Playing MP4 files -- actually 3GP files

  • Thread starter Thread starter hummingbird
  • Start date Start date
H

hummingbird

Can anybody explain this:

Last night I d/l a BBC podcast video file with an .MP4 filetype.
I tried to play it using Media Player Classic but it wouldn't run
and gave me a list of codec error messages.
I then poked it through GSpot but it also showed a codec problem.

Not wanting to install more codecs, I was just about to delete the
file when I saw a note on GSpot that MP4 files are equal or similar
to .3GP files so I changed the filetype to .3GP and hey presto -
the video played in MPC with no hitches.

I find this puzzling. Do these players/progs not check the file
headers to determine the actual codecs required to render? or do
they just check the filetype and go from there?
 
Windows media player plays even if the extension is wrong

it notifies you of this with a pop up
 
Windows media player plays even if the extension is wrong
it notifies you of this with a pop up
Click to expand...

I don't think the BBC filetype was actually wrong per se - MP4 is
a new variety of 3GP and I wouldn't want to do anything drastic like
switching to WMP ;-)

My puzzlement was why MPC didn't check the headers or why it didn't
simply use the same codecs since the files are identical or close to.

It's not a problem for me since I can always change the filetype
of MP4s to 3GP in future if it's necessary.
 
venerdì 28 luglio 2006 hummingbird ha scritto:
Thanks I've that too I'll give it a try.
Click to expand...

No, out of the box it doesn't, it plays only the audio, and the video is
black. Maybe with some codec?
 
venerdì 28 luglio 2006 hummingbird ha scritto:



No, out of the box it doesn't, it plays only the audio, and the video is
black. Maybe with some codec?
Click to expand...

Ok thanks, I'll forget then it because I got that video to play in MPC
by changing its filetype.
 
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