iOS 14.1 not displaying mp4 videos, only plays the audio.

hans_s

Member
Upgraded iPhone XR iOS from 13.7 to 14. Noticed that in the TV app all videos that are mp4 play audio only and the video stays as a blank black screen. Same thing after updating to 14.1 when it came out the very next day. Everything worked fine with 13.7. Backed off from updating iPadOS at this time. The videos still work fine on the iPad with 13.7.

I had mentioned this to Chas at the Sidney SIG and he had suggested I put it on the forum. This is the first chance I got to do so. I haven't tried just changing the name of the file to 'xyz.m4v' and reload to the iPhone because as soon as I hook the phone to my Mac it'll overwrite my last good backup with iOS 13 with this troubled one ... and to be honest it's been a long time since I loaded a video to the phone from my Mac, I'd have to reacquaint myself with the process.

Anyone else with same issue? Any other suggestions? Thanks.
 

chas_m

Well-Known Member
I just checked the videos in my TV app (all purchased from iTunes) and they all play fine (sound/video). What type of MP4 files are they? Where did they come from?

If they are your own original videos, they should probably be in the Photos apps rather than the TV app. All my personal videos in the Photos app play fine as well.
 

hans_s

Member
Hi Chas. Thanks for the quick response.

All these videos(working & not working ones) are in my iTunes Library:
Home/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Home Videos
Home/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Movies

I am running Mojave and still cable connect my iPhone to my PowerBook and use iTunes for backup & syncing.
I never put these videos in the TV app. They went there automagically when the TV app replaced the Videos app.

In total there are only 17 videos out of which 9 mp4 ones don't play video.
3 are under Movies and 6 under Home Videos.
2 of these mp4 videos were sent to me in emails and the other 7 I transferred from VHS tapes using SanDisk V-Mate video memory card recorder and ran them through "SmartConverter" to render them for iPhone or iPod.

This was all done before there was a TV app and all videos played from the Videos app. When an update left me wondering where all my videos went, I research and read an article on iMore that all my videos should automatically be under the TV app now as it had replaced the Videos app ... and sure enough they were and everything worked fine until I installed iOS 14. They are still working fine on my iPad under iPadOS 13.7.

I suppose I can try and find the original files and render them as Quick Time movies but even for one of these videos it will take a few hours. I am sure that may work but the question still remains ... why doesn't it work now in iOS 14? The iPad gets the same files from iTunes and it works with iOS 13.7 and previous. Thanks.
 

chas_m

Well-Known Member
Your report makes me think it's a bug, and if so be sure to report it to Apple and wait for an update (there's already been one, and I'm sure more are coming).
 
Top