H264 doesn't play in Quicktime

[DB83]

Neither am I but I am trying to help.


I find it rather strange that Apple do not provide downloads for later versions.


But anyway, I have one suggestion for you. Now I would have preferred to use one of your vids since the ones I have do not exactly match yours. Like I previously stated, none of the 'similar' ones would play in my version of quicktime.


Yet I also have some h264 vids wrapped in a .mov container that do play. So I took one of the 'similar' ones and did a remux from the ffmpeg cmd since avidemux does not support the .mov container. And the remuxed video does indeed play.


So try that. If that does not work then I have no more ideas.

[Ai Haibara]

I find it rather strange that Apple do not provide downloads for later versions.

Apple discontinued the Windows version of Quicktime in 2016, and no longer supports it.

Apple confirms QuickTime for Windows at end of life | AppleInsider

With OSX, it's considered part of the OS, so you're unlikely to find a standalone install package or updater.

[DB83]

Thx.


Would appreciate some feedback from the OP if my suggestion 'solved' his problem.

[exekutive]

Neither am I but I am trying to help.

I know and I appreciate but in actuality you were sidetracking and distracting, just like you did in my other topic.

I find it rather strange that Apple do not provide downloads for later versions.

There would be no use for such a download.

the ones I have do not exactly match yours.

well it sounds like you are on an Windows machine with outdated software. That doesn't really help my situation.

I also have some h264 vids wrapped in a .mov container that do play.

As stated originally, the files are MP4.

If that does not work then I have no more ideas.

It does not. Output is identical. But thank you.

[DB83]

Well as a final try, would you, as requested, just upload a short sample of one of these troublesome vids - 20 secs should be enough - as an attachment


I appreciate that the video is mp4 but that is just a container. Just as .mov is another container. And all I know is that these vids, which I did not create myself, would not play as mp4 within Quicktime but did as mov. The major differences were cfr and a different lavf encoder.

[october262]

Neither am I but I am trying to help.

I know and I appreciate but in actuality you were sidetracking and distracting, just like you did in my other topic.

I find it rather strange that Apple do not provide downloads for later versions.

There would be no use for such a download.

the ones I have do not exactly match yours.

well it sounds like you are on an Windows machine with outdated software. That doesn't really help my situation.

I also have some h264 vids wrapped in a .mov container that do play.

As stated originally, the files are MP4.

If that does not work then I have no more ideas.

It does not. Output is identical. But thank you.

try restarting you mac in safe mode and then try playing the video and see
if you still have issues playing the video - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251872164

[exekutive]

a. properly analyse it (extract raw video look at what features are used, look at container headers with detailed mediainfo output)

Which tools would you use to analyze it?

I extracted the video as an elementary h.264 video stream (annexb). This is the mediainfo output:

General
Complete name                            : /Users/joe/stage/corrupt.264
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
File size                                : 469 MiB

Video
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : High@L3.1
Format settings                          : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames        : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP                     : M=1, N=12
Width                                    : 960 pixels
Height                                   : 544 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Variable
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive

Output of ffmpeg bitstream trace for raw h264 file(first 100kb):
https://pastebin.com/YCc91Wqb

Output of 'h264_analyze' tool for MP4 file: (first 100 KB)
https://pastebin.com/wW2kYZPC

Output of 'h264_analyze' tool for raw h264 file: (first 100 KB)
https://pastebin.com/wk0FbWG1

avcC header (extradata) of MP4 file:

61766343 0142C01F FFE20020 6742C01F 95A03C04 5B011000 003E9000 0EA60E00 000493E0 000493E1 BBCB8280 00176742 C01F5680 F0116C04 40000003 00400000 0E03C60C A8020004 68CE3C80 00046848 E3C8

Output of 'ffprobe -show_streams -show_data' :
https://pastebin.com/9RDB90gC

b. try some other things if after the analysis it' still unclear what the issue is (+ test in a Mac VM) (check frame types, validate headers & video stream, test whether removing the audio fixes the video playback,....)

The audio plays fine in QT. Removing it has no effect. The problem must be with the video stream.

[DB83]

For the final time of asking, yes you have done some analysis. But sometimes a 2nd pair of eyes might spot something you have overlooked.


Really, what objection do you have not to upload a short sample ? You have been around here long enough to appreciate that is a standard procedure.

[exekutive]

a. Quicktime restrictions regarding H.264 haven't changed since they first supported H.264 (same happend with MPEG-4 ASP) and the H.264 standard was finalized ages ago.

According to Wiki, many amendments to the standard have been made. As recently as a few months ago -- Version 27 (Edition 14)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Video_Coding#Versions

Apple periodically publishes updates to its codec software. For example in 2018 they added support for XAVC, AVCHD, AVC-ULTRA, and others...

b. mencoder&mplayer are no longer developed
-> nobody will update it

Correct. MPlayer is no longer being developed. But I wasn't asking about that specific document. Just any document that might provide information about QT v10.5 capabilities.

About the demuxer: if your video is inside a .mov and not .mp4 container, you could try '-demuxer mov'.

It is MP4. But I've been playing with mplayer some more, and it is very outdated. It cannot play MOST of my AVC files.

[exekutive]

if you still have issues playing the video - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251872164

I'm not sure why you keep posting these unrelated articles. This one is about screen recording?

[DB83]

Unless you have a change of heart, I am outa here.


But just think on this.........


You may never know.

[Selur]

Had a quick look at the output of h264_analyze that you posted:
sps->direct_8x8_inference_flag: 1
pps->transform_8x8_mode_flag: 1
=> stream got 8x8 DCT macroblocks which isn't supported by Quicktime

sps->vui.sar_width: 136
sps->vui.sar_height: 135
=> non square pixels, at least old QuickTime 7 does not support SAR (sample aspect ratio) information in MPEG-4 files; it assumes that SAR=1, Quicktime X should support it.

pps->weighted_bipred_idc: 2
=> more than one b-frames, which is not supported by Quicktime

Just any document that might provide information about QT v10.5 capabilities.

No clue whether anybody ever bothered to create a proper list. Apple wouldn't do such a thing as they only write what they can do not what they can not.
May be asking Apple developer support can give some hints,....

Cu Selur

[exekutive]

=> non square pixels, at least old QuickTime 7 does not support SAR (sample aspect ratio) information in MPEG-4 files; it assumes that SAR=1, Quicktime X should support it.

I can confirm that QTX does display non-square pixels correctly.

sps->direct_8x8_inference_flag: 1
pps->transform_8x8_mode_flag: 1
=> stream got 8x8 DCT macroblocks which isn't supported by Quicktime

pps->weighted_bipred_idc: 2
=> more than one b-frames, which is not supported by Quicktime

Thank you so much for your help. It feels much better when you know WHY things don't work, and how to predict it.

I'm going to look for some other sample MP4 files with these properties , to verify that's why my files won't play.
Does anybody know where I might find some?
Or maybe ffmpeg has some options so I can generate it myself ....

No clue whether anybody ever bothered to create a proper list. Apple wouldn't do such a thing as they only write what they can do not what they can not.

The information would probably help some professionals out there. Especially those using their Quicktime based software like FCP. It's too bad they decided not to support the WHOLE AVC standard.
And you're right... Apple is not very generous with information.



I have discovered how run multiple instances of VLC player, so I think I'll be using it more. IINA is also a pretty good player. Quicktime will be put somewhere on the back shelf

[exekutive]

well this mystery isn't solved after all. This is another test file
https://www.sendspace.com/file/59pn6x
It contains both multiple B frames, and 8x8 MBs

6.2: sps->direct_8x8_inference_flag: 1 
6.4: pps->transform_8x8_mode_flag: 1 
4.2: pps->weighted_bipred_idc: 2

It plays fine in Quicktime