MTV3 online

[Tuonelan Joutsen]

It used to be possible to watch TV episodes on the MTV3 website even if you were in the US, and I used to do that to improve my aural comprehension of Finnish, and it was fun. Then a couple of months ago they changed something with the website security so that you had to be in Finland for the episode streaming stuff to work. I was disappointed, then I was introduced to the joy of proxy servers and used one to connect to the website. I got a little further when I did that (so it seems like I successfully tricked the website into thinking my computer was in Finland ), but then it told me that due to DRM copyright regulations or something ridiculous like that, you can only watch it with Internet Explorer. So I downloaded Internet Explorer, the website kept making it crash, and that was the end of that. Now I'm on a different computer that doesn't hate Internet Explorer quite so much, but it still won't work (it keeps telling me that I need Internet Explorer, even though that's what I'm using). So then I thought that the problem might be that I'm on a Mac and it doesn't recognise the Mac version of Internet Explorer as the real thing (not surprising, since it hasn't been updated since 2003 or so). I'd email tech support, but I'm afraid they'd be like "Oh no! Our website security is being compromised by those pesky Americans!" and do something that would make it completely impossible to connect from outside Finland. Does anyone else use this website - maybe not, because if you're in Finland you can watch Finnish TV on, you know, an actual TV – but if you do, does it work for you with IE:mac (in which case the problem is that I'm in the US, and there's nothing I can do about it), or is the operating system the problem?

(this post is kind of funny, because it's really about NOT living in Finland, but this seemed like the most appropriate subforum for it anyway )

[Jukka Aho]

Does anyone else use this website - maybe not, because if you're in Finland you can watch Finnish TV on, you know, an actual TV – but if you do, does it work for you with IE:mac (in which case the problem is that I'm in the US, and there's nothing I can do about it), or is the operating system the problem?

I’m using Firefox on Windows XP, and the MTV3 NettiTV service works for me... but Firefox seems to be using an embedded Windows Media Player in its browser window anyway... (and a Mac user is of course not likely to have WMP on his system in any form whatsoever.)

So IE is not actually the requirement but something that can function as a drop-in replacement for the Windows Media Player is.

You could try some of the suggestions given here, at least they sound promising... Or if that fails, maybe you could use a Windows XP installation on your Mac via VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop, VirtualBox, or Boot Camp... just for the purpose of watching those streams? (You could possibly trim it down a bit with nLite, to make it take less space.)
 

[Tuonelan Joutsen]

I've actually had the Mac version of Windows Media Player on my computer for quite some time, and at some point I downloaded some plugin called Flip4Mac, which is some related plug-in thing for Firefox, I think. It still won't work – this is what it says when I try to go there on Firefox:

Videota ei voi katsoa tällä selaimella. Kyseinen ohjelma on suojattu Microsoftin DRM-teknologialla (Digital Rights Management), ja sitä voi katsoa vain Internet Explorer-selaimella.

When I use IE, the page won't even load properly, so I suspect that's because the program is about six years old and can't handle the modern Internet. I should try this with an actual PC…my college's library is full of those, so I should get a chance to experiment a little.

[AldenG]

It loads OK for me in IE on a PC, but I get the regional rights message you're talking about.

I know what a mess they have with the laws and contracts and I realize it's not in any way up to the broadcaster unless they wanna get their asses sued off. Or worse. But it sure is a pain in the ass. Think how awful it would be if the actors, writers, etc., didn't get paid for views they're definitely not getting paid for when nobody can watch the stuff.

I guess you've already figured out that no reputable seller will ship European DVDs or VHS tapes to the US, either. That's also against the law. In fact, I think it may be against the law even to bring them back in your luggage, though I've never encountered any customs problems with VHS tapes or DVDs. Of course they also save themselves all the hassle they'd have with returns when dumb customers expected the tapes and DVDs to run on vanilla equipment.

[Tuonelan Joutsen]

What I don't understand is how they have to protect the media and not let you access it if you're using one browser, but if you use another browser it's magically not piracy anymore. I mean, even if you're using the officially approved Microsoft-brand browser, you're still paying nothing, so I don't get how using IE protects the copyright and using Firefox doesn't.

(But then, we current college kids are sort of infamous as a demographic for illegally downloading stuff, which might colour my expectations somewhat.)

Of course all these legal protective things are probably totally necessary…but it makes things so frustratingly difficult for language students…

[Pursuivant]

Hmmm. I think I should restart Hank's Porno Emporium movies of dubious quality business again. OK, so Joutsen and Alden just PM me the shopping list.

[onkko]

Well mtv3 works fine for me (vista+firefox). how about http://areena-beta.yle.fi/ ? its tv1,2, fst and teema + radio channels. Some programs in there require tv licence tho. And thats beta version for system what doesnt require windows.

[Tuonelan Joutsen]

I was finally able to try out my plan in the university library – now that the semester's over, the computer labs are almost totally deserted – and it actually worked. I'm kind of annoyed that it wouldn't work on my Mac when I did the same thing, but I am definitely not complaining.