HOW does one play .swf files off a CD-R???

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Level 1

9 points

HOW does one play .swf files off a CD-R???

Scream! I have a lot of .swf files on a CD-R -- I'm told they're videos -- yet I can't get ANY application or browser to play them! If I drag them to Quicktime, it shows a non-image (strange green line or black screen); clicking the "play" key makes the play arrow merely flutter around the play timeline. ??? Dragging the .swf files to a browser (Safari) merely shows the non-image (green line, black screen, etc.). Strangely enough, when I try to search my computer for the Shockwave Player (though I have definitely downloaded it), I can't seem to find an actual application with that name... just preference etc. files under the Library/Application Support/macromedia folder path. Any suggestions for playing .swf files from the CD would help me retain my sanity...

Posted on Nov 2, 2005 8:28 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 2, 2005 10:09 AM in response to Kim Tilbury

Hi, welcome to apple discussions,

the best video player i know is
b VLC
, you'll find it on Versiontracker. It reads pretty much all the formats!

Have fun,

C 🙂

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Answer 2

Kim Tilbury Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 2, 2005 10:23 AM in response to Charlesibook

Thanks, I downloaded VLC but it still won't play the 27 .swf files I need to access...

Sounds like a conspiracy!!! 😉 Thanks anyway.

KT

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Answer 3

Lyssa

Level 8

41,405 points

Nov 2, 2005 2:04 PM in response to Kim Tilbury

You might want to give MPlayer a try: http://mplayerosx.sourceforge.net/.

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Answer 4

Nov 2, 2005 2:25 PM in response to Kim Tilbury

Are you sure you have the shockwave flash player plugin installed for safari? You can look under the help menu -> Installed Plug-ins then scroll down the list to see if it is there. If not, go to Macromedia to get it and then recheck using the above instructions. I'm not sure this will help. I just checked my machine and cannot play swf files in Safari either and I do have the plug in installed, but I can play them using quicktime. I might add that I'm using quicktime pro. I don't know if this matters or not. Have you tried double clicking the files and letting the default application try to play them? You can also right click or control click the file and select open with to select a specific application to use. I didn't know you could drag a file into quicktime. I have never tried doing that. Good luck.

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Answer 5

Kim Tilbury Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2005 4:15 AM in response to Vince Heflin1

Thanks -- yes I do have the proper Safari plug-in, and I have tried the pseudo-right-click trick -- to no avail. I'm beginning to suspect there's something wrong with the files themselves -- somewhere though I read about a similar problem, where swf files were only readable on the originating computer.

Oh well, still a few bugs in the system! Thanks for everyone's help.

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Answer 6

Nov 4, 2005 4:19 AM in response to Kim Tilbury

Kim,

QuickTime doesn't like to play .swf files, but it can and will if you entice it by holding down command and control, and then drag the .swf onto the QuickTime icon in the dock.

Command + control will force an application to try and open any file or folder you throw at it.

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Answer 7

Nov 4, 2005 2:08 PM in response to Kim Tilbury

I used the internet explorer as my last resource to play swf files. These were created on a PC. Have you tried playing those same swf files in another PC? That could be a good way to discard the files themselves are the problem.

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Answer 8

Kim Tilbury Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2005 3:10 PM in response to angello71

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the great tips. I'm giving up, though -- I'm going to visit my client who created these files and see if I can view them there. Ah, the trials of the freelancer! I'm gald I found this forum, though.

Cheers,

Copykatparis

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Answer 9

Wayne T

Level 4

2,255 points

Dec 21, 2005 10:59 PM in response to Kim Tilbury

I sympathise ... - Did you get an answer ?

It can have a lot to do with what App created the SWFs, what precise type ('video' is not really a type ...:) using which version of Shockwave, which version do you have installed ... etc etc...

best wishes,

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Answer 10

Dec 22, 2005 8:45 AM in response to Kim Tilbury

Here is what I do to view flash animations.

Open Firefox, and choose Open File from the file menu (or command-o). Locate file and open. This should work if the flash player is installed.

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