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MacBook Air M2 Ventura 13.3.1(a). Quicktime-Player does not play mp4-files generated by Adobe Premiere. Sometimes a cold reboot helps. Sometimes .mpeg works. Change extension from .mp4 to .m4v executes apple tv and the file is played a.s.o.
Does anybody has the solution?
MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
Hi! I make a lot of video editing and recently opened my laptop after not editing for a few months and my MP4 files are producing the error below in QuickTime Player:
"This file contains some media that isn't compatible with QuickTime Player" and plays audio only.
You reference "H.265 Codec ID hev1 has an error message" I appreciate the explanation below your segment, but is there a fix thats in more laymans terms that I can try? I've never had this issue before and everything usually works just fine.
Hi! I make a lot of video editing and recently opened my laptop after not editing for a few months and my MP4 files are producing the error below in QuickTime Player:
"This file contains some media that isn't compatible with QuickTime Player" and plays audio only.
You reference "H.265 Codec ID hev1 has an error message" I appreciate the explanation below your segment, but is there a fix thats in more laymans terms that I can try? I've never had this issue before and everything usually works just fine.
@Sputnik_1, I've tried opening an .MP4 both from within the finder and from within Quicktime Player and both times it gave me the not compatible warning. I'm using Mac OSX 12.5 Monterey. The only solution I've found so far is to use VLC player.
It seems Sony XAVC-S (H264) 10-bit is incompatible with QuickTime Player (Ventura).
A workaround is to view them in IINA or convert with Handbrake or ffmpeg.
Send feedback to Apple and Sony.
Sony Fx3 And imported footage to FCP 10.6… - Apple Community
The OP might want to check the .mp4 details with Invisor or MediaInfo:
There is the "old" H.264 (AVC Advanced Video Coding) and new H.265 (High Efficiency Video Coding HEVC) that needs macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later.
QuickTime Player refuses to play some H.265/HEVC flavors (as well as Final Cut Pro 10.6). Currently macOS 11-13 Big Sur, Monterey and Ventura are more forgiving but they still has the following issues with "Codec ID" and "Chroma subsampling" options.
You can check all those pesky details with apps like Invisor (my favorite because it neatly highlights differences when a folder is dropped on it) or MediaInfo.
H.265 Codec ID hvc1 plays OK.
H.265 Codec ID hev1 has an error message "This file contains some media that isn't compatible with QuickTime Player" and plays audio only. There is a lossless fix if you install ffmpeg and add '-tag:v hvc1' without re-encoding in the Terminal:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c copy -tag:v hvc1 output.mp4
Chroma subsampling 4:2:0 (Bit depth 8 bits) plays OK.
Chroma subsampling 4:2:2 (Bit depth 10 bits) has an error message "This file contains media which isn't compatible with QuickTime Player". It fails in Mojave, opens anyway in Big Sur, no problem in Ventura.
Usually H.264 Codec ID avc1 is OK. But DJI Mavic3 5k H264 10Bit420 does not open, and Sony XAVC-S (H264) 10-bit displays only black frame.
Google, Youtube, Facebook might use VP8 or VP9 video and OPUS audio codecs that have to be converted to more common H.264/265 and AAC/PCM codecs. macOS 14 Sonoma added support OPUS audio.
Google might use webm wrapper and open source community Matroska mkv wrapper that might have to be converted to a more common mp4 (or its very close cousin m4v or mov) wrapper (usually losslessly with ffmpeg although subtitles might be unsupported in other wrappers).
VLC and IINA should have no issues with playing any decent new or old codec. Handbrake, VLC and ffmpeg can be used to convert old codecs to new H.264 or H.265 wrapped as common mp4 (or its very close cousin m4v or mov). ffmpeg can output also ProRes.
It seems to have nothing to do with Quicktime. If the file is opened with the Quicktime command Open, then it works. I suspect a problem with the Finder: When clicking directly on the file, the message "File cannot be opened" etc. follows, or when searching, the Finder does not find files in the specific directory, but displays them when searching the whole Mac. So close the question.
Hi sputnik_1,
The following article has some general information about what to do when a video won't play on your Mac:
If a media file doesn't open or play on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad - Apple Support
Since the video file is being generated by Adobe Premiere, it may be best to reach out to them for assistance with this:
How to contact an app developer - Apple Support
Cheers!
Whats strange is that they work just fine on my other MacBook devices.
Note that these images were Acquired on a Sony FX3. I've noticed that files from a Canon Camera will open through Finder or Quicktime. Must be a Sony Codec Plugin that I need to download. Will research.
> is there a fix thats in more laymans terms that I can try
As I said in the final chapter above (I have a habit making my instructions either too short or too long...):
VLC and IINA should have no issues with playing any decent new or old codec. Handbrake, VLC and ffmpeg can be used to convert old codecs to new H.264 or H.265 wrapped as common mp4. ...oops I did it again ;-)
> "Linear PCM, H.264"
Sony XAVC-S (H264) 10-bit seems to have that audio codec. And as I said, Sony 10-bit XAVC-S H.264 does not play on Ventura 13.6 QuickTime Player, but it does play in the latest Final Cut Pro on Ventura 13.6. AFAIR some sources said this QuickTime Player issue started in Ventura 13.4.
My File Codecs are "Linear PCM, H.264" doesn't that mean they're already the new codecs?
Quicktime does not play mp4-files
