.wmv with Silverlight, without Flip4Mac?

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Level 1

147 points

.wmv with Silverlight, without Flip4Mac?

I'm reading that Microsoft Silverlight will give access to .wmv files without using Flip4Mac. Is this correct?

I refuse to install Flip4Mac due to some onerous provisions in the EULA (yes, I actually read EULAs) in which Flip4Mac considers Flip4Mac to be a trade secret and in which I am expected to indemnify Flip4Mac if anyone sues them.

Anyway, if there is a way I can use Silverlight to watch .wmv on my Intel Mac, please enlighten me.

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 1 GB RAM

Posted on Aug 7, 2008 9:15 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 7, 2008 10:23 PM in response to Charles Belov

http://www.microsoft.com/Silverlight/resources/install.aspx

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Answer 2

Charles Belov Author

Level 1

147 points

Aug 7, 2008 10:50 PM in response to Dave Hamilton

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I already have Silverlight and Windows Media Player 9 installed, and don't have or want Flip4Mac. I was asking how, not where.

And it turns out I can play independent .wmv videos. What I apparently can't do is play one that is streaming from a web page. Firefox 3 wants to install Flip4Mac.

The question is, how do I use Silverlight and Windows Media Player 9 in tandem to view a streaming video in a browser. The page in question appears to have JavaScript included for Silverlight.

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

239,183 points

Aug 8, 2008 1:31 AM in response to Charles Belov

I didn't see any mention of Windows Media Player being needed, but if it is indeed needed, then I suspect Windows Media Player 9 is not going to play every .wmv stream... like those done in Windows Media Player 10 or 11.

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Answer 4

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Aug 8, 2008 2:11 AM in response to Charles Belov

I don't know about the EULA for the free Flip4Mac plug-in, I am not even sure it has one, but 15 million+ users find it essential to view .wmv files!

The other plug-in you need is Perian.

Very few examples of files of the new Silverlight (Microsoft trying to reinvent Flash) type are to be found.

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Answer 5

Charles Belov Author

Level 1

147 points

Aug 8, 2008 9:00 AM in response to Klaus1

Virtually all software has a EULA. It's what you have to accept before the software will install. Even open source has the GNU public license.

Anyway, I do read them and I am not going to be one of the 15,000 using Flip4Mac because I just find their terms so offensive.

So can I view .wmv with Silverlight without either Flip4Mac or Windows Media Player? Or do I need to download Windows Media Player 11 (which is PC only) and somehow run it together with Silverlight?

How do I get Firefox 3 to recognize that Silverlight is available to play .wmv files?

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Answer 6

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Aug 8, 2008 10:42 AM in response to Charles Belov

How do I get Firefox 3 to recognize that Silverlight is available to play .wmv files?

Do you have the Silverlight plug-in installed?

But as neither Firefox nor Silverlight are made by Apple, and as the standard solution used by the vast majority of users is not acceptable to you, I can offer no further advice.

And I do think that your fears of being sued by Flip4Mac are groundless! 😀

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Answer 7

Jim Pomme

Level 2

210 points

Aug 8, 2008 11:44 AM in response to Charles Belov

I just had a look at the EULA out of interest and it does seem a bit scary!

My interpretation is that all it does is indemnify Telestream from being sued if you use their tools to put copyright material on the internet/an intranet:

You, at Your own expense, shall defend Telestream, and its officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents, against any action brought against such person based upon use of the Licensed Materials or based upon or related to content posted to the Internet, Your Intranet, or elsewhere using the Licensed Materials, and shall pay all settlements entered into and damages awarded against You and/or Telestream (including reasonable attorneys' fees) to the extent based on such action.

You will only be using the free player not the import/export components (that you have to buy) so there should be no worry - it looks like they've just used the same EULA agreement for the free player and the paid for components - I'm not worried myself anyway.

Also, I'm not sure why it has a Telestream EULA as it's owned by Microsoft now.

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