"This file attachment is too large to be viewed." What?

Question

Level 1

8 points

"This file attachment is too large to be viewed." What?

I created a 15.6MB m4v for iPhone using compressor to test being able to email clips to a client for review on his iphone. A couple of strange things. First, when the message is received, the attachment now reads that it is 20.6MB in size. Second, when I attempt to open it on my iPhone... it gives me the message "This file attachment is too large to be viewed."

Is there a limitation with the iPhone here that I didn't know about?

Posted on Sep 8, 2008 12:29 PM

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Answer 1

Jodain Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 8, 2008 1:26 PM in response to Jodain

Apparently there is a 10MB file size limit on attachments for the iphone. My email account has no limitation, confirmed by the ability to view all my tests via Webmail client. I split the file in two halves and re-sent a 9.6MB test. This did not result in the "too large" message and started to download, or so I think... It's been churning for about 15 minutes on Wi-Fi so I'm starting to lose faith.

Anyone had any luck emailing iPhone video?

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Answer 2

Sep 8, 2008 2:13 PM in response to Jodain

You're welcome.

Gmail now has a 20MB overall message size limit and I believe MobileMe now has the same also, but this doesn't change the fact that many, and probably the majority of email account providers continue to have an overall message size limit of 10MB.

And I don't know many corporations large or small that use Gmail as their email account provider.

At least you now know about the attachment encoding process and what that does to the size of a pre-encoded file. Even with a 20MB overall message size limit, you can't send a file that is 20MB in size pre-encoded. At the most, the pre-encoded file size can't be over 13-14MB in size.

You can provide Apple your feedback here.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

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Answer 3

Sep 8, 2008 1:45 PM in response to Jodain

First, when the message is received, the attachment now reads that it is 20.6MB in size.

All email attachments must be encoded before being sent or during the sending process and decoded when received.

Email clients use MIME for attachment encoding/decoding, which is the internet standard. A problem with MIME is it isn't very efficient. The encoding process increases the size of the pre-encoded file by roughly 50% or so. A 5MB file (pre-encoded) will be roughly 7.5MB in size due to the encoding process.

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Answer 4

Sep 8, 2008 1:58 PM in response to Jodain

Who is your email account provider with no overall message size limit for receiving or sending?

This is unusual since a common overall message size limit with most providers is 10MB for sending and receiving.

The iPhone's Mail client may have or obviously does have a 10MB overall message size limit and if so, this falls in line with a common overall message size limit with most email account providers.

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Answer 5

Jodain Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 8, 2008 1:59 PM in response to Allan Sampson

We lease a dedicated server... so we control limitations. 10MB is pretty low. Even Gmail now has 20MB.

As far as the iPhone being limited. I don't agree with it... if the server will relay it, the iPhone should download it. If they want this to be a business phone, which they obviously do... they need to pull this limitation. It does no good to boast all these readable files the iPhone can do if it can't receive them via email. Salespeople commonly need to share large presentation files and PDF documents. And in my case, I want to deliver iPhone formatted video to my clients for review via email. This limitation is no good for business.

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Answer 6

Jodain Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 8, 2008 2:11 PM in response to Jodain

Here's another limitation... because you can't view mail in landscape, it appears that likewise any attached videos play only in portrait. Rotating the phone does nothing. Not helpful.

I love the iPhone... above all else, everything I'm pointing out here can be changed via updated software. My complaint is with Apple and letting us get into version 2.0.2 of the software already without such obvious shortcomings being remedied.

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Answer 7

igrok-mac

Level 3

947 points

Sep 8, 2008 2:32 PM in response to Jodain

With files that large, it makes a lot more sense to put them on a server somewhere they can be accessed by your clients. An ftp server would work, or if you have mobileme, you can put files in your public folder of your idisk (password protected if you like). I actually use iweb to create separate pages for each client, put the files I need for each client in their own;folder, and then link the files from the client's webpages. Works nicely, and the client just needs to go to their dedicated webpage on my site, password protected, where they see their files available for downloading.

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Answer 8

Jodain Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 8, 2008 2:42 PM in response to Allan Sampson

+> You're welcome.+

Didn't intend to ruffle feathers here... merely posting some thoughts on a public board. I do appreciate your comments. However, your comments do feel a bit needlessly defensive.

I love Apple products, and I praise them 98% of the time. Between my home and my office, I have 3 iMacs, a G5, a Mac Mini, a Powerbook, an Apple TV and my wife and I both have iPhones. Apple listens to this forum... this is evidenced by two occasions where I've received a direct email from Apple's "Internal Workflow Efficiencier" (that's really the title) asking for more information and assistance with fixing an issue discussed in my postings. The more people that discuss shortcomings here, the greater chance we'll see them implemented. Yes, I do use the feedback, I sent the suggestion before posting here.

+> And I don't know many corporations large or small that use Gmail as their email account provider.+

What does that mean exactly? I wasn't suggesting they would, they usually use their own dedicated mail servers... which they can set to unlimited if they wish... which is why putting the limitation on the iphone pulls the rug out from under them if they want to use the iPhone AND send/receive large files via email. Pretty simple equation really.

Bottom line is if the iPhone was strictly a non-business device, I would agree it doesn't need addressed. But Apple want's it to be a business device as do I. So any way in which the iPhone can become more useful as a business device is a good thing... isn't it?

Perhaps you will never need or otherwise enjoy landscape email, full screen attached video playback, or attachments greater than 10MB... but to not see the obvious improvement as a business device had these features been implemented in 2.0.2 just doesn't make any sense to me.

Am I really the only one here?

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Answer 9

Jodain Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 8, 2008 2:58 PM in response to igrok-mac

Yes, FTP or HTTP is an option. Thanks for the suggestion. I will probably end up doing the latter, creating a lock down site in RapidWeaver. It's just that email is so familiar to people and so easy and fast for me on my end. FTP or secured HTTP adds more work and means less efficiency on my part. Plus, you would be surprised how many people start freaking out when you give them links, usernames, and passwords to remember.

I was just hoping it would be a good solution... sending a quicktime video via email. My non-iPhone, clients could easily watch the clips in iTunes having received the email on their computers while my iPhone users would have the added benefit of being able to easily watch them on their iPhone when received.

Maybe next update.

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Answer 10

Sep 8, 2008 3:17 PM in response to Jodain

Yes this is a public board, which shouldn't exclude common courtesy.

This is a user to user help forum only and fellow users that post answers to questions or provide suggestions here volunteer their time to do so.

I don't have a problem with you providing what you think is a shortcoming, but there is nothing wrong with me providing a reasons or reasons why it isn't a shortcoming for the most part. If that is being "needlessly defensive", then you are needlessly interested only in thoughts that agree with your own.

What does that mean exactly? I wasn't suggesting they would, they usually use their own dedicated mail servers... which they can set to unlimited if they wish... which is why putting the limitation on the iphone pulls the rug out from under them if they want to use the iPhone AND send/receive large files via email. Pretty simple equation really.

What it means exactly is, you were talking about business use and you mentioned Gmail having a 20MB overall message size limit. Yes many businesses use their own dedicated server, which they can set to unlimited if they wish, but this will only work internally and with other businesses that do the same.

I'll bet you dollars to donuts the overwhelming majority of businesses with or without their own dedicated email server do not have an unlimited overall message size limit. Some may have a larger overall message size limit than 10MB, but 10MB is a very common limit.

So any way in which the iPhone can become more useful as a business device is a good thing... isn't it?

Certainly, but what you consider as being more useful may or many not match what I or someone else may consider as being more useful and there is nothing wrong with that.

Perhaps you will never need or otherwise enjoy landscape email, full screen attached video playback, or attachments greater than 10MB... but to not see the obvious improvement as a business device had these features been implemented in 2.0.2 just doesn't make any sense to me.

I have been discussing overall message size limits only. I haven't mentioned anything about these other items.

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Answer 11

Jodain Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 8, 2008 3:23 PM in response to Allan Sampson

You win.

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