iPhone Media Issues

[XindlBanton]

Hi everyone!

Ever since a recent update on my iPhone 11 pro Max I have nothing but trouble with the damn thing. First, it wouldn't backup anymore -which I solved in the meantime, then the Cover-Art would be all over the place, which seems to be a common issue and the cherry on top is, that it won't play some TV shows I have locally stored in my TV App Library on my iMac. My Apple TV 3 however plays them fine.

Doesn't matter if I try it by shared library over WiFi, or if actually copy the files on my phone with the TV App. While "One Punch Man" runs smoothly, Rick and Morty refuses to play. I have tons of TV Shows on my hdd and I can't find no rhyme or reason as far as what's the difference between those that work and those that don't.

I since updated both, the iMac and the iPhone to the newest FW, I have wiped my phone clean and installed from a backup - no success.

When I start an episode of one of the not working shows, I see the picture for a flash of a second and then an error message pops up. I don't know the english equivalent for the message (I'm from Austria, so mine is german) but it says something in likes of "A problem occurred loading the content"

This is driving me nuts - what happened to apple? The Cover-Art issue seems to be on and off since good old iPhone 3G times and I think it's not too much to ask for a 1400€ device to play an MP4 file.

If anyone has any help at this point I'd be ever so grateful. Save me from the nuthouse, guys!

XB

 

[usagora]

Just to clarify, the videos you are not able to play - were you able to play those exact videos successfully on this phone prior to the most recent iOS software update?

I found this thread where several were saying it was a regional setting causing a similar message on Apple TV - maybe it's the same issue with the phone?

Apple TV 2 "Beim Laden dieses Inhalts ist… - Apple Community

communities.apple.com

 

[XindlBanton]

I never had all of them on the phone - but for some of them I know for a fact that I‘ve watched them before on the phone. I also don‘t think it‘s a codec related issue since my ATV 3 plays everything fine.

 

[usagora]

That's very odd. I do have a newer iPhone (SE 2020) but don't use it for watching movies, so I wouldn't know if mine would have similar issues. You might try contacting Apple Support in Austria 0800 220325

 

[XindlBanton]

Now here's a fun update:

I've spent over 2 hours on the phone with Apple support. Not really talking much - mostly listening to bad music while being forwarded from one person to another and in the end someone told me that I can basically screw myself, since I've ripped my TV Shows from my own blurays. He actually told me I could get Apple TV+ then could help me, but as far as files on my phone go, it's not his business. If I don't get this fixed, if can't watch my own locally stored library because I didn't buy it on iTunes (I like having a physical copy) this phone is going on sale right away. Playing an mp4 file is obviously not part of support anymore - it either works or not, an if it doesn't, well, sucks to be you.

 

[usagora]

Well, I totally get where you're coming from, but technically ripping copy-protected content like DVD or Blu-ray, even if you own the disc, is illegal, so even though tons of people do it, I would guess Apple Support's hands are legally tied in this matter. In other words, they can't assist you with playing what is technically an illegal copy of a movie.

 

[XindlBanton]

Well, first of all, in Austria it is perfectly legal to make copies of media you own. Whenever you buy something that is any form of storage, you have to pay a thing that's called "Festplattenabgabe". This money goes to media firms as a compensation for the copy you made. That was the case back in the day if you bought an empty cassette and it is still the case if you buy an iPhone today. So, it's not illegal, and I even had to pay for it.

Also, no matter the content of a video file, if the official spec sheet from Apple says it will play mp4 files with a certain video codec and a specific audio codec, and then it doesn't, well that's most definitely a support issue.

As for my problem - i will try to strip one of the non-working files from all it's metadata and try if it plays then. Keep you posted.

 

[usagora]

I guess you would know better than I. Not sure how that works, since they don't know if you will make a copy and how many copies you would make. There has to be more to the story either on that end or Apple's. You're probably not in the mood at this point, but maybe in a few days try Apple back and double-down on your insistence or a logical explanation of why they can't support something perfectly legal. I doubt they just decided they didn't like you, so there has to be something else going on here.

 

[XindlBanton]

It‘s actually not that complicated. Whenever you buy something you could potentially make a copy with, or more specifically hold a copy on, you pay for that potential copy in advance and in relation to the price you pay for let’s say an hdd and the size of the storage on that medium.
If you don‘t have any copies on it, say you only store your personal photos you can get that money back from the state - but in reality no one ever does.

I think - judging by the accent the Apple tech had - the support is located in Germany - different country, probably different laws - don’t know, don’t care.

But with all that being said - in my opinion the content of the file is non of apple’s business. No matter of it‘s the filthiest porn, a short clip I made of my daughter, an illegally downloaded movie or legally ripped one - if the file format is correct, it should play and it doesn‘t whether or not it‘s legal is between me and the jurisdiction and Apple can rat me out if they so choose.

Maybe I get to a local Apple Store and talk to them if everything else fails.

 

[usagora]

If I were you, I'd download some random YouTube videos in mp4 format and see if any of those gives you an issue. I'm wondering if it's something in the ripped file itself that for some reason is flagging it as non-playable in your iPhone but not elsewhere. Perhaps try uploading one of your problem videos to YouTube as an unlisted video, then download it from YouTube and see if it plays then on your phone. That way it won't be identical to the original file (file hash).

 

[XindlBanton]

That youtube method would't have gotten me anywhere since I would have had no way of knowing what parameters changed when uploading/downloading said video.

But guess what, after hours of encoding to various formats I actually figured it out. The problem occurs when a Video has only 5.1 Sound encoded. Though AAC is supported it will no longer playback videos that have an aac 5.1 audio stream, which used to work earlier. I'm not sure, if this is a bug, but I guess it is.

Also if you encode a video with two aac streams, one stereo and one 5.1 it works.

Quite the bummer, since I'm not really willing to re-encode 5TB of library.

Also, in the process I stumbled on another bug with the MacOS TV App, but that might be a topic or a whole new thread.

 

[usagora]

I was suggesting the "YouTube" method as perhaps a way to get a playable file, not solve the mystery. But I'm glad you've solved it anyway!