[MPlayer-users] Flash video url not working in mplayer 1.0rc2-4.2.3

[The Wanderer]

Paul wrote:

> I would like to play a flash video in mplayer.

> With mplayer I type: "mplayer
> http://www.ustream.tv/swf/3/viewer.115.swf?&loc=/&vid=361900"

Because the & character has special meaning to most command-line shells,
you need to put the URL in quotes on the command line. That probably
doesn't have anything to do with your problem, though.

> I get:
> 
> test at 500m:~$ MPlayer 1.0rc2-4.2.3 (C) 2000-2007 MPlayer Team 

This is quite old; you would do well to update.

> CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1300MHz (Family: 6, Model: 9, Stepping: 5)
> CPUflags:  MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
> Compiled with runtime CPU detection.
> mplayer: could not connect to socket
> mplayer: No such file or directory
> Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.

This is almost certainly not all of the output, but it's probably
irrelevant anyway.

When I run that exact same command (except with the URL quoted), I get:

==
$ mplayer "http://www.ustream.tv/swf/3/viewer.115.swf?&loc=/&vid=361900"
MPlayer dev-SVN-r27138-4.3.1 (C) 2000-2008 MPlayer Team
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ (Family: 15, Model: 
107, Stepping: 2)
CPUflags:  MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 1 3DNow2: 1 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
Compiled for x86 CPU with extensions: MMX MMX2 3DNow 3DNowEx SSE SSE2

Playing http://www.ustream.tv/swf/3/viewer.115.swf?&loc=/&vid=361900.
Resolving www.ustream.tv for AF_INET6...
Couldn't resolve name for AF_INET6: www.ustream.tv
Resolving www.ustream.tv for AF_INET...
Connecting to server www.ustream.tv[216.52.240.133]: 80...
Cache size set to 320 KBytes
Cache fill: 15.00% (49152 bytes)
libavformat file format detected.
[swf @ 0x882d634]Compressed SWF format not supported
LAVF_header: av_open_input_stream() failed
libavformat file format detected.
[swf @ 0x882d634]Compressed SWF format not supported
LAVF_header: av_open_input_stream() failed


Exiting... (End of file)
==

As this should make obvious, the file is in a format which MPlayer does
not support. It probably will eventually, but likely not soon. Till
then, you'll need to use another player, or you're out of luck.

-- 
       The Wanderer

Warning: Simply because I argue an issue does not mean I agree with any
side of it.

Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny.