Flickering on sites with Flash video + Flash buttons

[Stefan Berge]

Binary package hint: firefox-3.5

With Ubuntu 9.10 installed, 64-bit or 32-bit doesn´t matter, the following happens:
When watching a page with a flash video + flash buttons beside it, both video and the rest of the page experience random flickering and flashes (no joke). This is one of our favourite news sites (swedish) and if you have Ubuntu 9.10 you probably get the same problem we do when watching it:
http://playrapport.se/
Double-clicking to get full screen video (no flash buttons visible, of course) removes the flickering, but wathing in a window (to get access to the buttons to change video is a real pain.

We have installed 9.10 on four different computers, all got the same problem.

It is not an overload, the computer I use right now has a processor load of about 50 %, and only 10.2% of the 4 GB RAM is being used. This computer has Nvidia 8200 graphics card, we have tested both Nvidia drivers recommended with the same result. Turning off visual effects (Compiz) doesn´t help either.

We have used a separate harddisk to install and test other distros that also use the Gnome desktop to see if that is the problem:
Mandriva One 2010 (gnome) works fine, no flashing.
OpenSuse 11.2 (gnome) works fine, no flashing.
And Ubuntu 9.04 also works perfectly.
The problem is ONLY on Ubuntu 9.10 and on all computers we have installed it on, both 32-bit Ubuntu + 32 bit flash plugin and 64-bit with the 64 bit flash plugin (from Adobe). And on all our graphics cards: Intel graphics on the laptop computer, three different Nvidia cards, 6100, 7300 and 8200.
Trying Opera there was no flickering/flashing but it couldn´t get the video size right...

The same site ( http://svtplay.se/ ) also has other flash videos, but no flash buttons beside them, and those videos work just fine, also in a window.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Nov 18 20:27:31 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: firefox 3.5.5+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.9.10.1
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=sv_SE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic-pae
SourcePackage: firefox-3.5
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic-pae i686

[Micah Gersten (micahg)]

Thank you for reporting this to Ubuntu. Does this happen in any other browser besides Firefox like Chromium, Epiphany, Midori, or Arora?

[concertedrxn (travisejones)]

Although I too have observed flickering in Flash video in Ubuntu 9.10, I did not observe it on the site referenced above in the bug report. (Perhaps that's because I did not navigate away from the main page.) However, this embedded video flickers wildly in Firefox, Midori, Epiphany, and Arora: <http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/11/28/ballmer-selling-windows-except-in-nebraska/>. It also flickers badly in Google Chrome 4.0.249.11; however, Opera 10.10 build 4742 plays it smoothly.

As the original reporter of the bug noted, the flicker stops when playback is made full screen. Also, there is no flicker when watching the same video on YouTube itself. (Click the lower right hand corner of the video to jump to the video's YouTube page.)

[Stefan Berge (olyckholm)]

Sorry for the delay, we don´t use this email account every day.
No, it is purely a Firefox + Ubuntu combination that causes the problem.
The same Ubuntu installation, but with Opera webbrowser -- no problem.
Firefox with Mandriva One or OpenSuse -- no problem.
Only Firefox (3.5) with Ubuntu 9.10.
Previously (Firefox 3 and Ubuntu 9.04) we had no problem, this is a new one.

Best regards

Stefan Berge

> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:13:37 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 484976] Re: Flickering on sites with Flash video + Flash buttons
>
> Thank you for reporting this to Ubuntu. Does this happen in any other
> browser besides Firefox like Chromium, Epiphany, Midori, or Arora?
>
> ** Changed in: firefox-3.5 (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> Flickering on sites with Flash video + Flash buttons
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/484976
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “firefox-3.5” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: firefox-3.5
>
> With Ubuntu 9.10 installed, 64-bit or 32-bit doesn´t matter, the following happens:
> When watching a page with a flash video + flash buttons beside it, both video and the rest of the page experience random flickering and flashes (no joke). This is one of our favourite news sites (swedish) and if you have Ubuntu 9.10 you probably get the same problem we do when watching it:
> http://playrapport.se/
> Double-clicking to get full screen video (no flash buttons visible, of course) removes the flickering, but wathing in a window (to get access to the buttons to change video is a real pain.
>
> We have installed 9.10 on four different computers, all got the same problem.
>
> It is not an overload, the computer I use right now has a processor load of about 50 %, and only 10.2% of the 4 GB RAM is being used. This computer has Nvidia 8200 graphics card, we have tested both Nvidia drivers recommended with the same result. Turning off visual effects (Compiz) doesn´t help either.
>
> We have used a separate harddisk to install and test other distros that also use the Gnome desktop to see if that is the problem:
> Mandriva One 2010 (gnome) works fine, no flashing.
> OpenSuse 11.2 (gnome) works fine, no flashing.
> And Ubuntu 9.04 also works perfectly.
> The problem is ONLY on Ubuntu 9.10 and on all computers we have installed it on, both 32-bit Ubuntu + 32 bit flash plugin and 64-bit with the 64 bit flash plugin (from Adobe). And on all our graphics cards: Intel graphics on the laptop computer, three different Nvidia cards, 6100, 7300 and 8200.
> Trying Opera there was no flickering/flashing but it couldn´t get the video size right...
>
> The same site ( http://svtplay.se/ ) also has other flash videos, but no flash buttons beside them, and those videos work just fine, also in a window.
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Wed Nov 18 20:27:31 2009
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
> NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
> Package: firefox 3.5.5+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.9.1...

[Stefan Berge (olyckholm)]

This is strange... I think it depends on how still the flash-ads outside the video are. This time they were still, and I get no flickering (well, maybe one at the beginning, but after that it was completely stable. Strange...

/Stefan

> Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2009 01:30:03 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 484976] Re: Flickering on sites with Flash video + Flash buttons
>
> Although I too have observed flickering in Flash video in Ubuntu 9.10, I
> did not observe it on the site referenced above in the bug report.
> (Perhaps that's because I did not navigate away from the main page.)
> However, this embedded video flickers wildly in Firefox, Midori,
> Epiphany, and Arora: <http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/11/28/ballmer-
> selling-windows-except-in-nebraska/>. It also flickers badly in Google
> Chrome 4.0.249.11; however, Opera 10.10 build 4742 plays it smoothly.
>
> As the original reporter of the bug noted, the flicker stops when
> playback is made full screen. Also, there is no flicker when watching
> the same video on YouTube itself. (Click the lower right hand corner of
> the video to jump to the video's YouTube page.)
>
> --
> Flickering on sites with Flash video + Flash buttons
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/484976
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “firefox-3.5” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: firefox-3.5
>
> With Ubuntu 9.10 installed, 64-bit or 32-bit doesn´t matter, the following happens:
> When watching a page with a flash video + flash buttons beside it, both video and the rest of the page experience random flickering and flashes (no joke). This is one of our favourite news sites (swedish) and if you have Ubuntu 9.10 you probably get the same problem we do when watching it:
> http://playrapport.se/
> Double-clicking to get full screen video (no flash buttons visible, of course) removes the flickering, but wathing in a window (to get access to the buttons to change video is a real pain.
>
> We have installed 9.10 on four different computers, all got the same problem.
>
> It is not an overload, the computer I use right now has a processor load of about 50 %, and only 10.2% of the 4 GB RAM is being used. This computer has Nvidia 8200 graphics card, we have tested both Nvidia drivers recommended with the same result. Turning off visual effects (Compiz) doesn´t help either.
>
> We have used a separate harddisk to install and test other distros that also use the Gnome desktop to see if that is the problem:
> Mandriva One 2010 (gnome) works fine, no flashing.
> OpenSuse 11.2 (gnome) works fine, no flashing.
> And Ubuntu 9.04 also works perfectly.
> The problem is ONLY on Ubuntu 9.10 and on all computers we have installed it on, both 32-bit Ubuntu + 32 bit flash plugin and 64-bit with the 64 bit flash plugin (from Adobe). And on all our graphics cards: Intel graphics on the laptop computer, three different Nvidia cards, 6100, 7300 and 8200.
> Trying Opera there was no flickering/flashing but it couldn´t get the video size right...
>
> The same site ( http://svtplay.se/ ) als...

[jvoung (jvoung)]

I'm experiencing this bug in 9.10 that wasn't in 9.04 (along with some other folks http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1313427). I can confirm that I've tried the following:

- 32-bit and 64-bit install of ubuntu and flash (32-bit flash from apt, 64-bit flash from adobe)
- gnome and kde
- firefox 3.5 and chrome beta 4.something (so maybe this bug shouldn't be filed under firefox 3.5)
- with and without desktop effects
- happens most often on nba league pass broadband, sometimes with hulu
- nvidia 9800gt and nvidia 105m

[Craig Jackson (craigmjackson)]

I can also confirm this occurs in 32 and 64 Ubuntu 9.10 in Firefox 3.5 with Intel Mobile 4 Series Chipset (i915). This does not occur in full screen mode unless there are other flash controls introduced to the screen. When the controls are removed and the screen is only displaying the video, the video is smooth. This also happens in Chrome so since we have eliminated the video driver/card (It occurs in Nvidia and Intel), we have eliminated the browser (It occurs in xulrunner-based Firefox-3.5 and in webkit-based Chrome) and we have eliminated the architecture (it occurs in both 32 and 64 Ubuntu Karmic) then this only leaves the flashplugin itself, with a bug that shows itself between both 64-bit and 32-bit flashplugin varieties. Please let me know if you require more information.

[Christian Göbel (christiangoebel)]

Similar observation, here: Flickering with full-screen flash videos with controls.
Some videos just play fine for me (e.g. Youtube Videos).
However, when watching films on e.g. Arte (aFrench/German TV Channel) the flickering of the controls is very annoying.
Try videos under the following link (from Germany, Austria, France) :
 http://plus7.arte.tv/fr/1697480.html

Similar observations as reported above:
- No flickering on Ubuntu 9.04. (with Firefox 3.5, newest release of the Adobe flash-plugin)
- Flickering on Ubuntu 9.10 (with Firefox 3.5, same release of the Adobe flash-plugin)

Since I use essentially the same release version of Firefox and Adobe flash-plugin, I wonder if this could be due to:
a) new graphic infrastructure (In Ubuntu 9.10 I use: VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03)) ?
b) difference when building the packages (new compiler, flags) ?

As far as I can see Nivida and Intel Graphic cards are affect. Have there been changes between Ubuntu 9.04 and 9.10 that affect both types of graphic cards or drivers?

[Christian Göbel (christiangoebel)]

Forum thread on flickering in Flash Videos under Ubuntu 9.10:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1313427

Following the links in the forum thread, there are some hints that issue might be due to changes at the kernel.

[Christian Göbel (christiangoebel)]

Several things that I tried, without success:
- build a kernel which uses the bfs scheduler instead of the standard linux scheduler
result: slightly less flickering - but still unacceptable. Overall performance was worse.

- use of vanilla build of firefox 3.5.7 instead of the package provided by Ubuntu
result: no change, issue persists

- use of vanilla build of the Adobe Flash plugin instead of the package provided by Ubuntu
result: no change, issue persists

Conclusion: At least on my compute the issue is not due to changes on Firefox or Adobe Flash plugin that have been introduced by Ubuntu. Of course it could be a bug that has been introduced upstream.
Has anybody tried if the problem can be reproduced when using an older (e.g. from Ubuntu 9.04) kernel/driver stack inside Ubuntu 9.10?

[Joe Perches (joe-perches)]

I think it's the hidden "Embed" and "URL" and windows trying to update.

To stop the flickering, click the up arrow in the lower right corner of the video control toolbar, select the bottom option to shrink the video and show the Embed and URL windows. Flickering stops.

I think those windows are doing something like a periodic "set_visible(true)" call which shouldn't have an effect when the video is playing in normal mode, but screws up the display anyway.

[Christian Göbel (christiangoebel)]

Just a note: I installed Lucid alpha3 on my computer and with the latest Firefox (delivered by default) and the latest Adobe-Flash-plugin the flickering is practically gone, for me. This must be due to some changes introduced in Lucid - since videos from the the same homepages (mostly Arte7+) are still flickering with Ubuntu 9.10.
I wonder which change/component was responsible (kernel, X-11, firefox, video-driver, Flash-Plugin - or some compile options?)

[MarcoPau (marcopau)]

I have no problem on youtube and similar, but on this website http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/il-garage-piu-piccolo-del-mondo/41767?video videos flicker continuously (so far in the past few months). I also tried setting high value for browser.sessionstore.interval in about:config but that didn't help. Ubuntu jaunty up to date and firefox (both 3.5 and 3.6).

[Marius (mm473)]

> I wonder which change/component was responsible (kernel, X-11, firefox, video-driver, Flash-Plugin - or some compile options?)

I think its the kernel. I also noticed the problem (mostly) gone in Lucid, and installed a newer kernel in Karmic (2.6.33 actually) and the flickering is down to maybe once every 10 seconds or so, which is doable. However, the while the flickering is now at a usable level, its definitely not gone, so the bug is still there.

[vaughn (vaughngrisham)]

I just installed the Flash 10.1 RC on Lucid Lynx 64-bit beta. The bug is still there on NBA League Pass Broadband. The flickering goes away if you go to full screen mode, but the embedded window blinks like snow storm (like once every two seconds). Not good. It's one thing when you're just casually looking at YouTube, but it's quite aggravating when you've subscribed to a paid site such as League Pass and can't watch embedded video. This problem is not present with the same versions of Firefox and Flash on Windows 7 or Mac Snow Leopard.

[vaughn (vaughngrisham)]

UPDATE: I just installed Opera, and I'm experiencing no flickering with NBA League Pass Broadband, embedded or full screen. I guess I have a new default browser.

[Ohad (ohadle)]

Coinciding with what someone said at the forum thread mentioned:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1313427&page=3

I'm experiencing this bug using firefox with flash plugin 10.0.45.2 and an updated Karmic. Games don't flash in Opera (Though buttons are not very responsive).

Some games are ok:
http://www.popcap.com/games/free/zuma

While others flicker:
http://armorgames.com/play/1760/hedgehog-launch

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for firefox-3.5 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]