Should my Hummy be able to recognise MP4 files?

keith lawrence

New Member
I have downloaded lots of videos to a portable hard drive, but when plugged into the USB socket on the rear of my HDR-FOX T2 it doesn't seem to recognise the MP4 format the files are in. Does anyone know what format it will recognise and whether I will be able to change the files?

thanks
 
The Humax will definitely play some MP4 files (the content from YouTube is MP4), however there are lots of 'flavours' of the MP4 container. Here are the details of a YouTube MP4 playable on the Humax

MP4.jpg
 
There are different types of 'MP4' files It could be that your 'MP4' files have something special about them which the HDR-FOX T2 can't play, or it could be that there is something amiss with the files.

Can you provide a bit more detail about your MP4 files?

I have not had any difficulty with MP4 files playing on an HDR-FOX-T2. When I first read this thread my HDR-FOX T2 was playing back an iPlayer MP4 programme!
 
mp4 is a compression codec. The Humax recognises mp4 files but only if the actual content is a recognised resolution and standard framerate. Generally 480i, 576i, 520P, 720p and 1080i/p at 24, 25, 29.97 fps.

Dwnload the free Mediainfo programme, open one of the files, select treeview and export the information to a text file. Post the results, someone will likely spot the problem.
 
MP4 is a wrapper that might contain one of several codecs. The MP4s that result from iPlayer downloads contain H.264 video and AAC audio.
 
When I have checked the downloaded video files I see there are different types as follows...

HDTVX264-EVOLVE. MP4

HDTVXViD-ASAP

HDTVXViD-FQM

HDTVX264-ASAP.MP4

downloaded Mediainfo but no instructions with it so not sure what to look for. Any help anyone can give is appreciated but in simple words please.
 
Medianinfo

File Open File - navigate to a video file and open it.

View Tree (to get full file information)

File Export - choose the text tab

Choose a destination and filename and save the text file.

Open this file in Notepad.

Edit Select All

Crtl + C (to copy the contents)

In your post Crtl + V to paste the information
 
Means nothing to me but if anyone can explain it please do so, this is what I got from Mediainfo..........

General
Complete name .HDTV.x264-EVOLVE.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom
File size : 388 MiB
Duration : 59mn 17s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 915 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2012-09-17 02:24:34
Tagged date : UTC 2012-09-17 02:24:34
Video
ID : 2
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L3.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 59mn 17s
Source duration : 59mn 17s
Bit rate : 799 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 14.1 Mbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 404 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.115
Stream size : 339 MiB (87%)
Source stream size : 339 MiB (87%)
Writing library : x264 core 125 r2208 d9d2288
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=8 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=18 / lookahead_threads=3 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=50 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=19.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2012-09-17 02:08:27
Tagged date : UTC 2012-09-17 02:24:37
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 59mn 17s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 112 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 156 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : 83ms
Stream size : 47.5 MiB (12%)
Encoded date : UTC 2012-09-17 02:24:34
Tagged date : UTC 2012-09-17 02:24:37
 
Suspect it's the resolution that's the issue, it's not a standard broadcast resolution which would be 576 0r 480 lines (normally 720 x 576 or 720 x 480). I know the box works fine with 23.976 fps (24). Basically it's 404p24, a very odd choice.
 
Does this mean I am stuck with not being able to play the videos? Should I convert the files to a different format from mp4 that the hummy will recognise and if so, what type?

Thanks
 
At a guess if you have the software to add black content top and bottom to get 480 lines and recode the MP4 it will play OK in letterbox mode. Fairly easy to do in video editor software, someone may know a way using free software.
 
Isn't it the AVC video stream that's the problem? Try running mediainfo on an iPlayer grab MP4 and you should see what the differences are. We know that the Humax will play iPlayer grabs.
 
The full name of H264 is H264/AVC (frequently abbreviated to AVC - Advanced Video Codec), so I doubt it's the issue. If there is any codec a Freeview/Freesat HD box understands it has to be H264, as it's the native compression used for HD broadcasting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264/MPEG-4_AVC

There is now a new codec H265, capable of incredible performance according to reports. Can deliver 4K in much the same bandwidth as H264.

I see you have now edited your post, a box that doesn't support AVC simply will not work. I haven't a 720p25 streamed file from iplayer handy, as it's currently the most efficient commercial compression why would the beeb use anything different ?

Camcorders use AVCHD compression, this is 100% compatible.
 
Here is a Media Info. >> Tree of the payable MP4 file in #2, it was downloaded by the Humax from YouTube :-
Code:
General
Complete name                    : D:\FTP-files\buttery-biscuit-base.mp4
Format                          : MPEG-4
Format profile                  : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID                        : mp42
File size                        : 8.21 MiB
Duration                        : 2mn 1s
Overall bit rate                : 569 Kbps
Encoded date                    : UTC 2011-06-27 08:01:04
Tagged date                      : UTC 2011-06-27 08:01:04
gsst                            : 0
gstd                            : 121000
gssd                            : BADC21E23HH1322437022117103
gshh                            : o-o.preferred.lhr14s15.v8.lscache3.c.youtube.com
 
Video
ID                              : 1
Format                          : AVC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                  : Baseline@L3.0
Format settings, CABAC          : No
Format settings, ReFrames        : 1 frame
Codec ID                        : avc1
Codec ID/Info                    : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                        : 2mn 1s
Bit rate mode                    : Variable
Bit rate                        : 469 Kbps
Maximum bit rate                : 1 109 Kbps
Width                            : 640 pixels
Height                          : 352 pixels
Display aspect ratio            : 16:9
Frame rate mode                  : Constant
Frame rate                      : 25.000 fps
Resolution                      : 24 bits
Colorimetry                      : 4:2:0
Scan type                        : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)              : 0.083
Stream size                      : 6.77 MiB (82%)
Encoded date                    : UTC 1970-01-01 00:00:00
Tagged date                      : UTC 2011-06-27 08:01:05
 
Audio
ID                              : 2
Format                          : AAC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version                  : Version 4
Format profile                  : LC
Format settings, SBR            : No
Codec ID                        : 40
Duration                        : 2mn 0s
Bit rate mode                    : Variable
Bit rate                        : 96.0 Kbps
Maximum bit rate                : 120 Kbps
Channel(s)                      : 2 channels
Channel positions                : L R
Sampling rate                    : 44.1 KHz
Resolution                      : 16 bits
Stream size                      : 1.37 MiB (17%)
Title                            : IsoMedia File Produced by Google, 5-11-2011
Encoded date                    : UTC 2011-06-27 08:01:05
Tagged date                      : UTC 2011-06-27 08:01:05
 
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