[gentoo-user] Half error message on attempting to access You Tube from Firefox

[Alan Mackenzie]

Hello, Gentoo.

When I read a blog in Firefox 31.6.0, there are often You Tube film clips
embedded in it.  When I attempt to view these, I am getting, more and
more frequently, the error message (from You Tube):

    "Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats
    available.  Click <here> to visit our frequently asked questions
    about HTML5 video."

Fair enough.  The connection between the first and second sentences is a
bit vague, but I surmise from them that the video is available in HTML5
format (whatever that is) and the link will instruct me on setting it up.

Not a bit of it!  That link, <https://www.youtube.com/html5>, says this:

    "Many YouTube videos will play using HTML5 in supported browsers. You
    can request that the HTML5 player be used if your browser doesn't use
    it by default."

    "If you encounter any problems, right-click on the player and choose
    "report playback issue", or let us know on the user support forums.
    Your feedback will help us continue to improve the player."

, without telling me _how_ I can "request that the HTML5 player be used".
Exactly what "the player" is that I should "right-click on" remains
obscure.

I feel that I'm missing some crucial piece of information which is
obvious to everybody else.  I'd like to view these video clips.  Any help
people can offer me would be gratefully received.

The following USE flags were used in my building of firefox 31.6.0:

    USE="bindist dbus jit minimal startup-notification -custom-cflags
    -custom-optimization -debug -gstreamer -hardened (-pgo) -pulseaudio
    (-selinux) -system-cairo -system-icu -system-jpeg -system-libvpx
    -system-sqlite {-test} -wifi"

Thanks!

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).