Removing a opaque viewing obstruction...possible?

[yosarian]

Hello-
I have some flash video files I would like to eventually convert to avi files. But before I do that , I need to remove an opaque "protective wrapper" that was placed over most of the video. Is this possible? If so, how?

[guns1inger]

no. you might be able to use filters to try to make that area match the rest of the image, depending on what was done. Otherwise, I suspect you have to live with it.

[yosarian]

what are some things that might have been done? I wonder if it was something that was put on at the last second (ie - was viewable to some/ not viewable to others based upon zipcode, etc.)

[guns1inger]

Without seeing it, I can't tell you. Are we talking mosaic effect to censor naughty bits, a'la Japanese video, or an opaque panel across a whole section of the screen ?

[greymalkin]

if it's a flash video this may just be a top layer.

[yosarian]

I believe it is. Unfortunately, its not a standard swf file, or even a flv file. The inbrowser player is a swf and then it has a string that connects it to the file you request.

[guns1inger]

That file will be a flash movie, however is might be only streamed. Once it completes playing, try browsing through your cache (while the browser window is still open) to see if you can loacte a swf or flv file with the correct name. If you can loacte it, you might be able to copy it to elsewhere to play with further.

[yosarian]

Yeah it streams in the video and the swf that I was able to capture using the Flash Saving Plugin just holds onto the swf player, not the video itself. What do you recommend for actually capturing that video? And would I need to sit and stream each video or could I just capture them all some how (like ez-pics) for later viewing?

[yosarian]

guns1inger, I didnt see your clarifying question from the 17th. Its an opaque panel that covers the whole screen.

[celtic_druid]

Look at the action script in the swf, get the real video, remove the panel and then convert. That is assuming that the panel isn't part of the video, but part of the flash file.

[Krispy Kritter]

Or you could join the site...then you could access the videos without the protection on them.

[yosarian]

Actually, I do belong to the site. However, sometimes the site seems to think I live in an area that does not allow viewing the videos, hence the protection. If there was protection every single time, then I wouldn't renew.