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CurtB's avatar
CurtB
Valued Contributor III
4 years ago

Contour watchtv.cox.com - Flash Replacement

Since last night, I'd been able to load https://watchtv.cox.com using Chrome without having to select "Allow" for Flash.  However, a short while ago tonight, the site required Flash be allowed again.  After I selected "Allow", I was able to watch a live TV program, same as always.  I closed the browser, but it hasn't required me to allow Flash again when I re-load the website.  This is different from having to allow Flash every time the webpage is loaded, as has been required by Chrome for the past year.  I'm currently watching a live TV program on the website using Chrome with the Flash setting of "Block (default)".  Flash is either required or it's not required.  Since the site is obviously working with Flash blocked (according to the Chrome site setting), it would appear that Flash is not required and the prompt to allow Flash may be either a website or Chrome glitch.  I don't know.  This makes no sense to me.

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  • CurtB's avatar
    CurtB
    Valued Contributor III
    4 years ago

    I deleted cox.com and cox.net cookies today to solve a Call History issue.  The first time I accessed https://watchtv.cox.com after that, I had to re-authenticate with my Cox credentials, which I expected, but I also had to allow Flash.  I haven't had to allow Flash since then when I've accessed the website though.  And, the Flash setting is still "Block (default)" while I watch live TV on the website.

    Theory 1: Flash access is now being controlled by a cookie and the Flash site setting is only used to refresh the "Allow" on a periodic basis, possibly every 24 hours.  The "Block (default)" Flash setting value displayed would be a Chrome glitch.

    Theory 2: Cox developers are testing the Flash replacement (in the production environment) and simply failed to remove the Flash "Allow" requirement from the website load process, even though it's no longer actually used.  This is supported by the fact that the Flash site setting ignores "Block" and continues to allow normal access.  I'm leaning toward this theory.

    • CurtB's avatar
      CurtB
      Valued Contributor III
      4 years ago

      The Contour website continues to require Flash to be allowed periodically.  It still seems to be about once per day.

      For testing, I changed the computer's date and time to the next day.  An attempt to access the website never got past "Now connecting to your entertainment experience".  But, the watchtv.cox.com cookie showed the future date as the "Last modified" date and time.  When I reset the computer's date and time to the curent time and accessed the website, it prompted me to re-allow Flash again.  After Flash was allowed, the TV grid loaded successfully.  The website requires the local date and time to closely sync with the server.

  • CurtB's avatar
    CurtB
    Valued Contributor III
    4 years ago

    Using Chrome, the Contour https://watchtv.cox.com website prompted to allow Flash one time again tonight.  Two days is a small sample size, but it appears to be requiring Flash to be allowed every day now instead of every time the site is accessed.  If that's really what's happening, it seems odd that change would be made now when Flash is in its final months.

  • CurtB's avatar
    CurtB
    Valued Contributor III
    4 years ago

    Flash is still required to be allowed approximately every 24 hours.  An "Attempting to Resume..." error occurred several times.  Also, "Flash is blocked" occurred several times after Flash had been allowed.