Question / Help Can't open videos for viewing

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Anonymous416

New Member
*NOTE* I'm sorry if a similar question was already posted. I did in fact, use the search engine and couldn't find anything related to this topic.

So I just downloaded OBS (Just so you know I'm a complete noob to any recording software) and after a couple minutes of messing with the settings I started to record. After making a test recording I opened the file to watch the video; by default it opened with "Windows Movie Maker" (Which is complete garbage lol) And as I expected it didn't work. It gave me a blank screen, but the bar on the bottom of the screen was moving, telling me that the video was being played. So I told it open with "Windows Media Player" Which I like, and use often. But it gave me this message...

"The selected file has an extension (.flv) that is not recognized by Windows
Media Player, but the Player may still be able to play it. Because the
extension is unknown by the Player, you should be sure that the file comes
from a trustworthy source.

Do you still want the Player to try to play this content?"

When I hit "yes" it gives me this message...

"Windows Media Player cannot play the file. The Player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file."



So I tried apple's Quicktime, and I got this error...

"Error -2048: Couldn't open the file 2014-10-08-1231-04.flv because it is not a file that QuickTime understands."

Now that I've explained what happened, how can I fix it?! Is there something in options that I need to do? Or is there a way I can convert my files so that Windows Media player and/or Quicktime can read it? I just want to watch my recorded videos, whether it's by converting files or switching to a new media source.

Any help is MUCH appreciated, thanks guys! (sorry for the long post lol)
 
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qhgf

Member
Unless you change the file output, the default format is flv or flash video file, which has the most compatibility for websites like YouTube and twitch. The downside is that most common programs cannot read the file format and/or edit it. The best video player that you can download for all file formats is VLC. If you are only recording I'd recommend changing save format to MP4 as it is much easier to use for local playback. The only downside to MP4 is that if your OBS crashes or you end your recording while frames are dropping the mp4 will corrupt and it will not be useable. And saying as though you can pretty much never drop frames while recording only I'd recommend it there.
 
achmetha

achmetha

Member
It won't convert your video, but from what you typed in the OP it sounds like you don't have the codecs required to playback x264 content on ur pc, so the audio plays, but no video. Installed x264vfw will allow u to do this and also edit your footage.

Also I'd recommend installing vlc x64 video player as well.
 
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Anonymous416

New Member
achmetha said:
It won't convert your video, but from what you typed in the OP it sounds like you don't have the codecs required to playback x264 content on ur pc, so the audio plays, but no video. Installed x264vfw will allow u to do this and also edit your footage.

Also I'd recommend installing vlc x64 video player as well.
Click to expand...

So is there a way I can convert my Codecs?
 
achmetha

achmetha

Member
Anonymous416 said:
So is there a way I can convert my Codecs?
Click to expand...
In OBS, you can only encode to x264 from what I know. You would either have to:

a) have a x264 codec installed in order to edit the video and change format in editing software
or
b) use another program to convert the format (I think you can do this in VLC? http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html)

But the bottom line is that OBS uses X264 natively, so you might as well have x264vfw installed on your PC anyway because that is the source format. If you change formats to say WMV or MPEG2, you will lose quality because the file itself has to be entirely re-encoded.

Best solution is to just install that codec, imo.
 
R

Ryan5923

New Member
i have the same problem and it still doesnt work and its really annoying, trying to record a lets play and i have to resort to bandicam -_-
 
Jack0r

Jack0r

The Helping Squad
Have you read this thread? The answers are right there.
Use VLC to watch the video or install the correct codecs you need. This topic is from 2014. Closed.
 
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