[alphasubzero949]

Take, for example, the "FeedRoom" at www.nbc4.tv


In their FAQ, they state that their "FeedRoom" is optimized for OS 9.1, 9.2 users who use Netscape 4.7x or MSIE 5.x.


I notice that this happens more often with different media-based web sites, especially when they require WMP for content viewing.

With Apple touting OS X so much these days, clearly this is an issue.


What's so special about Netscape 6/7 or OS X that they cannot support such "features?" Or is it the laziness/ignorance of the site webmasters?

Discuss.

[Developer]

Originally posted by alphasubzero949:
What's so special about Netscape 6/7 or OS X that they cannot support such "features?"

They can't support Windows Media Player because Microsoft doesn't let them. It's less and less an issue because WMP for OS X is outdated anyway.

RealPlayer and QuickTime works fine in all web browsers.

[romeosc]

Even videos on TechTv can't be seen without WMV!

[Mike S.]

Originally posted by romeosc:
Even videos on TechTv can't be seen without WMV!

Even? You do realize that Paul Allen (cofounder of Microsoft) owns the network don't you?

[Orion27]

I didn't and that explains a lot about about the content of their webpage.

[mcsjgs]

Have you tried downloading and installing new Windows Media Player 9 yet?

[CaseCom]

Originally posted by alphasubzero949:
What's so special about Netscape 6/7 or OS X that they cannot support such "features?" Or is it the laziness/ignorance of the site webmasters?

It's probably just that they haven't bothered to update their site technology since, oh, 2000 or 2001 -- about the same time online ad revenue dried up.

I doubt they sat down, thought about it, and consciously decided not to optimize their site for OS X users. They just haven't put the money into keeping it current.

Does that site even employ a full-time webmaster?

[MacGorilla]

Or launch.yahoo.com? We have the latest Windows Media player and it still wont work.

[theolein]

Why is it that every time someone here does the bossy teenage act and commands people to "discuss" that the original question will not actually be worth discussing. Asking why a site that is optimised for IE5 and Netscape 4.x (not that anyone actually uses this anymore) doesn't work and crying about windows media sites that can't be viewed on a mac is just damn stupid. If you really desperately want to watch those sites, buy a damn PC or email Microsoft or whatever, but complaining that your mac isn't a PC is wasting your and everyone elses time.

[Millennium]

The problem is that the WiMP "plugin" isn't really a plugin at all. It is an ActiveX control. Yes, ActiveX controls do exist for the Mac, though frankly I doubt I should be using the plural; I've never seen another one.

Ahem. Because it's an ActiveX control, rather than using the standard plugin architecture which every other extensible Web browser on the face of the planet uses (and which even IE/Windows used to support, until they realized that this was undermining their browser lock-in strategy and so they removed it, citing fictional "security issues"), only IE/Mac can use it.

Blame Microsoft. This time, it really is their fault.