Premiere Rush does not play MP4 file

Report · Dec 31, 2019

Hello,

I have opened an MP4 file in Premiere Rush.

It opens the file in the timeline, but I cannot play it (the play window remains black).

Report · Jan 01, 2020

What device and operating system are you editing on? What camcorder created the MP4?

Report · Jan 01, 2020

I am using a powerful laptop with Windows 10.

The MP4 file was downloaded from internet (TS file converted to MP4 with a professional software).

It is strange because Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Prelude can play it, but Premiere Rush can't.

Report · Jan 01, 2020

The best way to troubleshoot this is to open the MP4 in the free download MediaInfo. In MediaInfo, set View to Text and then copy the report it generates and paste it to this forum.

Once we know the specs and compression system in that MP4 we'll have a better idea what's going on.

Report · Jan 01, 2020

Here are the infos of the MP4 file using MediaInfo :

Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (mp42/isom)
File size : 1.20 GiB
Duration : 1 h 35 min
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 1 799 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2020-01-02 08:30:40
Tagged date : UTC 2020-01-02 08:30:40

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L3
Format settings : CABAC / 3 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 3 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1 h 35 min
Source duration : 1 h 35 min
Bit rate : 1 594 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 3 991 kb/s
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 406 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 FPS
Standard : PAL
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.218
Stream size : 1.07 GiB (89%)
Source stream size : 1.11 GiB (93%)
Language : Afar
Encoded date : UTC 2020-01-02 08:30:40
Tagged date : UTC 2020-01-02 08:30:40
Color range : Limited
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 1 h 35 min
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 125 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 85.9 MiB (7%)
Encoded date : UTC 2020-01-02 08:30:40
Tagged date : UTC 2020-01-02 08:30:40

Report · Jan 02, 2020

I'm not sure why you converted the file to an MP4.

Is the original file 720x406 pixels? That's a very non-standard video file size and it's likely what's choking the program. You say the file was "downloaded from the internet." Where is it downloaded from and what software did you use to download it?

Report · Jan 02, 2020

The original video file (Transport Stream MPEG-2) is downloaded from this page (for my private use) : https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/088456-001-A/concert-de-la-saint-sylvestre-2019/

I have downloaded it by using Internet Download Manager : https://www.internetdownloadmanager.com/

You can see on this screenshot that Internet Download manager lets to choose between : 406P or 720P or 360P or 216P :

But I have tried one thing : I have downloaded it again not in 406P, but in 720P (in Transport Stream Mpeg-2, without converting it in MPEG-4), and Premiere Rush can play it !

Why Premiere Pro and Prelude can play the file in 406P but not Premiere Rush ?