Introduction
MP4 is one of the most popular and crucial video file formats. It is commonly used as a default format for recording videos on all devices. It’s also used for almost everything from sharing short clips on social media to watching high-quality 4K movies. But what happens when your MP4 video won’t play? Don’t worry, there are various troubleshooting methods to fix this.
This article will help you understand the common causes of MP4 playback issues and provide step-by-step solutions to make your videos play again. Whether you’re dealing with a corrupted file or outdated software, we’ve enlisted all the potential solutions to make your videos play smoothly.
Why Your MP4 Video Won’t Play?
Here are some of the most common reasons that can cause this MP4 Video Won’t Play issue or other MP4 file playback errors:
Corrupted Video File:
Sometimes, the MP4 file itself can become corrupted or damaged, making it impossible to play. This can happen due to various reasons, such as a power outage during recording, a virus, or even just a glitch in the file transfer.
Incompatible Video Codecs:
MP4 files can use different video and audio codecs, and if your media player doesn’t have the right codecs installed, it won’t be able to play the video. This is a common problem, especially if you’re trying to play an MP4 file on a different device or with a software different from the one it was created on.
Outdated Media Player Software:
If your media player software is outdated, it may not have the required features, codecs, or compatibility for the latest MP4 file. This can lead to MP4 file playback issues, even if the file is in working condition.
Hardware Issues:
Sometimes, it might be a hardware issue, especially if you’re using a Windows or Mac PC. If your computer’s storage is corrupt, or the graphics card or processor is not powerful enough to handle the video, you might experience MP4 playback problems. I hope this is not the case with you.
Video Player Settings
Do you know that video player configurations can also affect the playback of MP4 files? Certain important things like the video and audio output settings, the deinterlacing mode, and the hardware acceleration settings can impact playback.
Basic Troubleshooting Steps to Fix the MP4 Video Won’t Play Error
1. Try playing in a different media player
2. Update your Video Player
3. Run an Antivirus Scan
4. Convert the MP4 file to a different format with VLC
5. Use a free online video repair tool
There are some basic troubleshooting steps you can try to fix the MP4 video won’t play error. Let’s explore these simple solutions to fix your unplayable MP4 video file.
Try a Different Media Player:
One of the first things you can try is to open your MP4 file in another media player and try using a good media player, such as VLC Media Player or KMPlayer. These media players can handle a wide range of video formats, including MP4. Open the MP4 video file in a new player and see if it plays or not.
Update the Media Player:
If your media player is unable to play the MP4 file, it might need an update to the latest version. Outdated players can often struggle with newer video files, so updating can often resolve compatibility problems.
Run Antivirus Scan:
Virus or malware infections can also cause issues with video playback. They can often disable the video player or do minor corruption to the MP4 video files prohibiting them from playing. To resolve this issue, you can run a full system scan with reliable antivirus software, such as Kaspersky Antivirus, this will help you remove any virus or malicious programs. It will also help you clean your system and stop the virus from further affecting other video files.
Convert the MP4 File (With VLC):
One other method to fix this MP4 Video Won’t Play error is to convert your MP4 file to a different format using any video file converter tool. You can also use the VLC Media Player.
- Simply open VLC, and go to the “Media” menu.
- Now select “Convert/Save”.
- In the File section, click on Add, once you add the file, click on the drop-down menu arrow next to Convert/Save button.
- Now click on the Convert option from the drop-down menu.
- In the Profile menu, click on the Settings icon.
- In the Encapsulation tab, select the file type. For e.g.- AVI, MKV, MPEG-TS, etc. and hit Create.
When you convert a video file to another format, the video data is decoded and then re-encoded into the new format. In the process, it resolves any codec compatibility issues in the same.
Use a Free Online Video Repair Tool
If your MP4 video file is not working even after converting it to another file format, then chances are the file is corrupt. In such scenarios, you can turn to a professional online video repair tool. Online video repair tools are effective, handy, and accessible from any device. With a free online video repair tool, such as Stellar Online Video Repair, you can try resolving this MP4 file playback error.
This powerful and free online video repair tool can analyze and fix all types of video corruption issues on the go and works on any device, be it Windows, Mac, Android, or iPhone. I am sure that trying out this tool will help you repair your corrupt MP4 files and make them playable again.
Steps to repair corrupt MP4 Video file with online video repair tool:
Step 1: Go to Stellar Online Video Repair page.
Step 2: Upload your broken or corrupt video file.
Step 3: Next, add a Sample Video File.
Step 4: Click Repair, and the tool will start the repair process.
Step 5: Once the video is fixed, you can Preview and Download the repaired video.
This will repair any minor or major corruption issues in the MP4 video file. However, if your video file is larger than 100 MB, must purchase a subscription to use it. If you aren’t looking forward to purchasing the subscription or have slow network connectivity, I suggest you try these advanced methods of resolving the error.
Advanced Repair Techniques to Fix the MP4 Video Won’t Play Error
If the basic troubleshooting methods do not fix the MP4 Video won’t play issue, you can try out some advanced methods to fix the same.
Download the Required Codecs for the Video
Codecs! What are they? To put it simply, codecs are a combination of two words: coder and decoder. These are kinds of tools that help with coding and decoding your audio-visual files. Now if your device or media player does not have these necessary codecs, they won’t show up on the screen.
So, when you try to play a high-quality, HD, or 4K video file on a Windows media player and the MP4 video does not play or plays without any visuals, the codecs are missing.
To fix this issue, you can download the codecs from an external source, install them, and try to play the video file again.
- Go to the Google Search tab and look for Codec Pack.
- Now click on the top result which is K-Lite Codec Pack.
- Now click on the Download Standard Codec Pack and select the Server 1 option from the list.
- Once your Codec pack is downloaded. Start the installation process.
Once the Codec pack is installed, try to play the video file again on the same media player. This should work this time.
Use the Always Fix Feature in VLC
Do you know that VLC media player has an “Always Fix” feature? Yes, this feature attempts to automatically repair damaged or incomplete AVI files when they are opened in the media player. So, to use, this feature you have to convert the MP4 video file to an AVI file format and then let this tool do all the hard work for you. You can refer to the third method in this blog for converting MP4 files to AVI with VLC.
- Open the VLC media player on your computer system.
- Click on the Tools menu located at the top of the window.
- Now select the Preferences tab and go to Input/Codecs.
- In the Set Damaged or Incomplete AVI File option, change the setting from Ask for Action to Always Fix.
- Next, click on the Save button at the bottom to apply the settings.
After making this setting, open the damaged or unplayable AVI file, and VLC will automatically attempt to fix it while playing. See if this works, but remember you need to convert your MP4 file to AVI before trying out this solution.
Use Video Repair Software
If your MP4 file is still not playing after trying all the above methods, you can use Stellar Repair for Video. This software can fix damaged and corrupted video files in just a few steps. It can resolve all types of video corruption issues leading to playback and other errors. The tool is free to use and offers a preview of the repaired video file. You only need to buy the tool once satisfied with the result.
Here’s how to use the Stellar Repair for Video tool to fix a corrupt or unplayable MP4 file:
Step 1: Download and install Stellar Repair for Video from the official Stellar website.
Step 2: Launch the software and click on the Add Videos button to select your unplayable MP4 video.
Step 3: Once you’ve added your file, click on the Repair button. The software will start analyzing and repairing your corrupt video.
Step 4: After the repair process is complete, you can preview the video within the software.
Step 5: If you’re happy with the results, click on the Save Repaired File option and choose a location on your computer to save it.
This tool can help repair the MP4 videos that are severely damaged or corrupted, and play them smoothly.
Conclusion
If your MP4 video file is not playing, the above troubleshooting methods can fix it. Try using a good video player that gets better playback capabilities, such as VLC Media Player, or convert the file to a different format with a file converter. However, if the video file is corrupted or damaged using a video repair tool is the best way to deal with it.
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