Online Streaming Using Sopcast on Mac OS X
Finally, I can stream in peace on my iMac. Streaming wasn’t a problem for me until my Windows laptop flickered so much and I decided to move to the only available desktop in my home: an iMac.
I usually stream live sports using a software called SopCast, combined with resources from http://www.wiziwig.tv/. It is so far the best way I can find to stream sports online. The problem is: Sopcast is not available for Mac. Well, I find some solution but couldn’t make it work. Until today! And now I want to spread the workarounds (it’s free btw) 
What do you need?
- A Mac machine, of course
- Winebottler. Download: http://winebottler.kronenberg.org/
- X11. From my research, you can get X11 from your disc. If you are using Snow Leopard, you don’t need to install X11 since it is pre-installed.
- Mozilla Firefox for Windows. Download: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/new/
- Sopcast. Download: http://www.sopcast.com/download/
- VLC Media Player for Windows. Download: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html/
Steps:
- First, you need to install WineBottler in your Mac. Simply drag the WineBottler icon to your Application folder
- Install Mozilla Firefox using WineBottler. Do not install it as a stand alone application. Choose “Run directly in …” and click “Go”. Run the installer just like a normal Windows installer.
- Similar to step #2, install Sopcast and VLC Media Player using WineBottler.
- Now configure your Sopcast. Click “Options”. Change the external player to “Use your own external player”, and find VLC.exe in your fake C drive.
DONE! Now, you can test-drive your Sopcast. Here is steps how to watch live sports using Wiziwig.tv:
- Use your Windows Firefox to open http://www.wiziwig.tv/ website.
- Find match you want to stream.
- Check the station. If the software name is “Sopcast”, click the “play” link.
- Your Sopcast application will run, but with a black screen. Click the left most icon to play in external player.
- VLC will run, but stops after few seconds. To solve this, you have to ensure that your stream is being looped by simply toggle the “Loop All” button.
Other workaround
This workaround might work for those who can’t make the VLC in Windows opens after clicking the Sopcast link. You need to have VLC for Mac installed in your Mac OS X.
- After clicking the Sopcast link, open your VLC for Mac. Do not close Sopcast that is running in your Wine.
- Open File > Open Network. In the URL textfield, type: http://localhost:8902/tv.asf or http://127.0.0.1:8902/tv.asf. Click Open. The stream should be started.
Happy streaming. Hope it helps Mac users who haven’t found a workaround for online streaming
Hi Fiona
Please can you tell me if you use AceStream with Winebottler through Firefox or even Internet Explorer as I see them appearing a lot these days.
@Tony Burton: Unfortunately, I haven’t streamed again, Tony. Australian Open was broadcasted in my country. La Liga as well. Sorry I couldn’t help you.
I meant streaming through wiziwig.tv for football.
Sopcast open from the Wiziwig link with Internet Explorer but would prefer Firefox if you can help please.
I have recently updated to Mountain Lion, although has given me a problem. When I as using http://www.wiziwig.tv and I click a Sopcast link Firefox does not understand. I can get it to work by copying and pasting the sop link into the Sopcast address bar. Please can you tell me how to make the link work in Mountain Lion as it did in Lion? Also is there a way to make Ace Stream work too, in Firefox.
Hi Fiona
Having enjoyed the Mac version of Socast, I now find there are few English streams do you know why? I have notice a lot of TorrentStream streams but once a again only for Windows. I downloaded TorrentStream 1.0.6_13 and installed it in winebottler. It appears to be installed but cannot find it, it seems that it should work as a plug in. When I click on one of its links it does not open and Firefox says it cannot recognise it. Do you know to make it work please?
@Tony Burton: I did not really enjoy the Sopcast for Mac. It loves to crash! A bit annoying sometimes. It is much more stable to use Sopcast that is installed in WineBottler. I sometimes find limited links to Sopcast these days as well. Don’t know why
I have not been able to make TorrentStream works as well. Even in my VMWare, it does not work as well. I currently have no Windows laptop. So I can’t try it in a “real” Windows machine 
Let me know if you can find a workaround though. I’ll be sure to post it if I found one 
Hi Fiona
I have found the Mac version of Sopcast pretty stable on most streams now but it can be a bit unstable depending on the stream. I am sure it will improve with updates. I have TorrentStream loaded and wonder if I can open it manually but I cannot find it, is it a plug in? Can you tell me where it would be please?
Sopcast does not open when I click a ling in Wiziwig.tv. I can get it to work by copying and pasting the sop link into the Sopcast address bar. Please can you tell me how to make the link work in Mountain Lion as it did in Lion?
Hi Fiona That is strange as I find Sopcast for Mac very stable now but as they seem to be stopping the English streams (if only I was multi lingual), Flash is the only one left apart from Veetle but that is not as good as it used to be. I am trying to find a solution but many formums don’t accept this posts. I will continue to use Winebottler as it is good and using your code to link to VLC for Mac is brilliant.
Sopcast for Mac at http://download.easetuner.com/download/SopCast-1.3.5.dmg
I have tried it and it works but I had to download it 3 times and can be a bit unstable at times. I expect that will be improved in due course.
Hey, guy, now Sopcast works on Mac machines, the official website now released a Mac edition.
Thanks for the tuto.
I am having problems finding how to launch Spocast after it has been installed. On my MBP (OSX Lion) it crashed. I ran it after the install was done. Now I am not sure how to launch it again. I cannot find any app or link anywhere but inside the Wine files. Should I just directly run (from the Finder) the .lnk file inside the Desktop folder inside the Wine files?
Thanks for the help.
The answer is at: http://download.easetuner.com/download/SopCast-1.3.5.dmg
No need for Winebottler
Hey I’m new to Mac OS. I have installed SopCast for Mac but it did not work. It said SopCast could not be opened due to the fact that it was not developed by an identified developer. Any thoughts?
@Figure 0.9: Never got that error
I would recommend you to use VMWare or WineBottler then. Just follow this tutorial 