Firefox keeps wanting a plug in, won't accept it though

[TallTravel]

My primary browser on my XP Media Center laptop is Mozilla's Firefox. I am very happy with it, especially vs IE, but I keep getting the " plug in required " warning whenever I attempt to play an online video. The latest example is at CNN.com, where I tried to pull up a video of the plane crash in Manhattan. The message is: Windows media Player is not detected. Well, it IS installed, so what's the issue?

Other error messages which come up are different, but the gist is the same: Firefox is either blocking a video player from being accessed, or it truly needs a plug in. There seems to be no way to satisfy the demand, however: if I click on the load plug in button it simply asks me to choose a manual or automatic search, it can never find the plug in automatically, etc. If it wants an AcitveX plug in I click YES and it fails to install.

If I go to the exact same web address with IE, the video inevitably loads correctly, but that same video does not function with Firefox.

Another error message from AOL.com: We're sorry, this features requires the Mozilla Firefox Active X. Click here to install. Needless to say I clicked and it does nothing.

I can run many videos from the web, including Bostonglobe.com and many others, but I don't want to be forced to use IE in order to run stasrdard videos.

Suggestions?

[pam123]

Ok scroll down till you get to plug ins : http://kb.mozillazine.org/Mozilla_Firefox