How to prevent auto-loading of embedded video

Bennett · #1 March 7th, 2007

I feel there must be an easy solution to this problem, but alas it's evading me.

Basically, I just want to prevent the embedded lesson videos from loading automatically, or even being able to stop loading if it begins.

Reason for this is simply that I'm one of those few sorry sods NOT on broadband.

Cheers.

Clancy · #2 March 7th, 2007

I don't know of a way to do that Bennett. I did a Google search to see if there was something out there about stopping flash automatically downloading, but no luck.

Maybe the wonderful Telstra will get broadband to you soon. My Mother is able to get it now (Eagle Heights) - but they've probably made it available after all this time because it's pretty populated there now. Can you not even get wireless or satellite?

Clancy

Bennett · #3 March 7th, 2007

Hi Clancy, and thanks for the response.

I'll look into further when I have some time available; I might just need some third party tool.

As for broadband, I was involved with the community group for the Broadening Broadband project but alas we are still waiting where we are. There's been a number of wireless stations erected but unfortunately we don't have line-of-sight to them.

We've been on ISDN for quite some time now; it's certainly not as bad as dial-up, but it ain't broadband either. Unfortunately it's getting less and less bearable as sites become more and more rich with content (although for most normal people this is a good thing

).

The major problem with us is our location; we're very much out of the way and surrounded by our own bushland and National Park (a good thing

). There's only four residences here in total. I've even offered to have a wireless antenna erected on our property. Alas I don't think the ROI is enough to make it worthwhile for any of the Telcos.

Satellite's a possibility but the latency makes it all but useless, not to mention the cost. The new NextG offering from Telstra is about the only possibility but at a cost of over $100 for ONE gigabyte quota plus another few hundred to get an additional antenna PLUS 20c per MB over that quota, it's really only suitable for those with money to burn.

Oh well, hope springs eternal, and all that stuff ...

mattz196 · #4 March 7th, 2007

Bennet, I think if you remove the shockwave player I would presume flash file would no longer download .

si16 · #5 March 8th, 2007

Hi Bennett.

When I was on dial-up a few years back I used to use an excellent web filtering program called the Proxomitron. It's one of the best pieces of freeware I've ever used. Easy to install and set-up, no spyware to speak of and it doesn't even write anything to the registry. To uninstall you just simply delete the directory.

It hasn't been developed for a few years so I can't say how well it works and which browsers it works with but when I used it it could pretty much block anything on a web page and had some useful privacy options too. Might be worth a try.

737blues · #6 March 8th, 2007

As an extension of what Mattz196 has suggested, if there is a specific Port that is used by Flash only, you can use a software firewall to disable, (close) it. However, you can't close 80, 1935 or 8080 without clobbering pretty much everything else you want to do on the internet and I'm sure Flash will use these. So, you will be looking for some other Port which Flash also needs but is not used by any essential protocols or services, if it exists. Adobe support should be able to tell you if you email them. Alternatively, perhaps somebody in here with IT training may be able to help? I can't think of any way you can disable the download so that only Flash from GFB is affected.

si16 · #7 March 8th, 2007

I just had a play about with Proxomitron and, after setting it up and making some adjustments to the config file, it does indeed appear to block the movies from loading. It replaces the movie with the word 'flash'. Clicking on 'flash' will subsequently load the movie if you want. I used it with the latest version of Firebox but I know that it works well with IE too. The file I downloaded from the website was 'ProxN45j.exe'.

737blues · #8 March 8th, 2007

Sounds like a good find si16. Anything that sounds like it could of been invented by Doctor Who has to be good ...... I'll 'ave a captain Cook too.

Bennett · #9 March 8th, 2007

Thanks for all the responses, guys.

I'll give that little app a go, si16. Sounds like just the thing I'm looking for. Thanks again!

espinafre · #10 March 11th, 2007

If you use Firefox or Seamonkey, you can use an extension called FlashBlock. Just google for it, as I cannot yet post links; you should use the third result from Google. It replaces all embedded flash movies in a page with a button, which you can click if you wish to see the movie. Since I began using it, even those annoying flash advertisements went away.