MP4 File
MP4 file format or MPEG-4 Part 14 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4.
MP4 is based on ISO/IEC 14496-12:2004 (MPEG-4 Part 12: ISO base media file format) which is directly based upon Apple’s QuickTime container format. It is essentially identical to the MOV format, but formally specifies support for Initial Object Descriptors (IOD) and other MPEG features.
MP4 file format is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images. Like most modern container formats, MP4 allows streaming over the Internet. A separate hint track is used to include streaming information in the file. The official filename extension for MPEG-4 Part 14 files is .mp4, thus the container format is often referred to simply as MP4.
MP4 files (MPEG-4 Part 14) are multimedia files. MP4 is a container format that can store video, audio and subtitle data (as well as more depending on content). Since stores like iTunes uses this container format, and it is used with iPod and PlayStation Portable (PSP), MP4 files have become more common. This guide aims to show you how to play MP4 files on your computer on several different players using a variety of methods. To open MP4 files, please read and follow the entire article.
The Easiest Method
Download and install the VLC player. The VLC package already includes software to play MP4 files and supports decoding a lot of video and audio formats out of the box.
You can get VLC for Windows from this URL.
Click File and click the Open File option.
Now, click the Browse button next to the first white line at the top of the window with title Open.. and navigate through your hard drive for the video you wish to watch and select it. After you have selected the video, click OK and VLC will start playing the video you chose.
For other Operating Systems...
Mac: http://www.afterdawn.com/software/alternative_platforms/mac_software/vlc_for_mac.cfm
Linux: http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/video_players/vlc_linux.cfm
Recommended Solution
This is a bit more of a manual method but is beneficial to know about and will add support for MP4 files to Windows Media Player and other software. Firstly, you need to install the Haali Media Splitter, this is additional software that will automatically run when Windows Media Player or likewise encounters an MP4 file.
Install Haali Media Splitter
Step 1
Download Haali Media Splitter by clicking Here.
Step 2
Run the Haali Media Splitter installer. The first thing you will need to do is accept the license agreement of the software. Click I Agree, and you will be asked to select a destination folder. The default is fine so click Next and you will be asked to specify a Start Menu folder, again, the default is fine so click Next. Now you have come to the options (as the picture shows).
Make sure that the Enable MP4 support option is selected and click Install. It should only take a few seconds before it is complete. Now, Windows Media Player has the ability to open MP4 files, now we need to provide support for the video and audio information in the files to ensure playback.
Install and configure FFDShow
Step 1
The obvious and vital first step is to download FFDShow by clicking Here.
Step 2
Now you have to install FFDShow on your Windows operating system (the OS used in this example is XP Pro). Run the installer. Select your language and click Next. Now you must accept the license agreement of FFDShow; select I accept the agreement and click Next. Now you can choose an install directory (default is fine) and click Next again. You are now on the Select Components screen; VfW Interface should be selected by default, but if it is not, then please select it as shown.
Click Next and select a start menu folder (default is perfectly fine again), Click Next again and now you reach the Select Additional Tasks screen.
It is important now that you ensure that under Decode the following video formats with ffdshow, H.264 / AVC, DivX, and XviD options are selected. Scroll down further until you reach Decode the following audio formats with ffdshow and just ensure that AAC is selected (these settings are usually default) and also selecting MP3 won't do any harm. When you click Next, you will come to a Management of compatibility issues screen.
It is recommended to leave the option to use FFDShow for video only with the programs listed beneath to prevent any compatibility problems with other software. Media Player Classic and Windows Media Player will be in here. Click Next and you will get the same screen again, this time for audio. Click Next and select your speaker setup (if you only have 2 speakers, its stereo). Click Next again and then Install.
When the installation is finished, your playback software will now be able to decode video and audio stored within MP4 files. Try playing them now in Windows Media Player or Media Player Classic. If you suspect your file should have subtitles, then play it with Windows Media Player and keep an eye on the small application icons to the right of your taskbar. When the file begins to play with WMP, you will see the Haali Media Splitter icon show up. Right click it to see if any subtitles are available.
To play with Windows Media Player, right click the MP4 file and go to Open With and then the Choose Program option. From the list, select Windows Media Player.
Another Option
After you have installed the Haali Media Splitter you can hunt down individual decoders and install them if you want. Some users promote the use of codec packs. Codec packs are big collections of video codecs. At first sight they can appear very useful, as they will install enough codecs to decode just about any video files you can get online. However, they have also been known to cause problems with playback too.
Still though, if you prefer to install a codec pack instead of using FFDShow, then here are some of your options.
The easiest way to play back MP4/H.264 files is to use the VLC (VideoLAN) player. You can find VLC downloads for various operating systems.. The problem with using VLC is that is isn’t the most efficient, and it does not work with certain MP4/H.264 files.
The method described here uses a codec pack called K-Lite Codecs Pack to install all the required software for MP4/H.264 playback, as well as playback of virtually every other video format. Some people do not prefer to use codec packs because, while simple to install, they can interfere with your existing setup and causing other problems. So if you don’t want to install the K-Lite Codecs Pack, you can use one of the following guides to do it the “manual” way:
Enabling H.264 playback in Media Player Classic (and Windows Media Player) (Digital Digest)
How to play MP4 files (Afterdawn)
Step 1
Download and start the install for the K-Lite Codecs Pack (click to download the latest version). K-Lite’s install program might ask you to remove any existing codec and codec packs that might interfere with the set of software K-Lite will install – it is recommended that you follow K-Lite’s advice and uninstall them. When you get to the Select Components section of the install, select Profile 1: Default.
Step 2
Scroll down a bit until you see the H.264 option under DirectShow video filters section, select the checkbox and select ffdshow as the decoder to use.
Step 3
Press the Next button until you get to the Select Additional Tasks section of the install. Scroll down a bit to the Make Media Player Classic the default player for: section – select the formats you want Media Player Classic to play, otherwise deselect them to keep using you current media player to play them. Make sure the Matroska (.mkv, .mka) and the MP4 (.mp4, .hdmov) are selected if nothing else.
Step 4
Press Next again and then Install to start the installation. Once the installation finishes, you should now be able to play MP4/H.264 files (as well as MKV/H.264 files).
Step 5
You will now download and install the latest ffdshow (click to download the latest version) to ensure the latest H.264 playback support. Go along with the install until you reach the Select Additional Tasks section of the install. Ensure H.264 / AVC option is selected. Continue on with the install using the default options (you might want to change the Speaker Setup option and the latest ffdshow will be installed onto your system. Press Finish to close the installer and your MP4/H.264 files should now be ready to play – double click on them and they should open in Media Player Classic, ready for playback!
Many people are trying very hard to seek ways to play their favorite DVD movies on iPod, but they are not always so lucky. The following is a good way to convert DVD to iPod MP4.
Before we start, you have to include below software.
Besides, here are some things that would be nice but not required.
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Mac mini w/ HDTV and external HD
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iPod Video /w Dock
Step 1
Now, everything is ready, firstly download all the software listed above, for item 1&5 which need to be installed, install them. Then put your DVD in the DVD drive, run DVD Decrypter which we just now installed. Click Mode and check IFO, you will see a picture like below.
Step 2
Next click the Stream Processing tab. (Attention be paid to the red marked part.
Step 3
Uncheck all the boxes except for the video stream and the audio stream of your choice. Highlight each stream and click the demux radio button for each. Then click the dvd to HD icon on the left bottom.
Step 4
After it is done, open the folder that the files were ripped to.
Step 5
Rename the two files to Fantastic_4.m2v & Fantastic_4.AC3.
Step 6
Mux the two files back together into a single mpeg file. Run ImagoMPEG-Muxer.
Step 7
Click the select video sourcebutton. Select the m2v file. The audio file should be auto-loaded.
Click the radio button beside MPG (mpeg-2 program stream).
Click Multiplex.
After it finished multiplexing, close this window.
Now it's time to setup 3gp converter.
Open up the setup file.
This window will appear.
Step 8
Click the drop down box and select English.
Step 9
Next select the iPod option in the main list.
Step 10
Click apply button.
This window will appear.
Step 11
In the drop down box select the 600 kbps option.
Now drop muxed Mpeg file into the top window.
It will start converting automatically. if you have more files you can also drop them in the window, they will convert automatically one by one.
Then iTunes will launch and the file will be added to the library.
Delete the file from the libraryit's too soon for it to be in the library.
Next launch win-ap.
Step 12
Click browse and pick the fantastic_4.M4V file.
Step 13
Enter any info you want into the text boxes.
Select Movie from the drop down box.
Make sure Make backup is unchecked.
Next click Set.
A red progress bar will go across the window. after it is finished all the text boxes will clear.
Exit the program or tag other files you have created.
Now go back to iTunes and hit ctrl+O.
Open the new fantastic_4.m4v .
It should now appear in the itunes libraryexactly as it should.
Well that's it. You have successfully made a MP4 movie from DVD. Now you can play this fine movie on any iPod video or use the dock to connect it to the tv.
MP4 refers to MPEG-4 Part 14 or *.mp4, is a file format (also called container) specified as a part of the ISO/IEC MPEG-4 international standard. It is used to store media types defined by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group, and can be used to store other media types as well. Generally speaking, MP4 is most commonly used to store digital audio and digital video streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images.
This is a step by step guide to show you how to convert MP4 to DVD on Mac OS X.
Step1. Free Download MP4 to DVD Converter for Mac
DVD Discs supported: DVD–5 and DVD–9; DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, DVD-RAM.
Step2. Add MP4 Video Files
Add .mp4 files to Mac MP4 to DVD Convert by click Add button.
Step3. Edit MP4 Video
If you want to edit the video, you can select the mp4 video file by clicking on it, and click the Edit button, you can easily edit the MP4 video on your Mac. In addition, this Mac Mp4 to DVD Converter also allows you to preview your DVD project after editing, even you can add DVD menu to your DVD on Mac.
Step4. Start Burning
After you finish above 3 steps, you can click the Burn button to make burning settings, and then click Start to convert and burn MP4 files to DVD on your Mac.
GraphEdit works by designing a Compression Graph made up of filters. In this guide you will start with an AVI file that has been encoded with VirtualDub and 3ivx D4 4.5. The AVI file contains an MPEG-4 Video track as well as an Uncompressed stereo Audio track. It is also possible to have an AVI file with just the MPEG-4 Video and a seperate WAV or similar file with the Audio.
Step 1 - Open your AVI file
Drag your AVI file to the GraphEdit icon.
You should get a Graph similar to the one on the left. As you can see, the AVI file contains an MPEG-4 Video Track and an Uncompressed Audio Track.
Step 2 - Delete unwanted filtersDelete
Delete the filters that are not going to be used.
In this case delete everything after the AVI Splitter until your Graph looks similar to the one below.
Step 3 - Insert filters
Go to the Graph menu and choose Insert Filters.
Select the 3ivx D4 Audio Encoder and click Insert Filter. Repeat the same procedure for the 3ivx D4 Media Muxer and the File Writer in the DirectShow Filters section.
Set the File Writer to write an MP4 file. (e.g. c:test.mp4).
The Filter Graph should look similar to the Graph below.
Step 4 - Connecting
Right click on the first output pin from the AVI Splitter and choose render pin, repeat the same procedure for the second output pin.
Your Graph should look like the one below.
Right click on the 3ivx D4 Audio Encoder and configure its properties.
Hit Play, and when it is done you will have an MP4 file with MPEG-4 Video and MPEG-4 Audio.
