing I can do is either use synology's own video package (which I scrapped as being too complex or convert my mpvs to another format!
Thanks for your help anyway, I'll slink off into the sunset.
John
Sorry I could not have been more help.
Possibly VLC itself is an plugin as far as older versions of Firefox are concerned. Just as Adobe Reader or Open Office were. In which case it may be possible to do what you want. I suppose the pertinent question is could this be done before with Firefox and VLC - something VLC & Synology fora should be able to tell you.
If so then there is a good chance you will still be able to do that if you use the old software namely the Firefox 45 ESR . Normally there would be security risks with using outdated Firefox versions, but that is not something to worry about just accessing converted DVDs on a box.
to John99:
Did try installing Firefox 45 portable but it didn't have the addon and trying to add it myself took me to the existing addons for firefox, that is, the ones available for the up to date version.
Call it solved.
There are, for the purpose of this discussion, two main types of add-ons plugins and extensions. The VLC and other addons listed on the addons site are extensions.
Other add-ons are plugins. They are separate pieces of software. They are not listed on the addons site. Examples would be Flash Player Adobe Reader and Libre Office (Or Open Office) I imagine VLC like those other softwares can be used as a plugin.
This undated blog seem to show VLC may optionally be used as a Firefox plugin
As I said previously you would probably be best consulting a VLC forum for more information about that. This 2009 post discussed using the VLC plugin in Firefox Portable
P.S. See also
- Frequently Asked Questions: What are the different types of add-ons?
Plugins https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/faq - http://kb.mozillazine.org/Issues_related_to_plugins
As you can see, VLC is a plugin.
To FredMcD:
Looking at the web site, no mention of it as a plugin. I looked at the old blog mentioned by John99 and in its description of how to install vlc, he mentions setting the plug-in option at step 4.
I checked vlc options in my installed version but nothing showed, so I downloaded vlc again and started to install it. It showed an option to fix the installed version, which I choice. The list of options included setting a modzilla plug-in which was ticked.
On completion I restarted firefox, went to the diskstation and tried to run a mkv video. Same result - says it doesn't have the plug-in.
I'm happy to give up trying to solve this and only use a local copy directly in vlc, as I only have one video ripped to mpv and a series of lectures. I'll just have to make sure any video ripping to the diskstation are NOT in mkv format.
Thanks for all your help but call this 'solved'
No need to reply as the problem is considered solved but some further posts that relate to use of VLC & VLC as a plugin
- 2012: VLC Plugin for Firefox Portable https://portableapps.com/node/33020
- 2013: Firefox Portable with VLC Plugin? https://portableapps.com/node/35939
- 2017 & the Fx52 issue: Portable FIrefox using VLC Web Plugin https://portableapps.com/node/56024