Firefox downloads file instead of passing it to VLC

This is really an Apache question!

[perlmonger]

Hi,

I'm setting up a video player system which could work in a home entertainment environment. A web browser type interface contains a list of videos, some pictures, reviews, ratings, etc. It can sort by name, release date, who's in it, rating, genre, etc. New listings can be entered or old ones edited by a web page form.

Here's the problem. When a selection is made by clicking on a "play video" button (a href=video_ts.ifo, etc.), Firefox asks, What do you want to do with this? Select Open with VLC (the default). VLC starts and the video file (VIDEO_TS.IFO) is "downloaded" to a folder deep within the user's folder. No video plays. However, by using just Firefox as the "server" by selecting Open ... File, select VIDEO_TS.IFO, Firefox asks, What do you want to do with this? Select Open with VLC (the default). VLC starts and the video plays!

The platform is a PC running Windows 7, Apache 2.2, Perl 5.x, Firefox and VLC. I've been through VLC configuration and Firefox configuration without success. Since the video plays without involving Apache, I suspect something needs to be set up in Apache so the file is passed to VLC instead of being "downloaded" to another folder.

Thanks for any insight!

[phranque]

what is the value of the Content-Type: HTTP Response header when that file is returned?
if you go to Tools->Options->Applications what is the setting for the .ifo file type?

[perlmonger]

Hi Phranque,

In apache 2.2, I added

AddType content/DVD .ifo

I also installed httpfox to track headers. It indicates the .ifo file is type content/DVD. If I did not include the addtype above, the .ifo is type text/plain.

The .ifo file still gets downloaded to some folder instead of being passed to the VLC application, which does open.

In firefox, going to tools>options>applications, there is no listing about .ifo files. Now I'm going to guess that most or all of the media files listed there are the actual media files; a .ifo file is just a pointer to media files.

I don't know how to add a .ifo file to the applications list.

[perlmonger]

Hi Phranque,

After clicking on link to video_ts.ifo file, Firefox asked, What do you want to do? I selected "do this every time," dialog asks use what, I pick VLC.exe Now an entry appears in Tools>Options>Applications, says content/DVD is to use VLC.

But although VLC application starts, the .ifo file is still downloaded and not passed to the VLC application.

[phranque]

perhaps vlc isn't configured to recognize the mime type you are specifying.
i would expect it to recognize other standard mime types by default such as video/dv, video/dvd and x-content/video-dvd, assuming those are appropriate.
or perhaps you should try linking directly to the video object instead of the info file.