Can't play MP4 Video in Firefox or Chrome [Branched from other topic about Flash]

[AnnShelbourne]

Safari and a Microsoft browser both play my MP$ videos.

However, I am finding that neither Firefox nor Chrome (Mac versions) can play the video part of Videos —although both can play the audio component.

This is the source:

https://taumel.shelbourne-america.net/pages/videos.html

I believe that I may need to containerize the MP4 videos in some way but I have not yet discovered exactly how to do it.

I would be grateful for any help that anyone can offer for getting these Videos to play in both Chrome and in Firefox.

[Nancy OShea]

@AnnShelbourne,

Please fix your code errors.

https://validator.w3.org/nu/?doc=https%3A%2F%2Ftaumel.shelbourne-america.net%2Fpages%2Fvideos.html

If that doesn't correct the problem, we'll revisit it.

[AnnShelbourne]

There are various "free" converters on-line but i am very wary of "free" software!

Does anyone know which of those on-line Converters is reasonably safe to use?

[Nancy OShea]

You can transode video to MP4 with Handbrake or Adobe Media Encoder.

[AnnShelbourne]

The videos are already in MP4:

Neither Premier Pro nor Media Code Converter offer .webM conversion.

I am looking for a reliable Converter to convert a MP4 into WebM format — or, alternatively, old MPG files into .webM format

My past experience in using so-called "Free" web-based services has been a huge increase in junk mail so I normally avoid anything that is labelled: "free"like the plague!

(I don't think any code errors are are affecting playability because the videos play perfectly well in most Computer and iOS browsers — except in Chrome and Firefox (both of which do, I understand,  need MP4 files to be enclosed in a special container; or require them to be in webM format.)

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

I think you're missing my point.  If your MP4s are transcoded correctly for the web, they should play evenly in ALL web devices.  If they're not, something else is a foot.

When converting native video (AVI, MPEG, etc...) to MP4, you want to use the H264 video codec and the AAC audio codec.  Both are well supported by Handbrake and/or Adobe Media Encoder.

https://handbrake.fr/

https://www.annenbergdl.org/tutorials/compress-video-for-the-web-with-media-encoder/

I see no reason to add WebM or OGG fallbacks to the mix for this use case.

[AnnShelbourne]

Thank you Nancy.

I am continuing to work on this and have downloaded Handbrake.

You mentioned:

>>>

When converting native video (AVI, MPEG, etc...) to MP4, you want to use the H264 video codec and the AAC audio codec. >>>

That may be the answer?

I used the later H265 video codec which Safari et al recognise and which Chrome does not!

(It's apparently something to do with Licensing issues?).

Firefox may work the same way — or it may still demand webM: further experimentation may be required?!

[BenPleysier]

I think that something like this has many advantages over hosting the videos yourself.

[AnnShelbourne · Accepted solution]

The H264 video codec was the answer!

I have now remade the videos and they play on all three of the browsers on which I have tried them on: Safari, Chrome and Firefox. I will need to check on the Windows browsers ;and on iPads and mobile phones; but I am fairly confident that they will work too.

(The revised website is now loaded and can be seenat the same Link that I posted previously.) 

Ben suggested using Vimeo but I don't want to involve another hosting company because the whole object is to make the website run from the client's own ISP so that it is easy for them to maintain and edit content in the future should they need to.

[AnnShelbourne]

I forgot to add that I made the changes in Premier Pro where I also edited the dreadful green cast in the colour balance and moderated the audio in these very old videos while I was about it.