Webfurs video

[trellis]

I noticed that webfurs has started posting video with many of their listings again. They did this in the Fall, then seemed to stop for a while, and now appear to have started again. However, I cant figure out how to save the videos any more. When they first started putting them in the listings, I could let them play while looking at the listing, and then go find the wmv file in my temporary internet files. That no longer works.

 

A file does indeed appear there, and it is the right size for a video (~1.2 MB). But it doesnt seem to actually BE a wmv file. An example of the file name that appears is: a22223v.wmv#0;1.000;0;0;3:2;35:2. This is identified as a file of type .dat. I tried changing it so the file extension was .wmv, but that doesnt work.

 

The corresponding URL for this listing is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/DRAMATIC-NEW-RUSSIAN-SABLE-FUR-COAT-sz12-22223_W0QQitemZ230206748431

 

If anyone can figure out how to save these videos please share it. There now is a blonde model appearing in the videos as well as the brunette.

 

Edit: Worker 11811 -- Shortened URL to prevent horizontal page scolling.

[White Fox]

We would have to hear from our tech people on this one. However, I have wondered if these changes were on purpose to keep us from easily using those videos. However, since they are selling things that does not seem to make sense. Would they not want to have more and more seeing their sales videos?

 

Just at the time we began our Videos area they could be easily saved, etc. Then they disappeared, and now as you mention they have proven harder to save. I am not sure where our tech folks are on the "saving" process.

 

W

[Worker 11811]

The short answer is that they are streaming the videos from a third-party source.

 

Webfurs has contracted another company to distrubute their video from a remote location. It is being linked-in to the eBay page using some funky little Javascript tricks.

 

If you want to view the video directly in your media player of choice use this url:

 

mms://wms-um.upstreamnetworks.com/15978-35369/a22223v.wm

 

If your media player of choice lets you save video streams you may be able to do that. Unfortunately, Microshaft Windoze Media Slayer makes it difficult. If you want to be able to save streamed video you should check out an application called VideoLAN.

 

http://www.videolan.org

[Guest]

I use firefox. I just find the vid I want and R-click. Make shure your curser is not directly on the vid it self.

[Worker 11811]

You are right!

 

But remember I said, "The short answer is..."

 

Now, here's a long answer but definitely not THE long answer:

 

Depending on what browser you use and depending on what settings for default video player/ plug-ins, etc, etc, you use, you may or may not be able to do that.

 

You'll notice that the URL of the video starts out with "mms://"

This means "Microsoft Media Streaming" format. That means that the video is stored in another location on the internet (not necessarily on the same server that's feeding you the web page) and it is fed out, on demand, whenever somebody's browser requests it. If the user's video player plug-in(s) know what to do with that it will play automatically. And, again depending on settings, you might be able to download it.

 

There are at least a dozen formats videos can be coded in for distribution on the internet:

MPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, Sorensen, Cinepak, H.263, H.264 and a whole bunch I can't remember.

 

Plus, there are several ways to "package" those videos for distrubution:

QuickTime, WindowsMedia, Flash, RealMedia and more.

 

If the user's browser and video player(s) can recognize any/all of those formats the video will play. If the user's video player(s) can not he will see anything from a blank square where the video should be to "nothingness".

 

If you go to the link I posted above... AND... if your video plug-ins know how to handle MMS protocol you'll be able to see the video in its own window. You might be able to play it directly in your video player of choice without need of a browser. And, if that video player allows you to save, you can save it on your hard drive for later viewing.

 

There are so many "If's", "And's" & "But's" involved here that it's impossible for me to say, "Do 'this' thing and you'll be able to see the video." I can give you general rules and guidelines but there is too much confusion in the internet video world for anybody to be able to give you hard and fast answers.

 

One good cross-platform solution for this quandry is to use VideoLan as your media player. With it, you can view and download about 90% of the things you see on the internet and it doesn't matter what kind of computer you use. You can have a Windows machine, you can be using a Mac, you can use Linux. No matter what kind of computer you use, you will be able to view these videos and it will seem to work exactly the same on all of them.

 

There are other good cross-platform media players out there, such as "MPlayer" and "Totem" but, in my experience, "VideoLAN" gives you the best usability on the greatest number of computers, no matter what operating system you use.