Develop Bugs

New to Android - Why can't I play MPG videos?

So I love the EVO, and so far I love Android, except I can't seem to figure out how to play videos on it. Sure I can view Youtube, youporn etc , but I can't seem to find a player that will play simple MPEGs. I have downloaded and tried at least 5 different video/media players from the Market, and none of them will play MPEGs correctly. Some of them will give me sound, but none will give me video. I have tried a couple of different video files that I know work on my desktop.
Am I doing something wrong? I am coming from Windows Mobile with Windows Media Player that played just about anything I threw at it. I can't imagine such a wonderful piece of hardware coupled with what seems to be an awesome OS can't do MPG/AVI.
Note: I am currently rooted+nand+bugless beast 0.3 Although I was having this trouble before I had the custom rom or NAND unlocked.

sterlinron said:
So I love the EVO, and so far I love Android, except I can't seem to figure out how to play videos on it. Sure I can view Youtube, youporn etc , but I can't seem to find a player that will play simple MPEGs. I have downloaded and tried at least 5 different video/media players from the Market, and none of them will play MPEGs correctly. Some of them will give me sound, but none will give me video. I have tried a couple of different video files that I know work on my desktop.
Am I doing something wrong? I am coming from Windows Mobile with Windows Media Player that played just about anything I threw at it. I can't imagine such a wonderful piece of hardware coupled with what seems to be an awesome OS can't do MPG/AVI.
Note: I am currently rooted+nand+bugless beast 0.3 Although I was having this trouble before I had the custom rom or NAND unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Curious, have you tried Meridian? I don't really play a lot of videos on my phone, but Meridian has come through on everything so far for me. YMMV

Rock player is the best video player I have ever used on Android. I can play all my divx format movies without conversion and always get 25-30 fps.
The player is in private beta now and should be released soon.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=698451

KCarpenter - yes, I downloaded Meridian last night. Just tried it again, and still no luck. Thanks for the reply.
Danknee - Thanks!

Considering that the Evo has hardware-accelerated H.264 decoding, why bother playing other formats that will destroy your CPU and battery?
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gbm85 said:
Considering that the Evo has hardware-accelerated H.264 decoding, why bother playing other formats that will destroy your CPU and battery?
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Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
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It's just that I received an e-mail MPG of my nephew riding his bike without training wheels and would like to see it that's all. Not sure what H.264 decoding is or if it has my nephew riding his bike without training wheels or not. I should go search for that thanks.
I just figure I should be able to view most any file attachment that comes into me these days.

H.264 is the video encoder for MP4's. Basically, if you used a program to convert your videos to MP4 videos, you would be able to play them without a problem. The phone has hardware acceleration for H.264, so it doesn't use as much processor/battery to play vs. other formats that have to be software decoded. Handbrake works good for me, though I can't remember what file types you can put into it.

sterlinron said:
It's just that I received an e-mail MPG of my nephew riding his bike without training wheels and would like to see it that's all. Not sure what H.264 decoding is or if it has my nephew riding his bike without training wheels or not. I should go search for that thanks.
I just figure I should be able to view most any file attachment that comes into me these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason why you cannot play those mpg files is simple. Android doesn't support them out of the box. You need to turn to third-party video players which can do it.
Rock Demo Player is one (only one?) such video player.

You can try to use the third-party video player, I read an article is about the top 5 video player apps in Android Market. Maybe it is helpful to you.

Brucew0617 said:
You can try to use the third-party video player, I read an article is about the top 5 video player apps in Android Market. Maybe it is helpful to you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread is over a year old. I think the OP figured it out.

Thanks for your remind, I hope it can also be useful to other guys.

I use MX Player. I've only had a problem with AVI files that encode the audio with AAC.
Sent from my carrier pigeon.

Mobo player so far for me has played anything I asked it to.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

MakeMeFibonacci said:
I use MX Player. I've only had a problem with AVI files that encode the audio with AAC.
Sent from my carrier pigeon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Moboplayer most of time, it seems that MX Player also have so much supporter. Maybe I should try it later.

[Q] Best video format?

i've never really watched videos on my phones (mostly due to screen size etc) but i figure now that I have the Galaxy Nexus i could watch a few things on it..
What would be the best video format to convert things to? I dropped an avi of a tv program onto it and it worked but it lagged a bit..

I just converted something to an HD mp4 using Permute for Mac, it bumped the filesize up about 100mb but tested it and it runs smooth in QuickPic or PlayerPro but when trying to use the built in video player (to get the true full screen) it plays for a second, stutters, then says it can't be played.. :S

has anyone managed to get moboplayer working ? says i need an arm7 neon codec - found that on their site ... followed instructions but it still wont work

Video playback may be a bit iffy until the apps are updated; one of the Diceplayer mob posted saying that it now supports HD playback for .mkv. They didn't mention .avi but that generally needs less resources than .avi so you could try your avi in Diceplayer.
The general trend in open source video development is towards .mkv, I'm trying that first.

I'd be surprised if much works well right out of the gate. The true beta is when the masses begin tinkering

vplayer seems to play avi nicely

Ill have to try it out.. downloading now

I've got the same question. And I don't mean what other player can I download to play movies. I mean what format can I encode videos in to get them to play in the native player. I did find the article below. I have tried each of these formats with no luck. Anyone know why Android can't play a movie out of the box?
http://developer.android.com/guide/appendix/media-formats.html
And I also tired MoboPlayer with no luck.

pretty much if you use a baseline .mp4 format you will be fine
basically:
h.264 video
LC-AAC audio
no CABAC
and you should be fine up to 1080p these settings work on all my android devices
just set mpeg 4 level 4 and it should take care of it by itself

noobdeagle said:
pretty much if you use a baseline .mp4 format you will be fine
basically:
h.264 video
LC-AAC audio
no CABAC
and you should be fine up to 1080p these settings work on all my android devices
just set mpeg 4 level 4 and it should take care of it by itself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks noobdeagle,
I have tired those settings on several encoders (handbrake, Adobe Media Encoder, Magic DVD ripper) and still no success. What software are you using to encode? and have you tried the movies on the galaxy nexus? Because I have never had a problem on any other Android devices. Just this one.
cj

gave up re-encoding videos.
vplayer has played everything ive thrown at it so far. the built in movie player seems very limited.

wilbur-force said:
gave up re-encoding videos.
vplayer has played everything ive thrown at it so far. the built in movie player seems very limited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the feedback but I have two problems with this particular advice.
1 - Have you seen the permissions for that player? Why would a video player need access to my "Phone calls - Read phone status and identity" and "Your personal information - Read sensitive log data"? Really?
2 - Why the hell can't this phone play videos out of the box. <rant>I have, as I suspect a lot of us here do, a fair few friends that I would call iPhone fanboys. One of the biggest gripes I always hear about android is that every time you run into a problem on Android is the best answer is to root your phone and install cyanogen, or go get xxxx app and that will take care of it, or you should have bought this phone instead. So I get this phone and think that finally Android is going to hit the main stream and I can't even play a movie. WTF!</rant>
Like I said, I appreciate the feedback but I am still looking for a way to play a video in the default video player.
cj

chrisjaffe said:
Thanks noobdeagle,
I have tired those settings on several encoders (handbrake, Adobe Media Encoder, Magic DVD ripper) and still no success. What software are you using to encode? and have you tried the movies on the galaxy nexus? Because I have never had a problem on any other Android devices. Just this one.
cj
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no i have not tried on a galaxy nexus yet as that one week delay sim free means i wont be able to have mine in my hands untill at least next week :\,
i use mediacoder to encode videos, cant speak for the GN but ive used it for my xoom, nexus S, desire hd, htc legend and SGS 2 in the past (however SGS2 supported all codecs quite nicely anyway)
according to the android dev site the supported video list hasnt changed so this is quite strange.

noobdeagle said:
no i have not tried on a galaxy nexus yet as that one week delay sim free means i wont be able to have mine in my hands untill at least next week :\,
i use mediacoder to encode videos, cant speak for the GN but ive used it for my xoom, nexus S, desire hd, htc legend and SGS 2 in the past (however SGS2 supported all codecs quite nicely anyway)
according to the android dev site the supported video list hasnt changed so this is quite strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I will seek out and try mediacoder.
FYI...I got my GN SIM free from Phones 4U. It was not easy though. I went in to a few stores before finding one that would sell it to me SIM free. And I think that I happened upon the manager at the store that did sell it to me. What makes it even better is that I am in the UK on business for a few months and so I can get the VAT back on my way out. Which makes it nearly 90 quid cheaper.
Thanks again,
cj

seems as if media coder works. Though that is one complicated program. You could get lost in those settings for days.
Thanks again.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

chrisjaffe said:
seems as if media coder works. Though that is one complicated program. You could get lost in those settings for days.
Thanks again.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Format factory works and it's easy as to use.

Format factory does seem to work and is a little easier to use. Thanks. And just in time too because Mediacoder was having some trouble iwth a few of the vids I had.
cj

Best video player for Galaxy Nexus?

I used to use MX Player with my Epic Touch 4G but when i'm using it on my Nexus, the sound doesn't come through unless I use S/W mode but then it starts screeching and plays jittery
Is there another player out there that will work correctly?

You serious? I have MX Player and both audio/video work great - perhaps it's the file you're trying to play?
And besides, MX Player supports UDP (and my IPTV provider streams via UDP so.... )

yup, most likely the video file i'm using but my Epic Touch 4G plays it without issues. I was so excited when MX Player came out, it handled 100% of my files with the ET4G. I thought the TI processor is better than the Exynos?

tracerit said:
yup, most likely the video file i'm using but my Epic Touch 4G plays it without issues. I was so excited when MX Player came out, it handled 100% of my files with the ET4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do play better on the Epic 4G Touch... I came from that phone as well. More things are able to play in Hardware mode than with the GNex.
Try this: VPlayer
tracerit said:
Try I thought the TI processor is better than the Exynos?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about that, but I'll be careful with my words lest I be jumped on by GNex fanboys

I have no issue with software mode sound, hardware mode video runs smoother than software mode though.

No issues at all everything runs Buttery smooth
Galaxy Nexus Stock + Franco m3

Mx is the best
Never had any issues with the mx player.
Do you allow it use both cores (Settings ->Decoder-> CPU Core Limit)
Also try limiting to 16 bit color depth.
tracerit said:
I used to use MX Player with my Epic Touch 4G but when i'm using it on my Nexus, the sound doesn't come through unless I use S/W mode but then it starts screeching and plays jittery
Is there another player out there that will work correctly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Have you tried DicePlayer? That works very good for me.
It has a free version with ads and a paid version without ads.
I'm using that version with ads, but I think it's worth the money.
Mostly using it for watching MP4 files, but I has a huge list of supported formats.

I use Proamp and it works well. Never had an issue once
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA

After using many and many I have landed on BSPlayer
BSPlayer
BSPlayer plugin
Let me know what do you think of it

the only thing missing from mxplayer is a widget otherwise it works perfectly for every video on mine, could you post a sample maybe if you have some slowdowns? maybe its some settings that have to be adjusted

droidace said:
After using many and many I have landed on BSPlayer
BSPlayer
BSPlayer plugin
Let me know what do you think of it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is that BSplayer plugin for ?
Currently using BSplayer and Diceplayer.. can't install MXplayer.. giving me an error not enough space .. eventhough i still have plenty of space available
---------- Post added at 08:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 PM ----------
and btw... any players can smoothly play 10bit / Hi10p encoded videos (720p)

MX player ftw
sent from my Galaxy Nexus running official Jelly Bean!!!!

Music and video

what's the best music and video (PAID & FREE) application for our beloved HTC ONE X?
also what type of video can we put on our X? any frame size limit? and the format as well...

I personally am satisfied with MixZing music player(bought their premium version too). But most popular one is PowerAmp and they said It's the best but they got paid version only though they offer free trial for 1 week or so I think.
For videos, I'm using BS player lite, they got hw acceleration feature also.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

I love WinAmp. I love the retro feel.
I've been using the unofficial VLC beta, it's been okay for the most part.

ubermusic. skinnable so you can make it look great - way better than poweramp.

Happy with the stock apps
I purchased PowerAMP a while ago Ehen I has the X10 and Arc, but no need for it on the HOX
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA

stock player, free already there and does its job.

there are lot's to choose from maybe i'll try them all, but for the music player, i think it does not support the "BEATS" feature? only with the default player? is that correct?

mikey0105 said:
there are lot's to choose from maybe i'll try them all, but for the music player, i think it does not support the "BEATS" feature? only with the default player? is that correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no

phil112345 said:
no
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i thought the beats enhancement will not be usable once we use other player than the default?
Also i have movies in my Laptop that i want to copy to my phone, do i have to convert it to a specific format?

mikey0105 said:
i thought the beats enhancement will not be usable once we use other player than the default?
Also i have movies in my Laptop that i want to copy to my phone, do i have to convert it to a specific format?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beats is available to every 3rd party app.
And no you don't need to convert movies, except if it results in you getting a file with smaller size and you want that to save mbs.
As for music player, poweramp is definitely the best Imo. Although it didn't look that good but it's features kept me to it. Now with the ics skin, which someone posted on xda, it's definitely the coolest music player.
You might also give Apollo player a try. It will continue to improve. Still not in market I think, but should be there shortly. Google it if you can't wait.
For videos, try mx player. That's all on can say. Try and you'll have the answer to your question.

Electrostatic King said:
Beats is available to every 3rd party app.
And no you don't need to convert movies, except if it results in you getting a file with smaller size and you want that to save mbs.
As for music player, poweramp is definitely the best Imo. Although it didn't look that good but it's features kept me to it. Now with the ics skin, which someone posted on xda, it's definitely the coolest music player.
You might also give Apollo player a try. It will continue to improve. Still not in market I think, but should be there shortly. Google it if you can't wait.
For videos, try mx player. That's all on can say. Try and you'll have the answer to your question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes... thanks for that, the reason why i'm asking is because, last month i tried a different music player, and while playing i noticed that sound is different and there is no beats option, but anyways, i'll give it another shot, will explore a bit.
with regards to videos. i have .avi movie format.. copied it in my sd card, tried to play it but is says, file not supported... well, guess i just need to keep on trying..

go here to find out how to enable beats on poweramp which i use. also regarding video player i would just use stock..sorry only videos i watch is youtube...i rather use big screen for movies instead oh and netflix only for my phone when i travel

Goku80 said:
go here to find out how to enable beats on poweramp which i use. also regarding video player i would just use stock..sorry only videos i watch is youtube...i rather use big screen for movies instead oh and netflix only for my phone when i travel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks!

Avi works in mx player here...

Unsupported audio codec??

My videos in stock player play fine, but I get this error message "unsupported audio codec" - and I have no sound.
They play ok in Galaxy Note 2, and everywhere else. Tried MX player, same thing. Video is ok but with no sound.
Any solution to this?

carlitos66 said:
My videos in stock player play fine, but I get this error message "unsupported audio codec" - and I have no sound.
They play ok in Galaxy Note 2, and everywhere else. Tried MX player, same thing. Video is ok but with no sound.
Any solution to this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your video probably comes with DTS stream that cannot be decoded. Google MX player DTS you wull find the proper codec.

If you are using Mx player you need to check off the audio codec in the settings. I would keep it that way forever.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium HD app

I actually loved the stock samsung player on th gn10.1 2012. it played everything. the first vid I tried to play on this one and it won't play ac3 audio. so I've started using archos and the old bs player again.

Bsplayer got hit with ac3 problem when dolby demanded royalty fees, maybe samsung did to?

+1 for mxplayer

Speaking of players, can this thing play 4K videos?

madsquabbles said:
I actually loved the stock samsung player on th gn10.1 2012. it played everything. the first vid I tried to play on this one and it won't play ac3 audio. so I've started using archos and the old bs player again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
me too, weird why Samsung changed this. One of my main reason to buy this tablet - put anything on SD card and play without converting with Hand Brake etc...

carlitos66 said:
me too, weird why Samsung changed this. One of my main reason to buy this tablet - put anything on SD card and play without converting with Hand Brake etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it was due to legal issues.

SlimJ87D said:
I believe it was due to legal issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for a $600 there shouldn't be any legal issues. pay the royalty and be done with it.

madsquabbles said:
for a $600 there shouldn't be any legal issues. pay the royalty and be done with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bet from a business standpoint, the amount the royalties cost per a device wouldn't have been worth it compared to the actual amount of people that would really take advantage of it. But yes, it would be cool to have had it out of the box. But I believe it works fine with MX Player from my testing, and it really wasn't that hard to get MX Player.

I had the same issue with unsupported audio codec, solved with VLC player.

I've paid. for just about every player, mobo, dice, bs.. right now my favorite is archos. it's a mix of mizuu and bs. I havent had a single video that it couldnt play yet.

Are those your recommended players to watch most content? I really want to buy one but in the past have ran into audio issues.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

I like archos because it can download movie info, tv series info, and play about everything. I use he archos free codecs and everything plays fine. I've always liked archos media player from when I used to have the archos 101.

I know you can use other media players, but the point of using stock player is that it plays videos with the help of hardware, thus less battery consumption, versus if you use software decoding by other apps. Or at least It was like that on Nexus 10.

Has anyone tried to contact Samsung about this? My old galaxy 7.7has ac3 support.

carlitos66 said:
I know you can use other media players, but the point of using stock player is that it plays videos with the help of hardware, thus less battery consumption, versus if you use software decoding by other apps. Or at least It was like that on Nexus 10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the other media player can use hardware decoding if available. archos does ac3 fine with hardware decoding. i'd supposed the old bs player will to but i've not used it yet.
but it was nice having a great player that played everything built into the system.

SlimJ87D said:
If you are using Mx player you need to check off the audio codec in the settings. I would keep it that way forever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you download MX Player's NeoN-driver (you'll find the download link to the .zip in the settings), you can use HW+ for video and audio (DTS supported). Using this you are in audio/video heaven with the new Note 10.1. You can even play 2 full HD movies, one with MX Player and one with the built-in player (in pop-up mode) at the same time without any hickup. And if you so desire, open up an internet or file browser while you are at it - screen area allowing.
I see so much talk of lag and other supposed deficiencies here, while so far I have been in honeymoon state for 8 days solid.

lord69 said:
Speaking of players, can this thing play 4K videos?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes with mx player