How to make Flash work with 64 bit browsers – Works for FLV type Flash Video.

We tell our 64 bit browsers to point to 32 bit programs all the time to open content. It does not Have to be embedded in the browser itself which is part of the the problem isn’t it? ( aside from the fact it would not be using less resources due to it’s being 32 bit)
So big deal.. just point the browser to use a 32 bit external flash application. But HOW?

I DID IT !!! Read On…

I have done more searching and I have found a working partial solution.. BUT it’s the LONG way.

The trick is find a program that lets you download flash files..( I am using the free, Sothink Video Downloader) In my case it’s .flv files like flash movies from You Tube I want to stream. (and I assume you are using firefox or seamonkey.. I don’t yet know how to do this for an IE 64 bit browser) You won’t be able to play the stream in the browser But, when your video downloader program finds the flv file on the page it will open and ask you were to download the file.. IT will have captured the .FLV URL from the you tube page.

Copy and paste that .flv url back into the address bar. (You do not have to let your downloader program finish downloading the file) At this point the Helper Application will open a dialog box and then you point the FLV extention to the external flash player of your choice. I am using the SoThink Flash Player because it’s small and free and takes little resources. Also check the box that says Always use this program to open this type of file.

Now you are set up and the file will play through your external player. The next time you want to view a you tube page, simply start the flash download app you have and copy the flv url and paste it back into the browser and poof, it will play. ( You do not have to continue with the download.. we are using this video downloader just to grab the flv url. )

If you get good at this, the process will take only a few seconds to do manually. This will work with some places but not all. It only works with the commercials at the beginning of HULU tv shows.. not the tv show itself.. I think this is because the flv url is too deeply embedded. I have not tested this with Google Video, just HULU and YouTube.. But it should work as long as you can capture the .FLV URL.

Well folks it’s not perfect, but it’s a start. Of course until Adobe makes a windows 64 bit flash plugin it’s much easier just to use the 32 bit browser.. but hey.. this was bugging me so I had to try it!

In a Nutshell: First you use a tool to capture the flv url from the page then you feed it back into the address bar so the helper application will ask you to open it with an external player.. I used SoThink Video Downloader to capture the flv url, and SoThink Flash Player to pop up and play the file.. works nice as long as you can capture the flv url.

Perhaps some of you could take this idea and help me streamline the process or figure out how to get the deeper embedded flv url from hulu and places like it.

I would like to find a way to automate the process, perhaps with an extension. I feel if all the bugs could get worked out this would be a nice alternative until Adobe makes the proper plungin.

With newer firefox release 3.03 and flash 10 it doesn’t work, with 64 bit.
In my system I had tried everything and nspluginwrapper closes the connection when flash pops up. about:plugins reports everything is perfect. Same issue with opera too. Any smart ideaz??

I think flash on Linux will take some time to come, coz adobe won’t be supporting 64 bit for a long long time. Adobe sucks anyway. Swfdec looks promising but still a long way to go……

Other than that, 64-bit seems fine.