It sounds like you need to configure your MIME types so it grabs the right player each time. For Quicktime, go to control panel and hit the Quicktime icon. When the settings box comes up go to the browser tab and hit the MIME button. Unselect all the stuff you don't want quicktime to play. Quicktime is particularly nasty about registering itself as the default web app for stuff; it's one reason I use QuickTime Alternative at home.

WMP is less aggressive. I *think* it respects file associations for both web-streamed and direct selected, in which case Tools...Options... File Types should get you where you need to.

I know nada about VLC but once you've told the big boys to back off, you should be able to pick each file type you like to play with it, right-click [I mean actually go get a sample file of each type in turn and right-click on it] and select "Open With" and "Choose Program." VLC *should* be on the shortlist. Pick it, and check the "Always use the selected program..." box. VLC should open them by default... let me know if that doesn't work, I have not had the chance to try Chrome out.



Edited at 2008-09-03 03:34 pm (UTC)

Well, the rest of the computer knows what to use for what, so it's just Chrome. I click on a file on the drive, it opens right, this is just clicking links in the program. I click those links in Firefox, it opens VLC like it's supposed to. The machine's default settings are fine, I set those long ago.

Wow that's incredibly bad programming then. @_@ Bad Google, no cookie!

I wonder what it would do if Quicktime was uninstalled?

No clue. Hopefully, they'll add the option to specify a default player and not just stick with a hard-coded choice.

It also has problems uploading to Photobucket. Which suchs, as its WAY faster than IE or Firefox on that site.

Here's hoping that'll be addressed, too.

That's definitely something to report. From the old days of slower connections, I'm still in the habit of right-clicking and downloading a video link (while I go off and browse other stuff). If you click the downloaded file buttons at the bottom of the page in Chrome, the video does open as expected in whatever player I have set for the file type. MPGs don't open in Quicktime in the browser this way.

Though for images, I expect that an image link does open in the browser, rather than firing up my default image viewer. So far I like what I see, especially given that it's the first day of Beta release. No crashes yet, and I cranked up the tab count pretty high. Didn't take too long to get used to the tabs on top paradigm either.

Yeah, I'm still impressed, overall. Only a few things, here and there, that I'm not happy with, and knowing it's only a beta keeps them from being deal-breakers.