Weird Chrome issue with youtube

[Swanny-CG]

In the last few days when I got to youtube to watch a video a lot of them play the sound but have no video, instead the video window has text in it, looks like the available messages it might give if it was having problems. I'll post a screenshot below.

If I watch embedded videos here it plays fine, but if I follow the link to watch on youtube proper it doesn't play right.

I have tried:
Updating Chrome
Uninstalling/reinstalling Chrome
Disabling hardware acceleration in the flash settings
I tried to find a way to update flash in Chrome but it says it's managed automatically. I tried disabling and re-enabling it but didn't work.

I can revert to a previous version but if I do it whines about my profile being set for a newer version every time I start Chrome.

Here is what it looks like:

Capture.JPG

[S.O.S]

Does it only happen to Chrome or other browsers as well? I once had issues watching youtube videos (got split screen I think) after updating Flash, rolled back to an older version and the problem was solved.

[Trench]

FWIW, I don't recognize the directives shown in that text, so I'm guessing it's probably Flash directives given the other info shown there. e.g. "Seems like Flash code being displayed literally instead of handled by a Flash plug-in."

In Chrome if you go into Settings, then at the bottom of the page Show Advanced, then in Privacy go to Content Settings, and then in Plug-Ins go to "Disable individual plug-ins" and make sure that the Adobe Flash Player isn't set to "Disable".

Adobe has been pushing Flash 12 just a week or two ago. I have 12.0.0.70 on Windows 7 and it's working on YouTube in Chrome 33.0.1750.117, for what it's worth. Since Adobe Flash Player is something you can Add/Remove from the Windows control panel, you might try uninstalling whatever version of Adobe Flash is currently listed in there, restart, and then go download the the current Flash player from adobe.com to re-install it.

Or try beating it with a stick.

-Trench

[Swanny-CG]

It works fine in IE, it's just Chrome having the issue. Flash is actually managed and updated by Chrome, it's not like regular Windows and IE where it's a separate plugin.

I'm running Chrome version 33.0.1750.117 m and Flash is version 12.0.0.70.

I tried disabling Flash in Chrome and it didn't help so I re-enabled it.

[Trench]

Thanks, had never paid much attention to how the Chrome plug-ins were handled. Attached is how the Flash plug-in details display on the machine I described.

In the same area as the "disable individual plug-ins", there is also a "manage exceptions" for plug-ins where a site-specific override to disable plug-in use could be registered. No reason to think why an exception would have been created for YouTube, but for what its worth since it's another plausible reason for why "just one site is a problem." Maybe worth looking for YouTube-specific site exceptions in other security settings.

Did re-installing Chrome appear to keep or reset your preference settings? Could have gone either way, and wondering if maybe there are additional actions needed to make Chrome "reset your user profile" rather than leaving behind and re-using settings upon reinstallation.

-Trench

[i_am_not_your_father]

Swanny,

Another loooong shot: look to see if you have chrome extensions installed. If you do, disable all of them and see if one of them is creating that issue. Also, Youtube supports HTML5 so in a way no need for Flash.

good luck.

IANYF

[Swanny-CG]

I don't see the manage exceptions bit, and I see two versions, since I have one installed for IE as well. It seemed to remember me (kept my favorites and such) but I've never spent much time customizing it so I don't know if it remembered anything critical to this issue.

Dad, when I uninstalled all my extensions went with it, I tried and it still didn't work.

[Swanny-CG]

I think I may have figured it out - I joined the "feather beta" in youtube a long time ago https://www.youtube.com/feather_beta. It removes all the comments and crap, it's just the video. I did it long enough ago that I forgot I did it. I clicked to have it show the regular mode and suddenly the video played.

Trench, since we're using the same browser version, would you mind opting into the feather beta and seeing if it works for you? You can opt out again using the same link above.

[Trench]

since we're using the same browser version, would you mind opting into the feather beta and seeing if it works for you?

Nope; once I opt-in to youtube.com/feather_beta I get the same results you showed a screen shot of.

That seems weird. Google's new Google not working with Google?

-Trench

[Swanny-CG]

I figured that was going to be it, once I stumbled on that I actually found a forum thread where a bunch of folks had the issue. I'm going to stick it out; youtube without comments is pretty awesome. I'll use the "switch back just this time" button for the videos that don't work (hoping it will be fixed quickly).

I viewed source last night on a busted page and all those messages are in some kind of HTML 5 section of the page code.

Anyway, thanks for the help guys.

[Swanny-CG]

If the feather beta sounded good to you, it seems they've fixed the issue with Chrome, all my videos are playing properly today. Youtube without the comments is a place worth visiting, I think.