Struggling to play holiday video taken on Oneplus 8 PRO

[Deadlyhydra]

Hello All,

I have just recently came back from a holiday abroad and during my holiday I took some videos of events that took place at the resort I was staying at.

I was trying to look through the videos however, I can hear sound but no video.

The videos were taken using nightscape mode on my mobile.

Running mediainfo on the video it pulls through the following information:

General
Complete name               : Z:\Robin Interlandi\Photos\MobileBackup\OnePlus 8 Pro\DCIM\Camera\2025\09\VID_20250909_211044.mp4
Format                      : MPEG-4
Format profile              : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID                    : mp42 (isom/mp42)
File size                   : 1.96 GiB
Duration                    : 37 h 11 min
Overall bit rate            : 126 kb/s
Frame rate                  : 29.939 FPS
Encoded date                : 2025-09-09 18:24:50 UTC
Tagged date                 : 2025-09-09 18:24:50 UTC
Recorded location           : 36.7894°N 31.3764°E
Writing operating system    : Google Android 13

Video
ID                          : 1
Format                      : AVC
Format/Info                 : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile              : High@L1
Format settings             : CABAC / 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC      : Yes
Format settings, Reference  : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP        : M=1, N=30
Codec ID                    : avc1
Codec ID/Info               : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                    : 37 h 11 min
Source duration             : 14 min 2 s
Bit rate                    : 19.9 Mb/s
Width                       : 1 920 pixels
Height                      : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio        : 16:9
Frame rate mode             : Variable
Frame rate                  : 29.939 FPS
Minimum frame rate          : 10.128 FPS
Maximum frame rate          : 56.497 FPS
Real frame rate             : 30.000 FPS
Standard                    : NTSC
Color space                 : YUV
Chroma subsampling          : 4:2:0
Bit depth                   : 8 bits
Scan type                   : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)          : 0.321
Stream size                 : 1.95 GiB (100%)
Source stream size          : 1.95 GiB (100%)
Title                       : VideoHandle
Language                    : English
Encoded date                : 2025-09-09 18:24:50 UTC
Tagged date                 : 2025-09-09 18:24:50 UTC
Color range                 : Limited
Color primaries             : BT.601 PAL
Transfer characteristics    : BT.601
Matrix coefficients         : BT.601
mdhd_Duration               : 133905608
Codec configuration box     : avcC

Audio
ID                          : 2
Format                      : AAC LC
Format/Info                 : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                    : mp4a-40-2
Duration                    : 14 min 2 s
Source duration             : 14 min 2 s
Bit rate mode               : Constant
Bit rate                    : 96.0 kb/s
Channel(s)                  : 2 channels
Channel layout              : L R
Sampling rate               : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                  : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode            : Lossy
Stream size                 : 9.64 MiB (0%)
Source stream size          : 9.64 MiB (0%)
Title                       : SoundHandle
Language                    : English
Encoded date                : 2025-09-09 18:24:50 UTC
Tagged date                 : 2025-09-09 18:24:50 UTC
mdhd_Duration               : 842654

I tried to convert the file using Xmedia Recode and in the preview tab the video plays fine with sound:


[Attachment 88840 - Click to enlarge]

Which leads me to believe that the issue could be due to the fact that the videos are in NTSC format or a codec issue despite already having installed codec packs.

Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

[videoAI]

So, why not export the video using export with [copy streams] from XMedia-Recode.

I suspect the player you are using may not support the high video profile format [high profile: High@L1], also the Standard is NTSC, while the
Color primaries is BT.601 (PAL). Try playing it in VLC or in MPC-HC / MPC-BE.

You could also try loading it up in clever FFmpeg-GUI, where a lot of features are available to you.

[Deadlyhydra]

So, why not export the video using export with [copy streams] from XMedia-Recode.

I suspect the player you are using may not support the high video profile format [high profile: High@L1]

Try playing it in VLC or in MPC-HC / MPC-BE.

I have tried playing the file via VLC and getting the sound but no video. MPC no video or audio. I have managed to play the video with sound on my mobile (Android) using an app call ARC player (Video Player All Format - Apps on Google Play) but using VLC on android same issue. Seems that issue replicates across multiple platforms (Windows PC, Android TV etc and it is driving me nuts.


Any other suggestions?

[cholla]

I also believe the problem is the Format profile: High@L1 or
The Duration : 37 h 11 min I doubt the video is that duration.
The Audio shows Duration: 14 min 2 s
I will encode a short video with this format & see if I can play it in VLC or MPC.
This is as close as I could come.
This video plays in VLC & MPC.
I did not convert it to PAL like yours.
You may need to reencode your video.

If so try using mkvtoolnix to convert to .mkv.
It is usually quick.

[october262]

So, why not export the video using export with [copy streams] from XMedia-Recode.

I suspect the player you are using may not support the high video profile format [high profile: High@L1]

Try playing it in VLC or in MPC-HC / MPC-BE.

I have tried playing the file via VLC and getting the sound but no video. MPC no video or audio. I have managed to play the video with sound on my mobile (Android) using an app call ARC player (Video Player All Format - Apps on Google Play) but using VLC on android same issue. Seems that issue replicates across multiple platforms (Windows PC, Android TV etc and it is driving me nuts.


Any other suggestions?

can you try changing the format from mp4 to MKV to see if the video will play ??

[Deadlyhydra]

So, why not export the video using export with [copy streams] from XMedia-Recode.

I suspect the player you are using may not support the high video profile format [high profile: High@L1]

Try playing it in VLC or in MPC-HC / MPC-BE.

I have tried playing the file via VLC and getting the sound but no video. MPC no video or audio. I have managed to play the video with sound on my mobile (Android) using an app call ARC player (Video Player All Format - Apps on Google Play) but using VLC on android same issue. Seems that issue replicates across multiple platforms (Windows PC, Android TV etc and it is driving me nuts.


Any other suggestions?

can you try changing the format from mp4 to MKV to see if the video will play ??

Changing the file extension has made no difference

[Deadlyhydra]

I also believe the problem is the Format profile: High@L1 or
The Duration : 37 h 11 min I doubt the video is that duration.
The Audio shows Duration: 14 min 2 s
I will encode a short video with this format & see if I can play it in VLC or MPC.
This is as close as I could come.
This video plays in VLC & MPC.
I did not convert it to PAL like yours.
You may need to reencode your video.

If so try using mkvtoolnix to convert to .mkv.
It is usually quick.

Yes I noticed the length reported in MediaInfo which is way out. The video is only about 14 mins long. Will try mkvtoolnix and see what happens. I also tried looking in to VideoAI's suggestion

So, why not export the video using export with [copy streams] from XMedia-Recode.

but could not find this option on XMedia-Recode.

[Deadlyhydra]

Quick update... downloaded SMPlayer for windows and played the original file and I am getting video but no audio.

A link to the original video can be found here: https://gofile.me/7qEs1/zTD8rwFpJ


Link is valid for 1 week.


Please let me know if anyone can work this out as I have now spent 2 days on it and I would like to show the video to friends and family.

[videoAI]

The file hosting website you uploaded the file to is extremely slow. will take me 5 hrs to download.
I canceled the download.

[Alwyn]

You'll need to host that big file (2.1GB) somewhere else; it is way to slow to download through Gofile.

[october262]

Quick update... downloaded SMPlayer for windows and played the original file and I am getting video but no audio.

A link to the original video can be found here: https://gofile.me/7qEs1/zTD8rwFpJ


Link is valid for 1 week.


Please let me know if anyone can work this out as I have now spent 2 days on it and I would like to show the video to friends and family.

try running your damaged video file through ffmpeg using this command - ffmpeg -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 7561k -qscale:v 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -async 1 -strict experimental ./video_fixed.mp4 -threads 0 -i damage_file.mp4 , i use this quite often and it always works for me.

[cholla]

@ october262,
Would you explain how to use the code for ffmpeg you posted ?
I use ffmpeg quite a bit & I do not know how to make the code you posted work.

- ffmpeg -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 7561k -qscale:v 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -async 1 -strict experimental ./video_fixed.mp4 -threads 0 -i damage_file.mp4

Maybe post am image of it working in a command prompt.

@ Deadlyhydra.
I did download the video.
So far no luck working with it.

[october262]

@ october262,
Would you explain how to use the code for ffmpeg you posted ?
I use ffmpeg quite a bit & I do not know how to make the code you posted work.

- ffmpeg -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 7561k -qscale:v 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -async 1 -strict experimental ./video_fixed.mp4 -threads 0 -i damage_file.mp4

Maybe post am image of it working in a command prompt.

@ Deadlyhydra.
I did download the video.
So far no luck working with it.

once you enter this part in terminal - ffmpeg -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 7561k -qscale:v 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -async 1 -strict experimental ./video_fixed.mp4 -threads 0 -i your bad video.mp4 goes here , just hit enter and let ffmpeg do it's thing.

[videoAI]

This works for me:

ffmpeg -i damage_file.mp4 `
    -c:v libx264 `
    -preset medium `
    -crf 23 `
    -c:a aac `
    -b:a 128k `
    -ac 2 `
    -map_metadata 0 `
    -max_muxing_queue_size 1024 `
    -y `
    video_fixed.mp4

[videoAI]

FFmpeg Command Breakdown

| Parameter | Value | Meaning |
|-----------|-------|---------|
| `-vcodec mpeg4` | MPEG-4 Video Codec | Specifies the video codec to use |
| `-b:v 7561k` | Video Bitrate: 7.561 Mbps | Sets a high bitrate for video quality |
| `-qscale:v 2` | Video Quality Scale | Adjusts video quality (lower number = higher quality) |
| `-acodec aac` | AAC Audio Codec | Specifies AAC audio encoding |
| `-ac 2` | 2 Audio Channels | Stereo audio output |
| `-async 1` | Audio Sync | Adjusts audio synchronization |
| `-strict experimental` | Experimental Codec Support | Allows use of experimental codecs |
| `./video_fixed.mp4` | Output Filename | Where the converted video will be saved |
| `-threads 0` | Auto-threading | Uses all available CPU cores |
| `-i damage_file.mp4` | Input Filename | Source video to be converted |

Potential Issue
- The input and output file positions are swapped from the typical FFmpeg syntax

Corrected Command
----------------------

ffmpeg -i damage_file.mp4 -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 7561k -qscale:v 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -async 1 -strict experimental -threads 0 ./video_fixed.mp4

try running your damaged video file through ffmpeg using this command - ffmpeg -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 7561k -qscale:v 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -async 1 -strict experimental ./video_fixed.mp4 -threads 0 -i damage_file.mp4 , i use this quite often and it always works for me.

[cholla]

FFmpeg[/url] syntax

@ videoAI,
Thanks for the definitions of the settings.
The code you corrected would work with ffmpeg.
I'm not sure it is what I would use but it should work.

There is a lot more wrong with the code october262 posted than:

The input and output file positions are swapped from the typical FFmpeg syntax

I will start with - ffmpeg the - before ffmpeg will get you a "not recognized" error.
If this is intended to be the input file "./video_fixed.mp4" it is after the video & audio instructions with some more added after that.
I'm not sure what the ./ does before the input file.

I do not mean to be contrary but as october262 posted the code it just will not work.

[october262]

FFmpeg Command Breakdown

| Parameter | Value | Meaning |
|-----------|-------|---------|
| `-vcodec mpeg4` | MPEG-4 Video Codec | Specifies the video codec to use |
| `-b:v 7561k` | Video Bitrate: 7.561 Mbps | Sets a high bitrate for video quality |
| `-qscale:v 2` | Video Quality Scale | Adjusts video quality (lower number = higher quality) |
| `-acodec aac` | AAC Audio Codec | Specifies AAC audio encoding |
| `-ac 2` | 2 Audio Channels | Stereo audio output |
| `-async 1` | Audio Sync | Adjusts audio synchronization |
| `-strict experimental` | Experimental Codec Support | Allows use of experimental codecs |
| `./video_fixed.mp4` | Output Filename | Where the converted video will be saved |
| `-threads 0` | Auto-threading | Uses all available CPU cores |
| `-i damage_file.mp4` | Input Filename | Source video to be converted |

Potential Issue
- The input and output file positions are swapped from the typical FFmpeg syntax

Corrected Command
----------------------

ffmpeg -i damage_file.mp4 -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 7561k -qscale:v 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -async 1 -strict experimental -threads 0 ./video_fixed.mp4

try running your damaged video file through ffmpeg using this command - ffmpeg -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 7561k -qscale:v 2 -acodec aac -ac 2 -async 1 -strict experimental ./video_fixed.mp4 -threads 0 -i damage_file.mp4 , i use this quite often and it always works for me.

[Attachment 88855 - Click to enlarge] see the screenshot after the -i is where you put your bad file and hit enter

see here with same code the one with #4 next to it - https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/18220/fix-bad-files-and-streams-with-ffmpeg-...ould-not-crash

[Deadlyhydra]

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/f1ji9bxj3folvgvfadf95/VID_20250909_220502.mp4?rlkey=tic...=wt0l8waq&dl=0


Uploaded the video to Dropbox. Hope this will be better to download.


Not going to be able to try anything until later this evening as back at work until 6pm this evening.

[cholla]

@ october262,
Looking at the CLI you posted I figured out how to use the code you posted.
The end file damage_file.mp4 is the "input file"
It needs the path to it.
For me just damage_file.mp4 did not work.
In your CLI there is a '/damage_file.mp4 with a path.
For me the '/ did not work I had to use C:\damage_file.mp4

To add to that Deadlyhydra's file is too damaged to work.
No code I tried worked on it .
I substituted a good file I had to get the code you posted to work.
It still needed the changes I posted to work on my OS.
Also I had to figure out the new file ./video_fixed.mp4 went to my ffmpeg/bin folder.

[Deadlyhydra]

Just a heads up that I did run a scan for damages on the file the other day using clever FFmpeg-GUI, and it did not find any errors with the file in itself. Whether that is absolutely 100% correct, I am not sure.

[cholla]

This is the audio I'm getting is it correct?
It is shorter than the audio of the original mediainfo reports.
10 minutes 16 seconds
This is also the video length after a demuxing program.
The two muxed back together are also this length & play on VLC.

This is the program I used:
https://www.videohelp.com/software/MP4Muxer

[videoAI]

How long is the video you expect to recover? 13 mins?

Recovered, video & audio, clip is 13 mins long, nice water/laser show.
I now have to find a hosting service that is fast and takes 2 Gb files.

Download your fixed file from: https://www.transferxl.com/download/00rgFQTvfLkJq

[cholla]

@ videoAI,
What software or softwares did you use to fix this video ?
What finally worked for me has the video at 10 minutes 17 seconds.

[videoAI]

@ videoAI,
What software or softwares did you use to fix this video ?
What finally worked for me has the video at 10 minutes 17 seconds.

I used 2 tools:
1- clever FFmpeg-GUI for stream extraction, multiplex to mkv
2- Losslesscut for container change back to mp4

* the video & audio are 13 min long

[cholla]

@ videoAI;
I used Clever also but my results were different.
As you can see the Duration is 10 min 17 s.
This is the MediaInfo from the Clever stream extraction:

General
Complete name                            : C:\Users\USERS\Desktop\Work\defect_0.mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media
Codec ID                                 : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size                                : 1.44 GiB
Duration                                 : 10 min 17 s
Overall bit rate                         : 20.0 Mb/s
Frame rate                               : 29.970 FPS
Recorded location                        : +36.78940 +031.37639 +0.00000 
Writing application                      : clever FFmpeg-GUI

I wonder what you did differently.
Did you download this file:
https://gofile.me/7qEs1/zTD8rwFpJ
It was the first one Deadlyhydra posted.
It was 1.44GB.

[Deadlyhydra]

@ october262,
Looking at the CLI you posted I figured out how to use the code you posted.
The end file damage_file.mp4 is the "input file"
It needs the path to it.
For me just damage_file.mp4 did not work.
In your CLI there is a '/damage_file.mp4 with a path.
For me the '/ did not work I had to use C:\damage_file.mp4

To add to that Deadlyhydra's file is too damaged to work.
No code I tried worked on it .
I substituted a good file I had to get the code you posted to work.
It still needed the changes I posted to work on my OS.
Also I had to figure out the new file ./video_fixed.mp4 went to my ffmpeg/bin folder.

How did you determine that my file was too damaged when I previously stated that using clever FFmpeg-GU to check for errors in the file, it reported no issues with the file itself?

[Deadlyhydra]

How long is the video you expect to recover? 13 mins?

Recovered, video & audio, clip is 13 mins long, nice water/laser show.
I now have to find a hosting service that is fast and takes 2 Gb files.

Download your fixed file from: https://www.transferxl.com/download/00rgFQTvfLkJq

Yes, it should be around 13 mins or so long. Thanks so much. I will try using the same tools you used on anothe corrupted holiday video I have, also 13 mins long.

[JN-]

It's 13m:35s long (audio and video) when muxed to mp4 or mov. Similar to other users Cholla simply extracted the separate audio and video streams then muxed to mov also mp4 ok. Finished size is 1.90GB.

[Alwyn]

AVISynth (LSmash) and Magix Video Deluxe are showing a length of 14 min 2sec.

[JN-]

Hi Alwyn. Thats interesting. First off I also found the original file would either only play only audio or video in players VLC or MPC.

The original does load and play ok in Vegas Pro 22 and 23. VP23 reports a length of 13:35;24f.
The original is VFR ..
Frame rate : 29.931 FPS
Minimum frame rate : 14.393 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 56.497 FPS
Real frame rate : 30.000 FPS

I converted to 29.97 CFR but should have done to 30. I'll do that now and get back.