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Flash Player application for Mac? for playing .flv files on your computer.

post #1 of 16
2/9/07 at 7:22am
Thread Starter 
When I use the Video Downloader 2.0 website or their Firefox extension, for example, to download videos from YouTube, Google Video, etc. to my computer, they are in .flv format.


Download panel pop-up from extension





Download destination





file after download, then file after adding .flv to name





after double-click, no app to open file





information box for file shows video with audio in small preview box, but file won't open in any default app






I can (very slowly) convert .flv files into mpg, avi, etc. using iSquint. If I want to download and watch large video files, I can't convert them because it would take way too long.

Is there an actual media viewer for Mac that plays .flv files on your computer without them having to be converted or watched in the information box's small video preview box? I can't find any so far.
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post #2 of 16
2/9/07 at 7:28am
The new VLC Player can play back .flv files. However, it will not skip to a particular moment in the video - you have to let it play from beginning to end (at least that's what happens when I try to play .flv files with it)

I use ffmpegx to convert flv's to avi's and it doesn't take long at all, so maybe that's also a viable option.

.Igor N
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post #3 of 16
2/9/07 at 10:59am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by seeker View Post

The new VLC Player can play back .flv files. However, it will not skip to a particular moment in the video - you have to let it play from beginning to end (at least that's what happens when I try to play .flv files with it)

I use ffmpegx to convert flv's to avi's and it doesn't take long at all, so maybe that's also a viable option.

.Igor N


I'll try the newest VLC, which I use regularly for other formats. Before writing my question I tried ffmpegx, but it wouldn't convert .flv to any format when I tried it. I was trying with a free/unregistered version, which is suppose to be fully functional. Did you use ffmpegx full registered version, or Try in an unregistered version?
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post #4 of 16
2/9/07 at 11:02am
Thread Starter 
VLC works, but as you wrote, it doesn't allow you to skip forward or backward.

Good enough for right now.

Please let me know if you think of anything else, or what ffmpegx version you're using.

Thx.
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post #5 of 16
2/9/07 at 11:24am
Perian enables QuickTime support for FLV. Then you can use QuickTime Player, NicePlayer, etc. to open FLV.
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post #6 of 16
2/9/07 at 12:02pm
I'm using ffmpegx 0.0.9w, the trial version, and it works fine. Did you install all the necessary binaries?

Oh, just one note, I think the video you're converting needs to have the .flv at the end or it might not work (some sites name the file get_video, without the extension). Try that and see if it works or not.

.Igor N
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post #7 of 16
2/9/07 at 1:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chucker View Post

Perian enables QuickTime support for FLV. Then you can use QuickTime Player, NicePlayer, etc. to open FLV.

Yes, it does work in QT with Perian. Cool. I don't have QT Pro, though, so VLC is what's going to be used for full screen viewing.

For non-full screen viewing, QT is great. Especially since you can smoothly skip forward and backward.

Thx.
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post #8 of 16
2/9/07 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by seeker View Post

I'm using ffmpegx 0.0.9w, the trial version, and it works fine. Did you install all the necessary binaries?

Oh, just one note, I think the video you're converting needs to have the .flv at the end or it might not work (some sites name the file get_video, without the extension). Try that and see if it works or not.

.Igor N


Yeah, I put the .flv when I tried yesterday, but it still wouldn't convert. I haven't tried today.

Anyway, the Perian plug-in for QT allows you to skip forward and backward freely when viewing in QuickTime.

It's free.
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post #9 of 16
2/9/07 at 3:51pm
There's also the Wimpy player:

http://www.wimpyplayer.com/products/...lv_player.html

but since you can play them in Quicktime, just get a script to use it fullscreen:

http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mac9...reen/index.php
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post #10 of 16
2/10/07 at 2:23am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin View Post

There's also the Wimpy player:

http://www.wimpyplayer.com/products/...lv_player.html

but since you can play them in Quicktime, just get a script to use it fullscreen:

http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mac9...reen/index.php


I'll try to figure that out when I haven't been drinking. I haven't ever done anything in the Script Editor before, so where do I locate it? is it in the Developer Tools? and is it completely safe for me to create that Script?

Thx.
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post #11 of 16
2/10/07 at 3:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by - Ø®£Z - View Post

I'll try to figure that out when I haven't been drinking. I haven't ever done anything in the Script Editor before, so where do I locate it? is it in the Developer Tools? and is it completely safe for me to create that Script?

Thx.

Be not afraid when sober about Script Editor. In 10.4.8 OSX it is in Applications > AppleScript
It's a whole new world.
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post #12 of 16
2/10/07 at 3:44am
Wow cool Perian rocks.
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post #13 of 16
2/10/07 at 6:08am
Thread Starter 
Okay. Now, with the help of Perian, viewing an .flv file in full screen with QT. Nice.

Screenshot of random video downloaded from YouTube for using as a learning/trying sample



Now, to figure out how to use Quicksilver to make the AppleScript command be usable by simply pressing Command-F (from the comments at that Macworld link), without having to double click the AppleScript command once the QT file is open.

Thx guys!
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post #14 of 16
2/10/07 at 6:31am
I don't see why you don't just use, say, NicePlayer.
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post #15 of 16
2/10/07 at 7:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chucker View Post

I don't see why you don't just use, say, NicePlayer.

Hadn't looked it up yet. Looking at the website right now.

Thx.
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post #16 of 16
2/10/07 at 7:24am
Thread Starter 
If I download the version " \tNicePlayer_with_codecs_0.95.dmg" [ http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...kage_id=194259 ] will that mess with any codecs already being used by QT or other video players?
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