How To Play Mp4 Files In Windows Media Player

Though MP4 has go the most portable and friendly video file format in daily use, some people notwithstanding have no idea of how to play MP4 files on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7. Then we come to show yous how to open information technology and how to ready the playback error that Windows users may encounter.

What Is an MP4 File

What is an MP4 file? Information technology'due south a video file with .mp4 in its extension and contains video, audio stream, subtitles, and metadata. It was created past the ISO/IEC and Movement Moving picture Experts Group (MPEG) in 2001 to standardize how the media data is stored within the container. Nigh videos streamed, transferred, downloaded, and recorded are saved in MP4 now.

Why Can't Play MP4 Files on Windows

Sometimes, the media player on Windows tells you it tin't open the MP4 file, plays the video without audio/subtitles, or tin't play it in the original video quality. At that place are many possible reasons for MP4 playback fault on Windows 11/x/eight/7:

The media player does not support the compression codec used in the MP4 file.
The Windows system is non compatible with MP4 codecs.
The MP4 file was corrupted during the process of transferring.
The resolution or bitrate in the MP4 video is as well loftier to process for the media player.

Whichever you met, you can find the effective solution in the post-obit part.

How to Set Can't Play MP4 on Windows

Solution 1: Learn How to Play MP4 Files in Windows Media Actor

Windows Media Player is an app developed by Microsoft for viewing videos, audio files, and images on Windows-based devices. At present it has been updated to Windows Media Player 12. This app has built-in support for many popular video and audio formats. And many Windows users take it as the primary MP4 role player. Hither'southward how to picket MP4 with WMP.

Pace 1. Open up Windows File Explorer and find the MP4 video you desire to watch on the drive.

Step two. Right-click on the MP4 file. Choose Open with > Windows Media Role player. Then it'll outset playing your MP4 file from the beginning.

Pace 3. If you lot desire to prepare information technology as the default MP4 thespian. Right-click on an MP4 video. Click Open with > Choose another app. Select Media Player, and and so bank check the box at the bottom.

Set Windows Media Player as the deault MP4 player

Tips: You can notice Windows Media Actor past searching Windows. Once you lot launch it, y'all tin open up files in it, manage the video library, and play MP4 videos via URLs.

Solution two: Learn How to Play MP4 with VLC Media Actor

Another method is to turn to other MP4 players, such every bit VLC. It's an open up source and free media actor that supports more video formats and codecs than WMP.

Step i. Download and install VLC media histrion on your Windows reckoner. Information technology's recommended to download from its official website for security purposes - www.videolan.org.

Pace ii. Double click the shortcut of VLC on the desktop to launch it.

Step 3. Click Media > Open File. Select an MP4 video and VLC will play information technology for you.

Solution 3: Convert MP4 Files in VideoProc Converter

Nearly MP4 playback issues can be solved once and for all by converting and transcoding. But first, you lot need to choose the best video file converter. Information technology should be capable of accepting all types of MP4 files including MPEG-4, H.264, HEVC, 4K, 3D, 360-degree, etc., and providing multiple output options.

VideoProc Converter is proven to be the all-time MP4 file converter for you. It supports 370+ video formats and 100+ preset MP4 profiles. What'southward more, it keeps the original image quality, audio stream, subtitles, and metadata afterwards the conversion. And with the level-3 hardware dispatch, information technology can cease the conversion 47x real-time faster than its peers.

Free download VideoProc Converter and convert MP4 for amend playback on Windows with the guide beneath.

Footstep 1. Launch VideoProc Converter and click Video on its homepage.

Step two. Drag and drop MP4 file(s) from your PC to its interface.

Step iii. Click the Video optoin in the lower surface area and choose a format supported past Windows Media Player, such as MP4 H.264 and WMV.

How to Convert 3GP to MP4 with VideoProc - Step 2

Tips: If the MP4 can't exist opened with Media Player due to the UHD 4K resolution, you lot tin downscale it to 1080p. Double-click on the format icon. Adjacent, change the video resolution in the popup window.

Step 4. Head to the right side of the UI. Enable Hardware Dispatch, choose an output folder, and hit RUN to export the video.

Solution four: Run Windows Troubleshooter

Video Playback troubleshooter is a congenital-in characteristic in Windows x which is specifically designed for fixing problems of playing movies, TVs, and videos. And hither are the how-to steps:

Step 1. Press the Windows Key and I key at the same fourth dimension. Choose the Update & security in the pop-upwards window.

Footstep two. Next, choose Troubleshoot and roll down the screen to find the Video Playback feature.

Step 3. Click the Run the troubleshooter push button to activate this feature.

Troubleshoot MP4 can't play on Windows 10

Stride 4. Just follow its instructions to figure out the reason and solutions of how to play MP4 files without errors.

Solution five: Download and Install MP4 Codec for Windows

MP4 merely indicates the format container. The core of MP4 playback is the encoding and decoding schemes, in other words, the video codec. An MP4 can be encoded with codecs of many sorts, east.g. H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, AVCHD, and the recent AV1 and VP9.

It's probable that your Windows computer can't open MP4 videos considering the system does not support the MP4 codec in your file. So you lot need to install third-political party MP4 codec packs for Windows similar Media Player Codec, Windows 10 Codec Pack, and Thou-Light Codec Pack.

Nonetheless, MP4 codecs from unauthorized websites may take malware or adware, conflict with other software in your PC, and even consequence in system abuse. If yous are on the picket for the best solution, try VideoProc Converter and convert MP4 files to Windows-friendly format with just 1 click.