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Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

Tags: Browser

Hello, I have not asked a question here before and I am a civilian (not in IT) This browser problem in Firefox (and I’m told it is unique to Firefox) drops off the audio of only one stream that Ive encountered. That is a local service provided by city government called Granicus for playback of city council meetings and which are public.

The suggestion I’ve seen was to just install a different browser but Chrome just says it has a problem and the second I tried to install was Brave which seemed to go out and connect to
the internet but failed (at least in reasonable time.)

Four months ago this Firefox problem was reported to one of the forums on reddit. It apparently is unique to Firefox. The problem is still there and it is new to me within the last several weeks only. What changed? I did ask my councilman about this. He said everything was working fine for him and he did not pursue it with me. The city governent Information Services did not even respond to my problem.

Topic

Re: audio

In reply to Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

When does Chrome say it has a problem? When you install it, on all site, on just this site? And do you have more details than “a problem”?

Things to try:
– Edge on any Windows PC (already installed)
– Chrome on an Android phone or tablet, Safari on any IOS device or Mac (already installed)
– any browser on any PC from your work, a friend, a family member, a public library

Can you provide the link in your answer? As far as I’m concerned it’s not spam, and I won’t delete it. Then anyone who reads it can try Firefox and a different browser, and maybe investigate the cause.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Re: audio

Thanks for the prompt reply,
Ys I think I can find the reddit post on this.

On Chrome, which I thought would be an obvious choice, it failed the first step– trying to get the installer as I interpret it.

The firefox post said it is unique to Firefox (four months ago and forward so far as I know.)

Would Opera be a good alternative as being lightweight and outside of the Microsoft world? I would only use this for the one feed from the city I cannot get.

I use no firewalls or virus protection so that should not be some sort of blockages. I have on the Firefox ad blockers and such but that should not alter a public feed which (as far as I know) no one else locally has reported to the city IT services. It seems like a Granicus problem to me– the service that provides access to the videos and is used widely including elsewhere. If it is signalling for Windows 10 as example.

I use Windows 7. And currently I only have one PC on my 3 node Win7 workgroup that has a speaker and mini amp on it.

I cannot locate the source of where I read about this problem. Reddit wasn’t it– just an empty post. I’ll see if I can recreate it, but just a different browser to install is a good answer.

Re: URL

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

You misunderstood me. I meant a link to the page of the government site where you can stream video. So I can see for myself what’s wrong. Please provide that.

Current versions of Chrome, indeed, aren’t compatible with Windows 7. The latest version to do that is 109. I leave it to you to find that to install.

All you told now is Opera doesn’t give the sound either. So we know that it’s not an issue for only Firefox as you stated in your first post. Instead, I’m inclined to say it’s an issue with the PC you use. So please check if it works if you connect your speaker or amp (unclear what it is exactly) or just a basic headphone to your two other Windows 7 machines. It might work if it’s some unclear issue with this PC.

Another thing to try is to boot from a Linux disc or stick (free to make) and use Firefox there. Most Linuxes come with Firefox. And, even easier, try all browsers on your smartphone.

Anyway, I’m perfectly willing to try the site on my Windows 10 devices.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Re: URL

There is a new wrinkle on this.
I looked at the meeting history and it doesn’t have a recently available meeting now. There should be one on there after today. I can only guess that others reported something.

My audio is very simple: a mini amp from Parts Express called the DTA-1. I mainly just use one speaker on it. That is Fostex.

Since this now has gone across more than one browser it may be a Granicus problem.

I’ll provide a video URL that’s active when a new one is posted. Thanks for your help in this.

Re: post link

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

I’ll see it when you do.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Re: post link

https://cityofappleton.granicus.com/player/clip/4405?view_id=3&redirect=true

the meeting from yesterday

It’s still not giving audio to me.

For your viewing, there’ll be a couple moments of silence until he uses the gavel to open the meeting. No gavel is heard.

As you can see, the source is granicus for this.

Re: sound

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

Well, I clicked on your link in Avast secure browser (which comes with Avast antivirus, I use it to visit this forum) and from 00:30 there is sound. And it’s the same in Firefox (version 123.0), Edge (current version) and in Chrome (version 122.0). All on my Windows 10 desktop.

If there isn’t on your PC, something is wrong with that. Maybe only with Firefox, maybe more. But there is nothing wrong with the site or with granicus.

You still didn’t report on what happens if you use other browsers on this PC, or if you use other devices (like smartphone, tablet, or a PC in another location, like family, friend or work). I’m afraid that you’ll be convinced it’s a problem with your PC only if you see yourself it works everywhere else.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

I installed Opera and that went through ok. But the URL for the meeting still has no audio. This has to be at the source of the media which I believe is Granicus. Granicus does not allow any feedback that I’ve been able to access. I tried once. I’m not going to keep at it.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

I don’t know. Maybe you didn’t see everything here in thread. If it can’t be found that’s another issue. But what I do is load up Opera and the site didn’t work with that. Then I went to another PC on this home network I have which is running Win10 and on a Ryzen 3400 or something and anASUS A320. Same problem. It seems unsolvable.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

I suspect that the public local government stream has some type of firewall that is preventing audio streaming.

Re: firewall

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

I doubt if you’re right. It’s a playback of a city counsel meeting. Then what they say, is essential. It’s not a 100 year old silent movie. If really nobody could hear anything, there should be much more complaints than just one. We’ll see when loninappleton posts the link to the video.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

Well I’ve been using it for years. The Clerks office helped in showing me how to navigate Granicus. As pod cast sites and so on go,
(radio stations doing streams) they usually provide an audio only option. This is just the opposite. :-/ I’d be glad to have an audio only option.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

One other thing on this is codecs. I don’t see how all of a sudden some K-Lite codec pack could be needed where none was before
and advice on that is to avoid codec packs unless you need them.

These streams are beneficial to the elderly like me. I don’t think they’d make it more confusing.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

Today I tried to contact Granicus. They are not responsive to civilian chat. Not having any cred with them for a contact message I tried to open a chat which just put me on indefinite hold.

One thing I am going to try is set up audio on my Win10 A320 w. Ryzen and see if any audio plays just byt getting off these old MSI boards.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

I have confirmed that the Granicus stream for my city government also does not work on Win10 with a Ryzen in an A320 board.

What disturbs me about all this is lack of any feedback from the IT at my city government. “Disturbs” is the wrong word. I am pissed off about it and don’t know anyone else to contact whom I haven’t including my district alderman.

[also it would be nice if messaging had a spell checkerer. :/ ]

Re: sound

In reply to Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

Well, I clicked on the link you gave in a post above and in all 4 browsers I tried on my Windows 10 machine (Avast secure browser, Firefox (version 123.0), Edge (current version) and in Chrome (version 122.0) there is sound from 00:30.

If there isn’t on your PC, something is wrong with that. Maybe only with Firefox, maybe more. But there is nothing wrong with the site or with granicus. So it must be something with your device(s), connection or location.

It seems time to widen your search to other browsers and/or devices and/or locations, so you’ll see it works there.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Re: sound

See other reply at Feb 29, and Feb 28. I tried Opera, tried Win10 on a different motherboard. Still this unique failure to have audio but always get video.

I’ll just consider it unsolved but I’ll report back any change for the better. Thanks for your efforts.

Re: Firefox

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

If you refuse (for some reason) to try the site on a phone, a tablet or someone else’s laptop or PC on another location, it seems you’re not really interested in solving the issue.
My guess still is that it is your PC only that, for whatever reason (probably something in the software) doesn’t play the sound.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Re: Firefox

I found this interesting on the topic

https://support.palcs.org/hc/en-us/articles/14862830207123-Why-can-t-I-hear-sound-coming-from-one-website

What it describes is a ‘mute’ function within Chrome. I don’t know if that is a common feature but it sure looks like a problem if in other browsers. However it is some sort of lead.

As to phones, pads and such, I have none of those. My only outlet for other PCs is the
library. I’ll have to try that but they are in a temp location, I stopped being a ‘regular’ since COVID etc and have just gone to pick up what I need there.

From your experience is it common to have a feature that mutes sound in a particualr website as described in the link? At least it’s something to go on since this problem
seems to be mine alone.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Re: Firefox

In this:

https://sigmaos.com/tips/browsers/how-to-mute-tab-on-mozilla-firefox

I found out a little more about muting. But I do not see the option for tab mute or any mute out symbol for city of appleton. It’s a likely source of the problem if I can trace it. All these help pages show too few actual screen shots or steps to get there.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Re: Firefox

https://sigmaos.com/tips/browsers/how-to-mute-tab-on-mozilla-firefox

Just reporting that I now know how to use mute in Firefox. It hasn’t apparently worked and now I’ll see if I can get city of appleton unmuted.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

Further along on this new search for a cure: I loaded Milwaukee WI Granicus and it played fine. However I did see the mute / allow icons on it and I think changed everything to allow. There is some other strange thing going on that Mozilla tells us are ‘cross site cookies’

I’ve attempted to put all these previously unknown settings to allow but Appleton is still silent. I’m at the point of just letting Techrepublic know any of this for future inquiries they might get. I certainly was unaware of or how to handle any of it.

“Jane, get me off this crazy thing!”

— George Jetson

Re: mute

In reply to Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

Thanks for the link. It’s new to me. But now I see the speaker icon in the tab, and right clicking on it lets me mute and unmute the video.
The speaker icon at the bottom of the video lets me do the same, and the speaker icon in the task bar works also (to set the volume everywhere from 0% to 100%). That might be why I never noticed the icon in the tab, nor needed the ctrl-M shortcut. But it’s nice to know.

But it’s still unknown why this one site is doing strange with you. Things to try:
– does it work if you make a new Windows account? Then you know it’s some setting in your current Windows account.
– does it work if you rename the Firefox profile in your current Windows account? Then you know it’s something in your Firefox profile.

Reply To: Firefox browser won’t provide audio on a public local government stream

In reply to Re: mute

I am not good with playing with Firefox profiles but as mentioned I’ve tried at least one other browser ( Opera) and an alternate OS (Win10) and PC as well. Whatr are some browser options off the mainstream?

Granicus did contact me. I’m not in their system but my request was to have them tell city of Appleton to add MP3 download to the Appleton layout. They are sophisticated enough to do that since other options show up at Granicus in city of Milwaukee– the other Granicus
site I know about. No problems with audio at Milwaukee. I asked them to make the MP3 add request on my behalf and signed it with my full address and info. It’s common at news sites to have the audio only option.

BTW, is there a spell check someplace for Techrepublic? I do not see one and I make a lot of errors.

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