PS5 Can't Play Videos

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Spottedfeather

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Just got a PS5 for christmas. I have several usb sticks with videos on them....but some won't play. They played just fine on PS4....which I no longer have access to.

The files are all mp4 files and h.264....as far as I'm aware. They just won't play.

What files specifically will the PS5 play ?
 
  1. Using a computer, create a folder in the root directory of the USB drive, and then place your video files in the folder.
  2. Select Media Gallery from your games home on your console.
  3. Connect the USB drive to your PS5 console, and then select USB. A list of video files on your USB drive appears. Select a file to play it.
Supported:
  • MKV
    Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Level 4.2
    Audio: AAC LC
  • MP4
    Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Level 5.2
    Audio: AAC LC
  • WEBM
    Video: VP9
    Audio: Opus
Maximum video resolution is 3840 x 2160. Media Gallery will not play copyright-protected files. Some types of content distributed over the internet and by other means have playback restrictions. For details, contact the content provider.

Were they converted to that format? If yes, what software was used?
In the end it may be a Codec issue on the PS5.
 
I think some of the files were converted, some were converted while downloading them. I used both video download helper and yt-dlp to download them.

Do they have to be high profile level 4.2 and 5.2 ? As far as I recall, they're just 4.0

I converted them to mp4 h.264 because that was what the PS4 could play. Now, some of the files can play but some can't.
 
Two of the files that won't play SHOULD play according to you.....H264 mpeg4 avc part 10 avc1 and mpeg aac audio mp4a.

I believe that both files are high level profile 4.0.

Do they need to be 4.2 and 5.2 ?

one of the files was converted with openshot because I had to correct the aspect ratio.

I also just checked some of the files that did play. They all have the same codec things as the files that wouldn't play.

Any ideas ?
 
Quite possible. I don’t usually play video files from USB so can’t test.
Were the original (before convertion)file types the same?
 
Some were downloaded from youtube, so they were, I think, webm and I converted them to mp4. At least one was mkv, so I converted it to mp4 so my ps4 could play them....except I got rid of the ps4 after I got my PS5.

This should not be this complicated. I've been told which formats the PS5 can play....some of the files that can play ARE on the list, but the files that don't play are the same format as the ones that do.

Other than games, not that impressed with the PS5. The image viewer can't zoom in or out, there doesn't seem to be a web browser, even though there are settings for a web browser...which doesn't make sense.
 
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I wonder if you tried to convert them again whether it would fix the problem?
There is a web browser but it’s well hidden:
  1. Open Settings
  2. Select User and Accounts
  3. Select YouTube from the Linked Services tab
  4. Click Link
  5. Click Use Browser
  6. Click Terms
  7. Scroll down and click Google
  8. Search via Google
  9. Browse the internet
 
I did convert them again according to what was posted here and they didn't play. Not only that, but the files that DID play no longer do.

The PS4 didn't have any troubles playing the files. You would think that the PS5, being more advanced, wouldn't have any troubles.
 
Sorry to hear that. I hope you created a copy & didn’t overwrite the original.
I would expect the PS5 would have more codecs.
I’ll check for more suggestions but in the end it’s may be that they’re only high level pro file 4.0.
You could try a different mp4 codec if a choice is available.
 
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Yeah, I still have the original files. I've spent the last 5 hours or so re encoding them. Probably finish them tomorrow. And I HAD encoded them as High profile level 5.2...at least I'm pretty sure I did. I'm re encoding them, anyways, to make sure. I'll know later on tonight if this works. I'm not holding out much hope. Being able to play these files on a PS5 isn't massively important. It would just be cool to be able to.

Just makes no sense that the PS5 can't play files that would work on the PS4. You'd think the codecs would be the same.
 
I'm about done trying to get this to work. I spent most of yesterday converting files according to the settings you told me about. MOST of the files didn't work. I used the same settings for each file. 3...just three, of the round about a dozen files I converted worked. All the files used the same settings.

I don't understand why some files work with those settings but some don't. One of the files is a 4K upscale. You don't suppose that could be a problem, do you ? Or maybe the size of the files is the issue ?...though I don't know why that would be an issue.
 
Upscaling may be the cause if all the problem files are upscaled. I can’t see it being the file size though unless the problem files are all large, if so then try compressing them further if possible so that they’re the same size as the others.
 
some of the file sizes that won't play....
6,000,000 kb
1,000,000 kb
653,000 kb
1,500,00 kb

why wouldn't PS5 be able to play a file that's a 4K upscale ?
 
Good lord, I'm done trying to get this right. I will have SOME files that play and some that don't. I delete the files that don't work and re encode them. I put the usb stick back in the PS5. I click the files that I know for a fact work....and it kicks me back to the media screen. I click the files that I re encoded....and THOSE don't work EITHER.

I don't know why the PS5 is so broken in this regard. It doesn't make sense. One file encoded a certain way will play just fine and another file, encoded with the exact same settings, doesn't play. I used Handbrake. Two versions. The files didn't work one in the version that lets you encode the profile level so I tried the older version that doesn't have a setting for profile version. Neither worked.

I'm done...unless you have more suggestions...
 
I don’t know, it may be the upscalling procedure changed something which the PS5 can’t play.
If you can upload any problem files to a cloud & allow me to download them I’ll test the files on my PS5, you can also upload the originals & I’ll see if I can convert them.
 
I only have the originals....but I'll try. Would archive.org work ? I don't know anything about the cloud.
 
Do you have MediaFire? Once uploaded there should be an option to create/share the video. Otherwise if you have a link to the original files from Archive.org I could try that.
 
media fire won't give me enough space. I'll do archive.org...but it's going to take a long time as several of the files are like 6 gb or so...
I've got two of the files so far....here's the links...

the next few days, I'll post more....hopefully. A massive blizzard is coming through my area and HOPEFULLY the power doesn't go out.

THESE files are both ones that DID work. I would take the drive out of the PS5, delete the files that didn't work, and then reencode them and put them back on the drive. When I did that, the files that I posted here refused to play. It just kicks me back to the media screen.

I think I'm just going to start burning stuff to dvds. This is way too maddening. Hope you can figure something out, though.
 
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