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Playing AVI files directly

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fjp

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 31, 2013
3
0
I'm looking for an app that will enable an iPad to play AVI videos recorded on an SD card, either directly from the card, or after import to the iPad, and without any external hookup, e.g. to a PC running iTunes.

All the apps I have looked at seem to have a link to iTunes, and prefer to talk about external sources using streaming or FTP. I just want to play a file - is that too hard? This is easy to do on a MacBook, but not an iPad (which I realise doesn't have native support for AVI), although it happily imports the files into Photos.

Sorry if I'm overlooking something obvious. I do have the necessary card reader...
 
M

Menneisyys2

macrumors 603
Jun 7, 2011
5,997
1,101
fjp said:
I'm looking for an app that will enable an iPad to play AVI videos recorded on an SD card, either directly from the card, or after import to the iPad, and without any external hookup, e.g. to a PC running iTunes.

All the apps I have looked at seem to have a link to iTunes, and prefer to talk about external sources using streaming or FTP. I just want to play a file - is that too hard? This is easy to do on a MacBook, but not an iPad (which I realise doesn't have native support for AVI), although it happily imports the files into Photos.

Sorry if I'm overlooking something obvious. I do have the necessary card reader...
Click to expand...

1, you can only play back MJPEG AVI's - that is, only ones recorded by cameras but not via traditional video encoders. If you meant camera videos, you'll need to import them first via the CCK.

2, if you jailbreak (and why shouldn't you?), the above restriction doesn't apply: you can even map (via symlinks) the storage card into any AppStore video player and play the AVI directly. More info at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1464236/
 
F

fjp

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 31, 2013
3
0
It isn't my iPad unfortunately! If it's not possible or reasonably straightforward, then I can tell the owner and he'll have to use his MacBook. It just seems a strange (to a non-Apple user, at least) omission from the iPad, as it would otherwise be the perfect tool for viewing videos made on holiday...
 
Peace

Peace

Cancelled
Apr 1, 2005
19,546
4,556
Space The Only Frontier
fjp said:
It isn't my iPad unfortunately! If it's not possible or reasonably straightforward, then I can tell the owner and he'll have to use his MacBook. It just seems a strange (to a non-Apple user, at least) omission from the iPad, as it would otherwise be the perfect tool for viewing videos made on holiday...
Click to expand...

The only problem is AVI is a container not a codec . Some AVI files are old Microsoft files. Apple uses the now industry standard mpeg-4 or h.264 .
 
M

Menneisyys2

macrumors 603
Jun 7, 2011
5,997
1,101
0dev said:
CineXPlayer should do the job.
Click to expand...

No AppStore apps (including CineXPlayer) can access the contents of a memory card via the Camera Connection Kit - this is what the OP asked for. The only way of doing all this (should you want to avoid having to import those videos first) is jailbreaking and using symlinks as has been explained in the tutorial I linked to.

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Peace said:
The only problem is AVI is a container not a codec . Some AVI files are old Microsoft files. Apple uses the now industry standard mpeg-4 or h.264 .
Click to expand...

This isn't the problem in this particular case but Apple's greed. This is why they locked down the CCK so that the card in it (or the USB mass storage device connected to it) cannot be used as external storage, unlike on platforms that do allow using external cards (Android, Windows Mobile / Phone 8, BB, Symbian etc.). Without jailbreaking, that is.

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fjp said:
It isn't my iPad unfortunately! If it's not possible or reasonably straightforward, then I can tell the owner and he'll have to use his MacBook. It just seems a strange (to a non-Apple user, at least) omission from the iPad, as it would otherwise be the perfect tool for viewing videos made on holiday...
Click to expand...

Apple wants to sell as many 32/64/128 GB models as possible. This is why they have locked down the CCK.

Whose iPad is it, BTW? Can't you explain to the owner how jailbreaking could enhance the device? Not only in this particular area - actually, without jailbreaking, iPads are orders of magnitude less useful...
 
F

fjp

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 31, 2013
3
0
Many thanks for the prompt replies. Sorry for the slow response - it will doubtless amuse you that my PC crashed after an update...

I'm sure you're right about jail-breaking - if it was my iPad, I would want to move files around and do the usual computery things on it, but perhaps that's why I haven't got one. The owner, however, is completely uninterested in that side of life - if it won't do what he wants out of the box, it's not worth doing.

I was initially surprised that the iPad recognised the card and offered to put the video contents into Photos. I was less surprised that it couldn't then play it, which is when I started looking for a suitable app. Shortly after that, I came here! My friend has now gone on holiday with his MacAir, which seems to cope with the videos pretty well, so there's no real problem - it doesn't take up a lot more space and it has a keyboard.. :)

I appreciate the help, though. I feel I know at least a bit more about the subject and I shall doubtless be right back if I ever buy one.
 
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