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MP4 not working in Chrome (The video could not be loaded)

I've noticed, that at some point not so long ago, html5 playback has stopped working in Chrome on the two places where I use JWplayer.

On one page, I have encoded the videoes with Handbrake (using a modified preset) and on the other one, I used ffmeg with an old preset-file I managed to scavenge out of a backup.

I searched a bit and saw referenced to the Range Request header, but couldn't really find any tips on how to enable or disable this in Apache, so.. I did a bit more digging and testing.

I have no problems with the examples on the website and there was another user who posted a link to an MP4 he had problems with that was fixed. Using his file, I have no problems with Chrome and my own setup.

I saw somewhere, someone mention that one should make sure to use MPG4, Version 2 and not 1, but.. the test-file I got is also only version 1.

Now I'd like to get to the bottom of this and I think the transcoding options are the place to start for this one since it could be an update to Chrome that has messed things up.

Someone said 'use ffmpeg -vcodec libx264'. This isn't enough to make it work for me, and even the handbrake-encoded files aren't working.

Can someone please post the options they use - both in Handbrake and ffmpeg - possibly also with links to working sites.

My videoes are here:
http://gc.denada.dk (files transcoded with ffmpeg)
http://gsak.dk - transcoded with HandBrake

Cheers

/ren

11 Community Answers

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

I should add, that the testfile that works just fine is found here:

http://myjwpdemo.appspot.com/

I am using version 5.8. I have tested with 5.9 on another server, with no difference.

/ren

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

I think I need to add that I am on a 64bit windows, running Chrome v 21.0.1180.77.

On a machine next to it,running the same version of Chrome, but on a 32bit XP, there are no problems with my own videoes, but since there is at least one video that works on the 64bit machine, it would be nice to have the rest working as well :)

/ren

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

I don’t think this is an encoding issue.

Try this file on your server where you are experiencing the issues, does it work there? – http://www.longtailvideo.com/jw/upload/bunny.mp4

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan: Nope.. the bunny-one doesn't either, but the one from http://myjwpdemo.appspot.com/ does.

http://gc.denada.dk/index-dev.php (bunny, doesn't work)
http://gc.denada.dk/index-dev2.php (myjwpdemo, works)

Others have verified that my videoes work fine on their Win7-machines and Chrome, so it looks like it's a freaky borderline issue with my workpc + the network here - it's just weird that there is that one video that works and so many others that don't.

PS: I have an MP4 recorded with my old videocamera.. of course that one works too.. sigh

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Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

What I mean is this. On – http://gc.denada.dk/index-dev.php, link to http://www.longtailvideo.com/jw/upload/bunny.mp4 on our server, does it work? You have downloaded it and put in on your server.

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Doh. Silly me.

Nope.. doesn't work ..

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

This works in Chrome for me – http://i47.tinypic.com/30cn1aw.jpg

On this url – http://gc.denada.dk/index-dev.php

You can see that it is running in html5 mode because of my right click.

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Could it be the extra commas?

bc.. modes: [
{ type: 'html5' },
{ type: 'flash', src: '/mediaplayer-5.9-licensed/player.swf'}, <= *** HERE ***
],
logo: {
file: '/logo/gcdenmark.png',
'hide': 'true',
'link': 'http://gc.denada.dk',
position: 'top-left',
linktarget: '_blank', <= *** AND HERE ***
},

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Ah, good catch :)

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Try this with Handbrake:
Handbrake.exe -i "INPUT_FILE_NAME.avi o any" -f mp4 -X 720 --loose-anamorphic -e x264 -q 20 -r 25 -a 1,1 -E faac,copy:ac3 -6 dpl2,auto -R Auto,Auto -B 160,auto -D 0.0,0.0 -m -x cabac=0:ref=2:me=umh:bframes=0:weightp=0:8x8dct=0:trellis=0:subq=6 --verbose=1 -O -o "OUTPUT_FILE_NAME.mp4"
OBS: Input and output file names without quotes

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Thanks, very helpful.

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