MP4 file not playing correctly...

[sazmobile]

Hello!
I'm new to this forum (and fairly new to Mac) and am having a slight issue with getting Quicktime and Logic 9 to play an mp4 file correctly.
When the file is opened, the window goes black, with the audio playing throughout the clip - very inconvenient since I am on a film composition course where I need the video, NOT the audio. However, if I open the file in VLC Media Player, it plays perfectly fine. The problem is, I need to write music to go with the clip, which means using Logic. When the clip is imported into Logic, the same thing happens as with Quicktime; black screen, full audio.
I read on a thread somewhere on this forum that Quicktime may not be using the right codec, but have no idea which codec I would need or how to use it through Quicktime (or where to get it from).
The strange thing is, Quicktime and Logic both managed to open and play an mp4 file from my boyfriend's phone with no problems whatsoever, but the files that I transferred from my university will not play, which doesn't make much sense really. I've tried transferring them via an external hard drive, USB stick and DVD - same case for each one!

Any help would be very much appreciated, I need to make a decent start on this project by Tuesday so would like for it to be resolved this weekend! I have a Mac Mini, if that even matters?

 

[spinnerlys]

Use VideoSpec (I prefer that, though it hasn't been updated since 11/2009), MediaInfo Mac (10/2010) or MediaInfo (10/2010, there is a Mac OS X version to download, VideoSpec and MediaInfo Mac are using the same library as MediaInfo) to analyse the video and post th report in your reply.

You can also use MPEG Streamclip to transcode the video via Command + E to a .mov using whatever codec you might like (Apple Intermediate Codec for video and Uncompressed for audio for example).

 

[sazmobile]

Analysed using VideoSpec:


***** First Analyzed File Results *****

*** General Parameters ***
- Name: 08. Is This Love .mp4
- Container: MP4 - QuickTime
- Creation Date: 2008-10-25 18:59:58
- Size: 235.6 MiB
- Duration: 0:02:0
- Bitrate: 16.4 Mbps
- Encoding Library: Undefined
- Encoding Application: HandBrake 0.9.2 2008021900

*** Video Track Parameters ***
- Format: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
- Size: 233 MiB (99%)
- FourCC: H264
- Track number(s): 0
- Bitrate: Max.: Undefined
Average: 16.3 Mbps
Min.: Undefined
- Frame rate (fps): Max.: ---
Average: 25.000
Min.: ---
- Bitrate mode: Variable
- Encoding profile: Undefined
- Resolution: Undefined
- Width (Pixel number): 718
- Height (Pixel number): 388
- Pixel Aspect Ratio: 8:9
- Display aspect ratio: 1436:873
- Chroma subsampling format: YUV420p
- TV standard: Undefined
- Interlacing: Undefined
- Encoding library: Undefined
- Additional Parameters: Bits/(Pixel*Frame) ratio: 2.336

*** Audio Track(s) Parameters ***
- Format: AAC - MPEG-4 audio
- Size: 2.29 MiB (1%)
- FourCC: MP4A
- Number(s) and language(s): 2: English
- Details: -
- Profile: Low Complexity
- Bitrate: 160 Kbps
- Bitrate mode: Variable
- Resolution: 16 bits
- Rate: 48.0 KHz
- Channel(s): 2 (stereo)
- Position: Left Right
- Encoding Library: Undefined
- Additional Parameters: Spectral Band Replication: No

*** Miscellaneous ***
- Subtitle(s): #1 : Apple text - English
- Metadata: Album: Undefined
Part number: Undefined
Track name: Undefined
Track name number: Undefined
Performer: Undefined
Screenplayer/Writer: Undefined
Genre: Undefined
Encoded date: UTC 2008-10-25 16:59:58
Comment: Undefined
Album artist: Undefined
Grouping: Undefined
Copyright: Undefined

 

[spinnerlys]

Analysed using VideoSpec:

***** First Analyzed File Results *****

*** General Parameters ***
- Name: 08. Is This Love .mp4
- Container: MP4 - QuickTime
- Creation Date: 2008-10-25 18:59:58
- Size: 235.6 MiB
- Duration: 0:02:0
- Bitrate: 16.4 Mbps
- Encoding Library: Undefined
- Encoding Application: HandBrake 0.9.2 2008021900

*** Video Track Parameters ***
- Format: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
- Size: 233 MiB (99%)
- FourCC: H264
- Track number(s): 0
- Bitrate: Max.: Undefined
   Average: 16.3 Mbps
   Min.: Undefined
- Frame rate (fps): Max.: ---
   Average: 25.000
   Min.: ---
- Bitrate mode: Variable
- Encoding profile: Undefined
- Resolution: Undefined
- Width (Pixel number): 718
- Height (Pixel number): 388
- Pixel Aspect Ratio: 8:9
- Display aspect ratio: 1436:873
- Chroma subsampling format: YUV420p
- TV standard: Undefined
- Interlacing: Undefined
- Encoding library: Undefined
- Additional Parameters: Bits/(Pixel*Frame) ratio: 2.336

*** Audio Track(s) Parameters ***
- Format: AAC - MPEG-4 audio
- Size: 2.29 MiB (1%)
- FourCC: MP4A
- Number(s) and language(s): 2: English
- Details: -
- Profile: Low Complexity
- Bitrate: 160 Kbps
- Bitrate mode: Variable
- Resolution: 16 bits
- Rate: 48.0 KHz
- Channel(s): 2 (stereo)
- Position: Left Right
- Encoding Library: Undefined
- Additional Parameters: Spectral Band Replication: No

*** Miscellaneous ***
- Subtitle(s): #1 : Apple text - English
- Metadata: Album: Undefined
   Part number:  Undefined
   Track name: Undefined
   Track name number:  Undefined
   Performer: Undefined
   Screenplayer/Writer: Undefined
   Genre: Undefined
   Encoded date: UTC 2008-10-25 16:59:58
   Comment: Undefined
   Album artist: Undefined
   Grouping: Undefined
   Copyright: Undefined

Hmm, I don't see the culprit in that report right now, but I don't know Logic since it switched to Apple, thus I don't know what video codecs and audio codecs it accepts.

Maybe have a go at my last recommendation (MPEG Streamclip > Command + E > ...)

 

[sazmobile]

I have converted it to both .mov and .avi using MPEG Streamclip, but neither worked.
Will keep trying things I guess, thanks for the help anyway!