will jelly bean 4.2 support flash? windows tablet?

AnMig

Golden Member
Nov 7, 2000
1,760
3
81
One of my old non techie friend wants to buy a 10 inch tablet. Mostly for web browsing and watching video clips from ESPN.

I told him to wait for the Nexus 10 but just realized ESPN videos may not play on this device.

I know Jelly bean does not support flash. I currently have a nexus 7 flashed to jb 4.1 and unable to view espn videos. I have side loaded flash, tried ICS browser and Firefox beta. All of them say " video playback is not supported in this device" desktop site is enabled.

I may suggest an android device with ice cream sand which instead since he really wants flash playback.

Can iPads play videos ESPN?

Windows slate better?

Thanks

Non techie means no rooting or messing around withe the tablet os
 

Ravynmagi

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2007
3,102
24
81
One of my old non techie friend wants to buy a 10 inch tablet. Mostly for web browsing and watching video clips from ESPN.

I told him to wait for the Nexus 10 but just realized ESPN videos may not play on this device.

I know Jelly bean does not support flash. I currently have a nexus 7 flashed to jb 4.1 and unable to view espn videos. I have side loaded flash, tried ICS browser and Firefox beta. All of them say " video playback is not supported in this device" desktop site is enabled.

I may suggest an android device with ice cream sand which instead since he really wants flash playback.

Can iPads play videos ESPN?

Windows slate better?

Thanks

Non techie means no rooting or messing around withe the tablet os

My iPad 3 and my Galaxy Nexus (Jelly Bean) both play ESPN videos just fine without Flash (iPad was more seamless though). Many mainstream websites have adapted to the death of mobile Flash and are doing videos in HTML5 or whatever. So I think lack of Flash is becoming less and less of an issue. Though yeah there are still smaller sites that still use Flash.

I'd vote for Nexus 10. Or perhaps a Windows 8 tablet if you can find one that doesn't cost a fortune, just not Windows RT.
 

AnMig

Golden Member
Nov 7, 2000
1,760
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My iPad 3 and my Galaxy Nexus (Jelly Bean) both play ESPN videos just fine without Flash (iPad was more seamless though). Many mainstream websites have adapted to the death of mobile Flash and are doing videos in HTML5 or whatever. So I think lack of Flash is becoming less and less of an issue. Though yeah there are still smaller sites that still use Flash.

I'd vote for Nexus 10. Or perhaps a Windows 8 tablet if you can find one that doesn't cost a fortune, just not Windows RT.

I must be doing something wrong both my nexus 7 and galaxy nexus phone both on jelly bean 4.1 can't play ESPN videos. Getting "the this video is not authorized for playback on this device". Did you have to mess withe the build prob to make your device look like its on ICS (4.01)?

So iPads are able to play ESPN videos? Maybe that would be the safer recomendation.

Thanks
 

sswingle

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2000
7,183
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Using Dolphin browser I was able to watch ESPN videos on my Galaxy Nexus.
I made zero modifications to Dolphin, I was definitely on the mobile version of the site, and I haven't side loaded anything.
 

AnMig

Golden Member
Nov 7, 2000
1,760
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Okay thanks for the responses, I think its time to change ROMs, was thinking on going to 4.1.2 anyway.

So I guess nexus 10 will still be a good recomendation.

Thanks
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Not sure about Android 4.2 yet, but under 4.1.x, you can still download mobile Flash from the Adobe site and install the apk on your device. It works about as well as mobile Flash always has, mediocre.
 

cl-scott

ASUS Support
Jul 5, 2012
457
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0
Flash for all mobile devices is dead. IMO, good riddance, and may it quickly be followed by the desktop version... However, that all aside, Adobe has said on multiple occasions that they aren't planning to revive Flash for mobile. Even if your friend got an ICS tablet, the download link for the APK is gone from the Play Store unless it was already installed before. So you'd have to side load it, and there'd be no support from Adobe, etc.

Basically anyone who is hoping to use Flash on a cell phone or tablet, regardless of it being Android, iOS, or Win8, should probably be rethinking their plans.
 

Reliant

Diamond Member
Mar 29, 2001
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ESPN itself seems pretty good for mobile support. Also, if he had cable, the Watch ESPN app is pretty good.
 

Ravynmagi

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2007
3,102
24
81
I must be doing something wrong both my nexus 7 and galaxy nexus phone both on jelly bean 4.1 can't play ESPN videos. Getting "the this video is not authorized for playback on this device". Did you have to mess withe the build prob to make your device look like its on ICS (4.01)?

So iPads are able to play ESPN videos? Maybe that would be the safer recomendation.

Thanks

Other than rooting, my Galaxy Nexus is pretty much stock. Haven't messed with the build prop or anything. I just double checked and don't have Flash on it.

I did some more testing with ESPN.com...

With Chrome it automatically loads the mobile version. Videos seem to play fine here. When I switched to the desktop version, I could not play videos because it said I didn't have Flash.

With my iPad 3, by default I get the desktop version and the desktop version of ESPN.com does play videos just fine on the iPad.

And I do see this quite a bit were website videos seem to recognize the iPad and automatically switch to a video format that can be played, where as with Chrome it doesn't switch and I get stuck served a video that can't be played.

Dolphin does the same thing as Chrome, won't play videos with the desktop version.

There are ESPN apps on both iOS and Android though.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
If you install flash prior to 4.1 update it works just fine. Even side loading works.
 

AnMig

Golden Member
Nov 7, 2000
1,760
3
81
Other than rooting, my Galaxy Nexus is pretty much stock. Haven't messed with the build prop or anything. I just double checked and don't have Flash on it.

I did some more testing with ESPN.com...

With Chrome it automatically loads the mobile version. Videos seem to play fine here. When I switched to the desktop version, I could not play videos because it said I didn't have Flash.

With my iPad 3, by default I get the desktop version and the desktop version of ESPN.com does play videos just fine on the iPad.

And I do see this quite a bit were website videos seem to recognize the iPad and automatically switch to a video format that can be played, where as with Chrome it doesn't switch and I get stuck served a video that can't be played.

Dolphin does the same thing as Chrome, won't play videos with the desktop version.

There are ESPN apps on both iOS and Android though.

tried 3 different Jellbean ROMS 4.1.2 and still no go with ESPN video on my nexus 7. I tired regular ICS browser, Dolphin, Chrome, Firefox beta.


My wife's Ipad 3 opens the ESPN videos flawlessly.

Tried using different user agents (some browsers) Ipad, Android, desktop. Still gives an error this video unsupported by this device.

Maybe because these custom ROMS have adblocking features?


At this point I don't even want to use Flash, I just want it to redirect me to non Flash site like it does the Ipad.

Peace.
 

cheezy321

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2003
6,218
2
0
ESPN videos never worked correctly on my Gtab 7". I never downloaded any other browsers or tried to make modifications because frankly I dont think I should have to. Sound worked, but never video.

They have worked flawlessly on my iPad 2 for years.
 

Insomniator

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2002
6,294
171
106
I don't get how lack of flash is NOT a big issue.

Every damn thing I watch is flash... it seems like half the internet is flash. That was one of my main reasons for getting an android phone a year ago.
 

tdawg

Platinum Member
May 18, 2001
2,215
6
81
I keep a downloaded flash .apk file on my phone; whenever I replace the rom, I just sideload it, though I can never get it to work in Chrome, so if I hit a flash site, I have to reopen it in the old browser.

Windows RT/8 will work just like a real laptop/desktop. Sites don't see IE10 as a mobile browser from my limited experiments in the Microsoft store. I was able to load up videos on colbertnation.com, hulu.com, and nbc.com/snl just as I would on a non-mobile pc.
 

AnMig

Golden Member
Nov 7, 2000
1,760
3
81
I keep a downloaded flash .apk file on my phone; whenever I replace the rom, I just sideload it, though I can never get it to work in Chrome, so if I hit a flash site, I have to reopen it in the old browser.

Windows RT/8 will work just like a real laptop/desktop. Sites don't see IE10 as a mobile browser from my limited experiments in the Microsoft store. I was able to load up videos on colbertnation.com, hulu.com, and nbc.com/snl just as I would on a non-mobile pc.

Would you mind posting a link on the version of flash you have. I have downloaded a few and none of them play flash videos.

Would be nice if android decided to stop supporting flash that it would at least auto redirect you to the non flash video like the iPad does. As of now it just leaves us hanging in the " device not supported"

Thanks
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
I keep a downloaded flash .apk file on my phone; whenever I replace the rom, I just sideload it, though I can never get it to work in Chrome, so if I hit a flash site, I have to reopen it in the old browser.

Windows RT/8 will work just like a real laptop/desktop. Sites don't see IE10 as a mobile browser from my limited experiments in the Microsoft store. I was able to load up videos on colbertnation.com, hulu.com, and nbc.com/snl just as I would on a non-mobile pc.

Windows RT/Metro IE10 has no add-ons. Try accessing a site that exclusively uses flash on RT and it will fail most of the time. It has to be added to Microsoft's compatibility list in order to work. So the owner of the website must request that microsoft add it to the list. For example, go to wechoosethemoon.org in Metro IE10 or Windows RT and it won't work because you do not have a real flash player. Open the same site in IE10 on the desktop and magically it works because the desktop IE has built in flash plug-in.

The sad thing is...you can hack the whitelist (the flash compatible site list). The instructions are here but word of warning. You have to add each website manually one by one and type the URL correctly or it won't work. That's a fail for Microsoft IMO.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33447933


Also on Android Chrome, it does not support Flash and likely never will. Stock browser and I think Dolphin does. Might be others.
 
Last edited:

dagamer34

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2005
2,591
0
71
Windows RT/Metro IE10 has no add-ons. Try accessing a site that exclusively uses flash on RT and it will fail most of the time. It has to be added to Microsoft's compatibility list in order to work. So the owner of the website must request that microsoft add it to the list. For example, go to wechoosethemoon.org in Metro IE10 or Windows RT and it won't work because you do not have a real flash player. Open the same site in IE10 on the desktop and magically it works because the desktop IE has built in flash plug-in.

The sad thing is...you can hack the whitelist (the flash compatible site list). The instructions are here but word of warning. You have to add each website manually one by one and type the URL correctly or it won't work. That's a fail for Microsoft IMO.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33447933


Also on Android Chrome, it does not support Flash and likely never will. Stock browser and I think Dolphin does. Might be others.

Flash doesn't work in Metro IE because of battery life concerns.
 

finbarqs

Diamond Member
Feb 16, 2005
3,617
2
81
i just played an entire episode of addams family through amazon.com on my prime account using ie10 in desktop mode. Desktop IE10 and Metro IE are 2 different browsers! Talk about being confusing to the consumer...
 

tdawg

Platinum Member
May 18, 2001
2,215
6
81
Would you mind posting a link on the version of flash you have. I have downloaded a few and none of them play flash videos.

Would be nice if android decided to stop supporting flash that it would at least auto redirect you to the non flash video like the iPad does. As of now it just leaves us hanging in the " device not supported"

Thanks

Not sure if this will work, but here goes: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-ZqebQg3eU4QktjRWhYcUluV28
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
i just played an entire episode of addams family through amazon.com on my prime account using ie10 in desktop mode. Desktop IE10 and Metro IE are 2 different browsers! Talk about being confusing to the consumer...

Very true...it is really too bad you could not manually enable flash on rt or metro ui if you wanted to. Battery concerns my foot. If i want flash i should have the option at least. Sure maybe dont offer it out of the box but if i go to the settings let mw choose to enable it but put a warning that it may lower the battery life. I do think they are trying to force us off of flash entirely