Exported mp4 files from Premiere Pro CC 12.0 will not play

[mdbtaa]

Ever since Windows 10 was upgraded and Premiere Pro was upgraded any clips I export to mp4 format will NOT play in any player. I have not changed any of the export options yet none of the exported files will play. If I try using VLC video player I get audio only, no video. Any other player displays an error message. I always export my finished projects to mp4 so this really has me stumped and frustrated. I had an associate import the same mp4 video, edit it and export it and he had no problem. But I don't know what versions of Windows 10 or Premier Pro CC he is using. This seems like a bug to me but if my associate can import, edit and export the same file how can it be explained?

Any ideas or suggestions?

[excited_Genie16B8]

Help>About will give you the PP version.

Typing winver in the Run dialog will give you the Windows version.

Export something using H.264 as the Format and Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate as the Preset.  Report back.

[mdbtaa]

I'm using: Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Version 12.1.1 (Build 10)

Windows 10 Pro, Version 1803. OS Build 17134.112

I tried exporting a different project with the above settings and it works just fine. I tried exporting my project again with the same settings and the file will still not play nor does the Details tab of File Properties display any video stats.

The project I'm trying to export plays just fine in the monitor. My boss has the same versions of Premiere Pro CC and Windows 10 Pro. He imported and edited the same mp4 video (a webinar recording) and it exported just fine.

I'm really stumped on this one.

[excited_Genie16B8]

Try Step 2D below.  If no luck, try 2E.

Unofficial Premiere Pro Troubleshooting Guide

[mdbtaa]

I may not be a professional video editor but I am a highly proficient computer user.

I probably should have mentioned that one of the first things I tried was re-importing the clip but that didn't work. So, I deleted the project,  cleared the cache and recreated the project from the beginning; that didn't work either.

I tried resetting Premiere Pro with the SHIFT+ALT while it's loading and that didn't make any difference except to reset my Preferences. I reinstalled Premiere Pro, I uninstalled Quick Time with IOBit Uninstaller, deleted the project again, started from the beginning, watched the entire Timeline sequence from beginning to end (0:50:52) to make sure there was no corruption or dropouts . . all to no avail. The exported file still won't play. The original 1:14:22 mp4 clip that I'm importing (from my hard drive) plays just fine in the default Windows video player.

I ALWAYS export using H.264 and Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate as the preset. I don't usually touch anything else unless I'm publishing directly to the Vimeo account of my company. I tried that using Vimeo 1080p HD as the preset, which starts Media Encoder CC, logs in to Vimeo and uploads the finished product directly to My Videos (we don't use channels) and writes the mp4 file to the specified directory of my hard drive. When I logged into Vimeo, the file wasn't there and the exported file still wouldn't play.

I've never been so frustrated !! But, THANK YOU Jim_Simon for your assistance.

[excited_Genie16B8]

Turn off the Publish feature.  Export using Match again.  Report back.

[mdbtaa]

I only used the Publish feature once and it didn't work. It must be selected each time a video is exported. I have tried to export multiple times with the Publish off . . no difference.

[excited_Genie16B8]

OK.

Without examining the actual video, I'm out of ideas.  Can you upload it to a file sharing site and post a link?

[Kevin-Monahan]

Can you upload it to a file sharing site and post a link?

I guess not. Case closed. Usually this kind of thing means a corrupt video file or some bad interaction with QuickTime 32 bit codecs. In this user's case: WACKY export settings. Hope the user got his personal issue solved.

If you are having this issue, kindly create a new post. Don't tack onto this old thing.

Thanks,
Kevin

[jacob stærkj47976392]

Hi Kevin,
I've exported both H265, H264 as well as ProRes 422 HQ. All 1080p. None of them plays image on other computers (VLC nor QuickTime). But they hear all or some of the sound play. All files play back nicely on my own computer (Finder, Quicktime and VLC). I've asked three independent people to test the films on their computers, OS and Windows, all of them with powerull fully updated computers. None works. 

I am shooting A7siii 4k 422 10bit (XAVC S) in a mix of framerates and edit using proxies. If you know something specific to this combination I'd be very gratefull to hear from you.

Thanks,
Jacob

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hello Jacob,

Sorry about this. Feel free to upload some sample files, and I can have them checked. PM me once you do so that I am aware of the location of the files. Typically, these files are encoded with too high a bitrate for specific computers to playback. That can happen.

Thanks,
Kevin

[jacob stærkj47976392]

Unfortunately I cannot do so. This is a deliverable to a client and has not yet been published.

Please do let me know if you sort out this bug.

Jacob

[Kevin-Monahan]

Jacob,

Please try a test by uploading a file to Google Drive or YouTube (with a private link). Observe if the file plays back once uploaded. If it does, you might be encoding at too high a bit rate for your computer to playback. Let us know what happens after the test.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Kevin-Monahan]

mdbtaa,

Still having this issue? Kindly contact us here: Contact Customer Care

Thanks,
Kevin

[brettr57898246]

Hi  mdbtaa,

What you are experiencing is almost exactly what I am. I always export to H.264, but all of a sudden (maybe after most recent update of premier?) it is not working when I try to download mp4 to my iphone. Android is the same. It throws up an error message, can't download this file type. I have tried changing settings etc and the only thing that makes a difference is when I change the Aspect (under video tab) but then you have black sidebars and can't upload to facebook, instagram etc without getting rid of that. (at least that is my very low knowledge of these social media platforms - but it has worked before at usual export settings???) I've tried an mpeg - no good. Exported to quicktime - .mov... the file size is huge....

Adobe - can you please help out here. I can share my working files with you - needs to be fixed or looked into more.

Thanks

[mdbtaa]

For the time being until I have time to contact Adobe Tech Support and spend an hour on the phone I found a workaround to this problem.

I export to: Windows Media with the preset to: HD 1080p 29.97. I don't change anything else. This takes more time but maintains the quality of the image. Then I use Media Encoder CC to render the .wmv file to to H.264 (.mp4).

As I said, this takes quite a bit more time but . . it works. Something changed during one of the recent updates to Premiere Pro CC. At around the same time there was also a major update to Windows 10. I would think that Adobe would have found the problem by now but I just haven't had time to call them and spend time on the phone with my computer available.

Hope this helps for now . .

Michael D. Bailey

[SAFEHARBOR11]

Can we please see a screen shot of Export Settings panel? Helped someone else last week that was also creating a video from a screen recording, and turns out the recording and Sequence were at 9fps and so the export output also defaulted to 9fps and I think that is an issue for playback, a goofy frame rate. What are your export settings there?

Thanks

Jeff

[mdbtaa]

I'll gladly post a screenshot of my export panel but the preset HD 1080p 29.97 means: High Definition (H.264) 1080 pixels at 29.97fps. Remember, I said this was a workaround. After exporting to Windows Media with preset: HD 1080p 29.97 I then use Media Encoder CC to render the output file to H.264 (mp4). So, there are TWO screenshots here. First, my Premiere Pro CC 2018 Export Panel and second, my Media Encoder CC 2018.

[DiskTech]

Why is your source sequence 1410x940?

[SAFEHARBOR11]

If you must for some reason create an intermediate/temporary file from which to encode the final .mp4, not recommended to use another highly-compressed format such as .wmv - rather, use ProRes (on Mac) or DNxHD or GoPro Cineform on PC for high quality.

Do you have a screen shot of an .mp4 export setup that was not working? Looking at the .wmv export (that does work) does not get to the root of the problem.

Thanks

Jeff

[creativeadvantech]

Having the same issue, all of the sudden, exported H.264 files cannot be open/played by any player.  Thinking this has to do with some updates from Adobe.  Adobe, please help fix this issue!!!

[Kevin-Monahan]

Adobe, please help fix this issue!!!

Hope to help. Contact us to open a case: Adobe Help Center

Kev

[defaulti9m712o0age3]

Hi Kev

The Community Guidelines say "Be kind and respectful...". You don't seem to be doing this, which is strange as a moderator.

I have the same issues, no "WACKY" export settings and it would be good to have an open forum to see others opinions. 

As someone pointed out below, we don't all have the time to spend hours on to support.

[jacob stærkj47976392]

Hi Mdntaa,

Thanks for sharing. I see that the last update was back in 2020. May I ask if this issues ever resolved with you?

I'm experiencing the same problem.

Best regards,

Jacob

[Kevin-Monahan · Accepted solution]

Hi, Jacob,

I apologize for the problem. Is this a 4K HEVC or H.264 file? You can test playback by uploading the movie to YouTube or Google Drive. How is the video playing there? If okay, your computer might not be powerful enough to playback the file. Is that a possibility? 

Let me know.

Thanks,
Kevin