• The forum software that supports hummy.tv has been upgraded to XenForo 2.3!

    Please bear with us as we continue to tweak things, and feel free to post any questions, issues or suggestions in the upgrade thread.

How to download an extracted .mpg file via a Mac browser?

H

HuMac

New Member
I've come across a rather frustrating phenomenon and I'm hoping that some wise soul here will be able to provide a solution (and before you ask, I have tried doing a forum search ;) ). Here's the scenario...

I have a .ts file on the HDR FOX-T2 that I've decrypted and extracted to MPG - so far, so good.

If I access the Webif from a Windows PC, then regardless of what browser I'm using (IE / Firefox / Opera / Chrome...etc.), when I go to the .mpg file, hit the "OPT" button and click "Download", it does just that: i.e. I get the usual box asking whether I want to play the file or save it. I choose "Save"; it downloads to the location of my choice; job done.

If I try to do the same thing from my Mac, the process comes unstuck. Regardless of what browser I'm using (Safari / Firefox / Opera...etc. ), when I hit "OPT" and click "Download", the browser automatically tries to PLAY the .mpg file within a browser window using a plug-in. At no stage am I offered any choice to download/save.

When this kind of problem occurs on, for example, a download link in a website, I can always get round it. I just right-click (or Ctrl-click) the link and choose "Download linked file" from the drop-down menu that appears. However, the Webif "Download" link doesn't produce that kind of behaviour: right-clicking it results in no response at all.

I fully realise that what I've actually got here is a problem with the way Mac-based browsers interact with the Webif - not per se an issue with the Webif itself - but I've tried it every which way round and I'm stuck! I've been through the Preferences of all my browsers with a fine-toothed comb, and nowhere can I find any option to tell the browser that I want the choice to download the file, not just play/stream it.

If any of my fellow Mac users have encountered this problem and have found a workaround, I'd dearly love to know!

Cheers,
Ken


ADDED LATER:

Hang on - looks like I might've just found the answer in another thread (I'm not allowed to link to it because I haven't posted enough on here yet). Time to fire up Filezilla!
 
The use of an FTP client would get around this, alternatively you could rename the *.mpg file on the Human to say *.xyz download it, then put it back to *.mpg
 
It's about how the browser/system is set up to understand what action it's supposed to take with different file types. If it's asked to fetch a media file, it tries automatically to play the thing. However, if it can't identify it as a media file (on account of the altered file extension), it should just download it.

Mind you, though... having just experimented with this procedure, I've found that the Webif's renaming function doesn't allow one to alter the actual file extension, only the "name" of the file, so it looks like it ain't going to work after all.

Fortunately I'm doing fine using Filezilla, so no worries here.
 
HuMac said:
Mind you, though... having just experimented with this procedure, I've found that the Webif's renaming function doesn't allow one to alter the actual file extension, only the "name" of the file, so it looks like it ain't going to work after all.
Click to expand...
That's my point. Changing the file extension would mean firing up something extra to the WebIF anyway - so might as well use FTP to do the download (or a network mount in your file manager*) in the first place.

* Needs the samba or nfs-utils package installed, according to what flavour of file sharing you want.
 
Ezra Pound said:
The renaming option only would only require Telnet, no other packages would need to be installed
Click to expand...
Yeah? So you reach for your Telnet client, bring up the command line, navigate to the file, rename it... and then find you can't download the file in Telnet so it's back to WebIF... only to find the new file extension is no longer recognised by the media browser so you can't download it that way anyway!

Much more convenient to use FTP, even more convenient to have file sharing enabled.
 
Not a problem, re-name the file from mpg to mkv, the browser will see that and allow download. xyz was an example
 
Then it was an irrelevant example. What stops .mkv being recognised by the Mac as a video format?

Won't admit when you're beaten, will you!
 
Not when I'm not beaten, No ! ! If I had used mkv as an example you would have said "What stops .mkv being recognised by the Mac as a video format". The original poster got the message even if you refuse to. Obviously the OP has disappeared due to yet another pointless argument, well done
 
But you are beaten. You just refuse to accept it and carry on the pointless argument.
You didn't answer the question about what stops it being recognised by the browser as a video format, because there is no answer that satisfies both the required conditions. The OP said he used Filezilla, which is an FTP client - one option suggested by BH.
 
HuMac said:
If any of my fellow Mac users have encountered this problem and have found a workaround, I'd dearly love to know!
Click to expand...

Download and install RCDefaultApp from http://www.rubicode.com/Software/RCDefaultApp/ which adds a new preference pane item called Default Applications

In there, look for .mpg under the Extensions tab.

Screenshot%202014-07-06%2020.30.33.png


And change the default application to disable. You may need to restart Finder (or reboot) for it to take effect.

Depending on the browser you may also need to update the Application handling setting in there too. For example, in Firefox, using the video/mpeg type.

Screenshot%202014-07-06%2020.35.13.png
 
prpr said:
You didn't answer the question about what stops it being recognised by the browser as a video format.
Click to expand...
How do you know that the problem the OP has with mpg files also applies to all the other formats that the file could be renamed to?, the file could be renamed to any of the allowable formats that the Web-If >> Browser can see, e.g. *.ts, *.mkv, *.mp4, *.avi etc. it would only be a problem if the MAC tries to play all of them, it was only an alternative to the main FTP suggestion anyway
 
Your post 2 said nothing about having to look for an extension that a: is not recognised by the Mac as a playable format and b: is recognised by the WebIF as a media file. You were wrong and we've all watched you clutching at straws to wriggle out of acknowledging that fact while the screws were turned.

Post 13 answers the OP, providing a way to stop .mpg defaulting to a playable format, albeit rather a sledgehammer in that now .mpgs won't play even if you want them to. FTP is an alternative, the only thing you've said that's any use, but it is a simple matter to install the nfs-utils package and then move/copy files around with the file manager.
 
My post #2 was a reply to the OP's post #1, the OP found it useful, end of story. I don't want or need your approval. As you seem to have put off the OP we may never find out if he actually bothered reading as far as #13 to see af123's solution to the problem
 
Ezra Pound said:
My post #2 was a reply to the OP's post #1, the OP found it useful, end of story.
Click to expand...
Correction: the OP found the FTP solution for himself, so although that element of your post 2 was useful, it was not useful to the OP. When you're in a hole, stop digging.

Ezra Pound said:
I don't want or need your approval.
Click to expand...
This is not about my approval, it's about the quality of your advice and knowing when to shut up.
 
Black Hole said:
Post 13 answers the OP, providing a way to stop .mpg defaulting to a playable format, albeit rather a sledgehammer in that now .mpgs won't play even if you want them to.
Click to expand...
If the OP uses Firefox then the second part of the answer on its own allows changing the default browser behaviour from open with plugin to ask or whatever he wants. The general re-assignment option may be necessary for other browsers though.
 
Black Hole said:
This is not about my approval, it's about the quality of your advice and knowing when to shut up.
Click to expand...
You don't run this forum, it is not for you to tell other members when to shut up, at least 50% of your 11000+ posts don't help the OP at all, which is reflected in your post : like ratio.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top