I have video taken with a Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS. They play on my MacBook Pro, in QuickTime Player. When I attempt to drag and drop them from iTunes to iPad, it says "Movie not copied because it cannot be played on this iPad." What can I do?

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I have video taken with a Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS. They play on my MacBook Pro, in QuickTime Player. When I attempt to drag and drop them from iTunes to iPad, it says "Movie not copied because it cannot be played on this iPad." What can I do?

I have video taken with a Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS. They play on my MacBook Pro, in QuickTime Player. When I attempt to drag and drop them from iTunes to iPad, it says "Movie not copied because it cannot be played on this iPad." What can I do? Can video taken with this camera play on iPad? It is an iPad 2. Thanks!

Posted on Jul 15, 2012 5:30 AM

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Answer 1

Menneisyys

Level 4

1,300 points

Jul 15, 2012 5:46 AM in response to Jay Zimmer

Unfortunately, Canon's most current 1080p digital cameras are plagued by the same bug: they have 5.0 as their H.264 level. This is why you can't synchronize them to the iPad version of Videos, because Apple (pretty much unnecessarily) limited the synchronizable H.264 level to 4.1.

You can fix this in two ways:

- use a third-party video player with hardware playback and iTunes File Sharing sychronization (meaning you can just drop the file in them in the App list); for example, GoodPlayer or It's Playing.

- change the H.264 level. You can do this with both recompressing (in most cases, it's not recommended) with HandBrake or (this is what you should try first) just changing the given byte with a desktop tool. You want to read http://www.iphonelife.com/blog/87/making-stock-videos-application-play-every-mp4 -files-possible on the latter subject.

There's a related thread at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4104638?answerId=18910324022#18910324022&ac_cid=sa123456#18910324 , where I've posted a lot on these subjects. You'll want to read my first two large posts there, not the last one. (The last one is strictly discussing Canon camcorders, not digicams.)

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Answer 2

Jay Zimmer Author

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Jul 15, 2012 7:07 AM in response to Menneisyys

Thanks! I will endeavour to follow your suggestions. Although it sounds like I might need to do so when I have some time to devote to it.

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Answer 3

Jay Zimmer Author

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Jul 15, 2012 7:17 AM in response to Menneisyys

OK here's a more basic question: if I were to buy the GoodPlayer app, should I buy it on the MacBook Pro, or, on the iPad? And once I have it, will videos sync automatically, or will I need to find them and drag and drop them onto the iPad?

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Answer 4

Menneisyys

Level 4

1,300 points

Jul 15, 2012 7:17 AM in response to Jay Zimmer

Just start with ipadfix.py (or, if Windows isn't a problem, the H264/AVC Level Editor app.) If they turn out to be just unacceptably slow and/or you work with very short videos where reencoding doesn't present you a huge hit, time-wise, consider re-encoding with HandBrake.

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Answer 5

Menneisyys

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Jul 15, 2012 7:18 AM in response to Jay Zimmer

On the iPad. You just drag your videos straight to it in the Apps tab - NOT via the standard video synchring (you can even disable video synchronization entirely). Do you know how iTunes File Sharing works?

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Answer 6

Jay Zimmer Author

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Jul 15, 2012 7:25 AM in response to Menneisyys

I guess I do not. On iTunes, in Preferences, under Sharing, the box for "Share my Library on my local network." is checked. Beyond that, I don't know. And when you say drag the video straight to it in the Apps tab, well, where is the Apps tab? On the MacBook Pro, or, the iPad? I suppose you mean the Apps tab in iTunes, which I had never looked at before. So it looks like I buy GoodPlayer on the iPad, then, open iPhoto and drag the video from it over to the GoodPlayer icon within the Apps tab in iTunes? Thanks for your patient help!

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Answer 7

Menneisyys

Level 4

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Jul 15, 2012 7:35 AM in response to Jay Zimmer

Please read this: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4094

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Answer 8

Jay Zimmer Author

Level 1

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Jul 15, 2012 4:53 PM in response to Menneisyys

Thanks again, that link provides a good tutorial. However, with GoodPlayer installed, it shows up in the Apps tab, but, there is no File Sharing section in the Apps tab. Dropping the video in the Apps window, it goes nowhere. No files show up in the Local Files list on GoodPlayer on the iPad. I am sure it is something simple I am doing or not doing.

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Answer 9

Menneisyys

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Jul 15, 2012 10:35 PM in response to Jay Zimmer

Try disc- and, then, reconnecting the iPad. Surely the file list will show up.

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Answer 10

Jay Zimmer Author

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Jul 16, 2012 4:15 AM in response to Menneisyys

It does not seem to make a difference by reconnecting. Am I looking in the right place? In iTunes, on the left side of the window, under Library, there is Music, Movies, Podcasts, Books, and Apps. In there, all the Apps that are on the iPad, including GoodPlayer, but no File Sharing list. Then further down on theleft, under Devices, the iPad is listed, with Music, Movies, Podcasts, and Books under that, but, no Apps under that. So no Apps tab under the iPad in question, only under the Library tab. Now what?

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Answer 11

Menneisyys

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Jul 16, 2012 4:23 AM in response to Jay Zimmer

You're looking on the wrong place. The Apps is a tab at the top of the screen AFTER you click the name of your device.

In the following screenshot, I've annotated both places (look for red rectangles) you need to click. First, the iPad name in the Devices section (on the left); second, on the Apps tab (top center):

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Answer 12

Jay Zimmer Author

Level 1

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Jul 16, 2012 3:08 PM in response to Menneisyys

Thanks! Problems solved! And the movies play back great on GoodPlayer. Thanks for your patient help.

Jay

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