MLB.TV in Linux

Fugazi · 04-06-2006, 07:16 PM

I think I already know the answer, but thought I'd check to see if anyone has a work around.

During Spring Training I was able to watch streaming video and listen to streaming audio from MLBs website (it's a subscription service). Just before the regular season started, they changed their format and now I can't watch or listen.

In Windows, the video feed stopped working in Mozilla also (audio works). Video and audio work in IE. MLBs support site says they support Firefox but doesn't mention Mozilla. So I loaded Firefox on my Windows machine. I can watch the video with Firefox.

So, back to Linux. I install Firefox, but still no dice. I believe I've got all the plugins installed and working properly (it worked before they changed their format).

Like I said, I think the answer is going to be, "your screwed", but thought I'd check to see if anyone has a work around.

BTW, I'm using Fedora Core 4 and here's a brief list of the plugins I have installed:

Java(TM) Plug-in 1.5.0_06-b05
Google VLC multimedia plugin 1.0
QuickTime Plug-in 6.0
RealPlayer 9
Windows Media Player Plugin
mplayerplug-in 3.21
Shockwave Flash
Helix DNA Plugin: RealPlayer G2 Plug-In Compatible
Default Plugin

Thanks in advance.

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Anyone coming across this thread for the 1st time, the first part of this thread is waaaay out of date. Two posters here, daftcat and jkr have come up with solutions for watching MLB.TV. You can skip to the last 1/2 of the thread and read all about it, or you can get their awesome mlbviewer program at sourceforge.

There's also the test version of their program.

Code:

 svn co https://mlbviewer.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/mlbviewer/trunk mlbviewer-test

jlo_sandog · 04-07-2006, 02:28 AM

sorry see next entry

jlo_sandog · 04-07-2006, 02:38 AM

hello I had the same problem. I love my baseball, GO PADRES!!
Anyway, You need mplayer and then do the following...

1. Install the lates wine,
2. Download and install firefox windows version
3. On firefox download the extension MediaPlayerConnectivity
https://addons.mozilla.org/extension...nfo.php?id=446
4. Go to the Macromedia site and install flash
5. Using your favorite editor, make file mplayer.exe and cut and paste this to it

#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/mplayer -really-quiet -nojoystick -nofs -zoom -vo xv,x11 -ao esd,alsa,oss,arts,null -osdlevel 0 $1 </dev/null

place this file in your home directory, and make sure it is executable.

6. Configure MediaPlayerConnectivity to use mplayer.exe for your media.
7. Almost forgot. Copy npdsplay.dll, the wmp plugin into the firefox plugin folder ($HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/Mozilla\ Firefox/plugins). You can get this file from a windos machine. Don't try to install wmp with wine, it will probably fail and screw up this setup.

8. Play ball

Fugazi · 04-07-2006, 10:07 AM

This is great. I got most everything working so far. (this reply is in Windows version of Firefox running on Wine)

When I click a link to a game, it pops open the player window, but then i get an error.

The box is labeled "npdsplay" and the errors says "Can not create DirectShow Player"

Any Ideas? I'm so close to being free of Windows.

jlo_sandog · 04-07-2006, 01:53 PM

yes, forgot to mention that too. Just click on that. Then, mplayer will be lauched, depending how you set up mediaplayerconnectivity, either automatically or by clicking on the launch button. Sometimes mplayer will launch two instances, so just close one of them. Let me know if it works for you. GO PADRES!!

Fugazi · 04-08-2006, 01:31 PM

Holy Cow, It works!!!

Just for that I'm going to root for the Padres as my National League team. Go Indians!!!

Only minor problem is it's too 'squished' horizontally and I can't change the ratio. Any idea how to change it.

Thanks for all your help.

jlo_sandog · 04-08-2006, 04:03 PM

That's great. I'm actually streaming a couple of games. Not sure about the window issue, but you can use the nomal mplayer feature like full screen if you press the "f" key, Also my $HOME/.mplayer/config file has theese entries
vo=xv
ao=alsa
autosync = 0

For more info about mplayer also try
man mplayer

Let me know if you got it to work. Go Padres!!

jlo_sandog · 04-09-2006, 06:26 AM

Ok after all that work it turns out there migth be a better or easier way.
1. add noembed=1 to $HOME/.mplayer/mplayerplug-in.conf
2. Using native firefox (linux version), go to mlb.com and at the top of the page log in. The key is to log in first.
3. Then select a game and mplayer will launch a window.

I do have a problem. So far no audio from mplayer. I'm sure its a setup issue, I'll look at it later, but it may work for you.

tc211 · 04-09-2006, 10:48 AM

This works for me too, thanks. One thing though...CPU usage is really high and the video stream is very choppy as a result. Any suggestions.

Thanks again, I thought I'd thrown away the $80 for the season and was a little peeved. If I can get this to work seamlessly I'll be pumped.

jlo_sandog · 04-09-2006, 04:17 PM

are you using -vo xv option. I running an AMD athlon 3000, nvidia fx5500, 512M ram, and I can run several windows of streaming video at once without problems. Video starts to break with more than 4 windows, and since the audio is all mixed, it all sounds like my old girl friend, CRAZY.

tc211 · 04-10-2006, 11:22 AM

I'm using -vo x11 , I'll try xv...what's the difference?

tc211 · 04-10-2006, 11:28 AM

This seems to work for me

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Ok after all that work it turns out there migth be a better or easier way.
1. add noembed=1 to $HOME/.mplayer/mplayerplug-in.conf
2. Using native firefox (linux version), go to mlb.com and at the top of the page log in. The key is to log in first.
3. Then select a game and mplayer will launch a window.

I do have a problem. So far no audio from mplayer. I'm sure its a setup issue, I'll look at it later, but it may work for you.
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jlo_sandog · 04-16-2006, 08:58 PM

watching home games... read this...
http://www.oaklandfans.com/discus/me...tml?1094264723

http://www.publicproxyservers.com/

jnguy · 05-04-2006, 10:07 PM

Hello,

I would also like to get in on this action. I have followed the steps outlined above, however, everytime I launch the game, it appears to just be a macromedia window. Not really sure what I'm doing wrong. Also, I had to manually create the Mozilla/Firefox/plugin folder, is that normal? I don't know anything about wine... so not even sure if I'm running it correctly.

Helps is appreciated, thanks.

jlo_sandog · 05-05-2006, 04:18 AM

there are two methods that you can use to watch games on linux. One with wine, and the other (prefered) with linux. I summarized the steps required to make it work with the prefered method. You just need the mplayer and mplayerplu-in working with mozilla or firefox. You don't need to try it with wine. I mentioned it inititally since at the time I could not get MLB.TV to work on a native linux browser. As mentioned on one of my previous postings, the main thing is to log-in first, and then select the game.

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Ok after all that work it turns out there migth be a better or easier way.
1. add noembed=1 to $HOME/.mplayer/mplayerplug-in.conf
2. Using native firefox (linux version), go to mlb.com and at the top of the page log in. The key is to log in first.
3. Then select a game and mplayer will launch a window.
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