I just received three video clips via Facebook Messenger, but they refuse to play (or show a preview) in many circumstances. Why?
I did a ffprobe on them:
ffprobe version 4.4.4 Copyright (c) 2007-2023 the FFmpeg developers
built with Apple clang version 15.0.0 (clang-1500.1.0.2.5)
configuration: --prefix=/opt/local --cc=/usr/bin/clang --mandir=/opt/local/share/man --enable-audiotoolbox --disable-indev=jack --disable-libjack --disable-libopencore-amrnb --disable-libopencore-amrwb --disable-libxcb --disable-libxcb-shm --disable-libxcb-xfixes --enable-opencl --disable-outdev=xv --enable-sdl2 --disable-securetransport --enable-videotoolbox --enable-avfilter --enable-avresample --enable-fontconfig --enable-gnutls --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libdav1d --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-librsvg --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libzimg --enable-libzvbi --enable-lzma --enable-pthreads --enable-shared --enable-swscale --enable-zlib --enable-libaom --enable-libsvtav1 --arch=x86_64 --enable-x86asm --enable-gpl --enable-libvidstab --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-postproc
libavutil 56. 70.100 / 56. 70.100
libavcodec 58.134.100 / 58.134.100
libavformat 58. 76.100 / 58. 76.100
libavdevice 58. 13.100 / 58. 13.100
libavfilter 7.110.100 / 7.110.100
libavresample 4. 0. 0 / 4. 0. 0
libswscale 5. 9.100 / 5. 9.100
libswresample 3. 9.100 / 3. 9.100
libpostproc 55. 9.100 / 55. 9.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/tmp/arXHwP4h.mp4':
Metadata:
major_brand : mp42
minor_version : 1
compatible_brands: isommp41mp42
creation_time : 2024-09-16T18:47:30.000000Z
Duration: 00:00:28.50, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1875 kb/s
Stream #0:0(und): Video: hevc (Main) (hvc1 / 0x31637668), yuv420p(tv, bt470bg/bt470bg/smpte170m), 1024x576, 1586 kb/s, 27.06 fps, 30 tbr, 90k tbn, 90k tbc (default)
Metadata:
creation_time : 2024-09-16T18:47:30.000000Z
handler_name : Core Media Video
vendor_id : [0][0][0][0]
Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 287 kb/s (default)
Metadata:
creation_time : 2024-09-16T18:47:30.000000Z
handler_name : Core Media Audio
vendor_id : [0][0][0][0]
More details: the clips originates on an Android phone and was then transferred to me using Facebook Messenger. On my Mac/Firefox, in Facebook Messenger, the clips are showed like this:
OTOH, in FB Messenger on my Android phone the clips play fine. If I download them to my Mac I can play them in VLC but when I try to send them using WhatsApp it refuses to send them as videos, instead I have to send them as attachments (and they don't play in WA).
Generally I never have this type of problem on neither my phone nor my computer.
What is "special" about these clips that make them incompatible? Can I fix it in ffmpeg or so?
