FlashInsider has a good writeup on how ABC really nailed their online video experience in their new online video player. The new Player represents Disney/ABC’s decision to offer their primetime programming for free.
The new site uses Flash Player 8 and its VP6 video codec as well as the Flash Media Server (FMS) via one of our Flash Video Streaming Service (FVSS) partners.
Go watch your favorite ABC show and check out the Flash video experience here.
If you surf to the full episode player in firefox using the following link: http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/popup?aff=&pl=mv
…it works. I was having the same problem. It seems like the link takes you to an older version of the player, but I’m just happy it’s no longer crashing my browser.
I tried #53, but not loading. I am really bummed out! Who has time to make sure they are in front of a television at a certain time? I want my Grey’s Anatomy back!
I found this site by googling “abc player not working”. I’m glad I’m not alone! abc has to fix this terrible problem.
I am also having the freezing problems with the ABC player. I can watch as much as up to the second commercial break, and then when the video starts, it runs for two seconds and then freezes. I can’t pause it, I can’t do anything with the player or it freezes. I’m trying to use my Sony Vaio laptop, since I can connect it to my big screen HD tv, I watch Netflix and a number of other tv programs this way. I can watch the ABC shows on my other two computers, one of which has less resources than the laptop and they both play fine. They are desktops. Homebuilt desktops. Only differences I can tell now are the laptop has shared video and the desktops have dedicated video cards (one of which is only 32MB). So, what is the deal? I’d really like to be able to play this on my laptop so that I can watch through the HD TV. Btw, I’m not even trying to run it in HD mode, but SD mode, which should require less resources, with no joy.
I have been trying all night. Iwas at first using my tiny little 8″ laptop/tablet to view and I thought I couldn’t see the “continue” button. Good grief and lucky me that the COMMERCIALS play correctly, because how would complaints from the advertisers be fixed? I wish they would realize that people are having issues with PLAYING the PLAYER, why do I have to install FLASH EVERY TIME I load. I am an IT geek with a husband with a high-up networking job at a secure bank and owner of a computer company and he just says it is on ABC’s side.
AS TO THE TURNING OFF INTERNET SECURITY…DO NOT DO THAT, YOUR MACHINE WILL BE A SITTING DUCK FOR ALL KINDS OF SPYWARE.
try this, it worked for me
http://www.joeywendt.com/2008/10/02/wierd-problems-with-the-abccom-full-episode-player/
I tried everything recommended here and also at joey wendt’s site (will write this there as well).
I clicked on the hyperlink he offered and then it reverted to the typical abc.com plug-in. It only offered a chance for the plug-in, which I was forced to accept and allow. It then attempted to load and just before the end I got the error message, “The player encountered an error. Please try again later. Error code ’2′.”
I tried to ignore this and click on the episode desired and also (as with some of you others) was treated to the full commercial every time. But when asked to click on “continue,” to see the actual episode, the little circle whirled around ad nausea.
Something is afoot. Previously, I had no problem with ABC’s reruns (though I’m a bit piqued as well that they don’t have the season so far, but only the last few episodes for those of us who have been out of the country). However, for the moment I’d just like to see the thing work.
I wrote a note on their “feedback” form and only got a canned reply. There was a ticket number in the subject line, so I thought that there might be some way to track my question. Replied to that and have heard zilch since.
The NBC and other sites work, so perhaps I’ll just have to live without ABC. Pity.
Thanks.
The new ABC full episode player is a JOKE. Doesn’t work. Blank white screen. SHAME ON YOU ABC. Worked fine for me last time.
#53 KELLY…thanks for the link…that fixed my problem… or you found a way around it actually. My computer wasn’t crashing but it was freezing for a little while. There is definitely something wrong with the new player. When a hallmark ad would come on it would keep playing a particular jingle from a part of the ad in the background until i shut the computer off. Hopefully they’ll get these glitches cleared out soon, it was nice just going straight to abc.com and seeing all the shows. Thanks again
Well, Happy, I guess you’re a lot luckier than I am. I tried Kelly’s URL and it reverted to the old system, but after successfully showing the commercial it went into a “loading” mode that never ended.
And I did this after removing the Move Media Player and reinstalling it at ABC.com’s insistence.
I then went on to watch “Heroes” on NBC.com without any problem at all. So, it “ain’t” my computer. It’s clearly ABC’s fault, as I had no problem with ABC shows last season.
ABC.com seems in no hurry to fix this, as many people have complained.
DITTO, TO MOST OF THE ABOVE.
NEW ABC PLAYER JUST WONT WORK, LOADING THEN FREEZING.
And to make it more complicated, apparently this same horrible player is used for the CW and Fox, neither of whose shows ever load (as with ABC).
With NBC or CBS, no problem at all. Let’s just hope they don’t start to use this awful Move Media Player 1.0.0.071 that appears to be the culprit.
What a shame.
I have the same problem with that god forsaken Hallmark Jingle. I am just about ready to burn down the next Hallmark shop I see and will deffinately never buy another Hallmark card as long as I live. I am sure this is not the impression they were hoping to make when they cut the check to ABC, but oh well. hahaha
To #46 Ginger:
I had the same problem. I fixed it by changing my screen resolution.
Go to control panel.
Click on display.
Select “settings”
I changed my settings to 1024 by 768
Hit apply, and went back and was able to see the entire screen.
Good Luck!!
I have reinstalled the flash player and the move player and I am still receiving choppy playback. I fixed this problem once before using recommendations from a blog or forum but cannot remember what the solution was.
OK! After 5 months of searching for solutions for the ABC (and CW) video player problems and trying them all: I have found the solutions, and this is the summary:
The player is extremely sensitive to all sorts of ridiculous software and hardware issues. It’s not that it doesn’t work, it’s that you don’t realize what it needs to run. Your set-up has to be literally ‘perfect.’
1) First make certain that you have ALL the required software and updated plug-ins (Flash etc.). Go to the ABC player area that tells you exactly ALL the components. Install and restart.
2) Be certain Java is enabled (both IE and Firefox).
3) Review a few other forums searching under “ABC video doesn’t play”. There are several idiosyncratic programs that prevent/interfere/block the player, or special settings that might need to be adjusted. Don’t obsess, just check a few and make those adjustments for your system as necessary.
4) Here’s the final kicker that prevented me from being able to use it for all these months: The driver for my video controller was not installed. For ALL my computer needs, it didn’t matter one bit. But when I went to Device Manager (control panel, system – hardware – Device manager), and looked, there was a yellow question mark next to it. I then used Microsoft’s automatic installation feature (double click the icon to bring this up) to search the web for the right driver). It installed it. I restarted the computer and… Boom ABC video playing the way it always did – almost a year ago.
In other words, now that EVERYTHING was installed, flash, Java enabled, video driver installed, NOW, only NOW would it play. Ridiculous!!!!!!!
BTW: I contacted the both ABC and the company that made the player several times: Neither of them EVER responded to my requests for help.