Forum Discussion

AllyPally12's avatar
AllyPally12
Newbie
2 years ago
Solved

Roku media player not playing MP4 files from external harddrive connected via USB

When trying to play a movie in MP4 format on my external harddrive connected to the TV via USB port, the Roku media player will list out the files, but when I try play the video, I get this error message -

File Not Playable 

Network error. This could be caused by any of the following problems:

1 The server is down or unresponsive 

2 The server is unreachable 

3 There is a network setup issue on the client.

Why is it telling me about network and server issues when I'm trying to play something connected via USB and how do I get the movies to play?

This drive is regularly used to play movies in this way on my other Polaroid (not Roku) TV

 

app support
  • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
    RokuEmmanuel-D
    2 years ago

    Hi, AllyPally12.

    A warmest welcome here in the Roku Community!

    We understand you're having issues playing movie through an external drive via USB. We're happy to provide information.

    Encountering this type of issue might be caused by several problems. You may want to check the following to isolate the problem you're experiencing:

    1. Make sure that you added the Roku Media Player to the Streaming Store. Roku Media Player allows you to watch personal videos, listen to music, and view photos using the USB port on your Roku device or by accessing a media server on your local network.
    2. Also, try checking if your Media File is compatible to play on your Roku device.

    You might check it out here...

    The following file formats are supported:

    • Video – H.264/AVC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV)
    • Audio – AAC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV); MP3(.MP3, .MKV); FLAC (.FLAC, .MKV), PCM (.WAV, .MKV, .MP4, .MOV), AC3/EAC3 (.MKV,.MP4. .MOV, .AC3), DTS (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV,.DTS), ALAC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV, .M4A), Vorbis (.OGG,.MKV,.WEBM)
    • Playlists –.M3U, .M3U8, .PLS
    • Image – JPG, PNG, GIF (non-animated)

    The following media formats are supported on Roku devices that support 4K

    • 4K Video – H.265/HEVC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV); VP9 (.MKV, .WEBM) and AV1 (.MKV, MP4) on some Roku devices.
    • 4K Video – H.264 (Roku Premiere, Premiere+, and Ultra only)

    The following media formats are supported on Roku devices that support 8K

    • 8K Video – AV1 (.MKV, MP4) and H.265/HEVC (.MKV, .MP4)

    The following media formats are supported on Roku TV systems and some Roku streaming players

    • Video – H.262 (.MKV)

    Note: 

    • The Roku Media Player app will not display unsupported file types or files it has determined cannot be played by your Roku device. DRM-protected content is not supported.

    For more information about playing content on Roku Media Player via USB, see How to use Roku Media Player to play your videos, music, and photos.

    Let us know how this works.

    All the best,
    Emman

45 Replies

  • SpezmanNJ's avatar
    SpezmanNJ
    Reel Rookie
    22 days ago

    the solution posted is not enough.  there seems to be issues on the how the audio is encoded. I can't provide exact details but do know our newer Roku can decide 5.1 or more audio channels and mux them down to stereo if needed while the older Roku can not.  Is this because of the connected TV or is it actually the Roku device itself?

    what's odd is that our new or Roku has some issues with 7.1 audio, but if I launch the LG TV media player, that media player can play the same file that the Roku device cannot. By saying play, I mean that the audio will not play on the Roku but the audio will play on the LG media player.

    • perzaklie's avatar
      perzaklie
      Streaming Star
      22 days ago

      I have no audio problem. I have video issue. Audio plays, screen is black on some files, other will Roku displays a message that  File Not Playable  The codec used to compress the video is not supported. Strange that every single video I have on that USB drive was encoded with the same software program with the EXACT same setting, yet Roku will play some and not others. I am re-encoding them all with Handbrake so I will not have this issue in the future. I only wish Roku would address this issue properly as, according to the posts I have found, has been ongoing for quite a long time. Sad, it is.

  • atc98092's avatar
    atc98092
    Community Streaming Expert
    22 days ago

    Oh yeah, Handbrake can resolve any playback issues. But it’s time consuming, although with some scripting knowledge one could automate the conversion of multiple files. Using a media server is (what I consider) the simplest solution for multiple files. An additional benefit of a media server is it supports playing media on multiple devices at the same time. 

    • perzaklie's avatar
      perzaklie
      Streaming Star
      22 days ago

      No script needed to convert multiple files. Simply move the ones you want converted to a folder and import that folder into Handbrake. Each to his own. I will convert needed files as a batch.

      • atc98092's avatar
        atc98092
        Community Streaming Expert
        22 days ago

        Yep, if all the files are the same type and you want the same output, that works great. Glad you found what works for you.

  • atc98092's avatar
    atc98092
    Community Streaming Expert
    24 days ago

    For users that experience issues with playing media from a directly connected drive, I suggest trying a DLNA server on a computer on your network. There are many available, most are free, and any unplayable file will be transcoded on the fly to something supported by Roku.

    My preference is Serviio, which can be installed on Windows, Mac, Linux and several NAS server devices. Disclaimer: I am the author of the Roku profiles that are included in Serviio, but I am not an employee and receive no pay from them. I simply think it's one of the best DLNA servers out there.

    There's also several media server products that offer an app for Roku devices that look and work far better than RMP. The most popular is Plex, but Emby and Jellyfin also work well for Roku devices. Again, every one I've mentioned is free, although there are paid upgrades available but are not needed for basic home use. If you travel often, Plex is the smart choice, as I've connected to my Plex server using several different Roku players that I connect to the hotel TV and network. 

  • perzaklie's avatar
    perzaklie
    Streaming Star
    24 days ago

    I have a similar problem with Roku Media Player. I have two movies over 5Gb in size on my external USB drive. I get an error that they cannot be played due to codec. The are both in mp4 format. I have lots of other files in mp4 on the same drive that play just fine. Only the large ones won't play. I tried re-encoding them to mkv and they will play audio only, no picture. I used two different encoding software programs and the problem is the same. Why will these large files not play?

    • RokuRhea-V's avatar
      RokuRhea-V
      Community Moderator
      23 days ago

      Heyperzaklie​,

      Thanks for sharing your issue!

      MP4 is a file type that holds various video and audio formats. Roku supports specific formats within MP4 and MKV. Large files like HEVC or uncommon audio formats can cause errors. For audio-only files in MKV or MP4, Roku may play the audio but not the video if it can't decode the video codec.

      For more info, visit here

      I hope this helps!

      Roku Community Team

      • perzaklie's avatar
        perzaklie
        Streaming Star
        23 days ago

        I told you I would find a work-around! And I did. It's just a shame that I had to do something Roku should have done in the first place. An old gray haired 80 yo way out in the sticks with no formal education, no technical expertise, with an old home built PC and a wee bit of common sense. Shame on Roku!

        Oh, and the most profound statement on RokuEmmanuel-D post above: The Roku Media Player app will not display unsupported file types or files it has determined cannot be played by your Roku device. LMAO!

  • Amelia3's avatar
    Amelia3
    Binge Watcher
    6 months ago

    Roku Media Player has NO SOUND on some MP4s
    General Playback - NO AUDIO

    Uses Sony TV SPEAKERS only - no other sound system.

    Roku Media Player accessed via USB Ext device

    Tried suggestions on

    y o u t u b e    1 E s K z I p A X m Y
    All Roku TV's: No Sound or Audio? FIXED!

    Suggestions on reset TV audio/picture setting didn't exist on this model ROKU only factory reset everything was available

    Model 4660RW Roku Ultra
    Serial  YJ00GL320138 (CS48CG320138)
     14.1.4 - Build 7709-46
     Version 12.11.13

    Issue ID 38-057-461

    Status Connected to a Spectrum 5G Wireless
    Signal Strength Excellent

    Wireless MAC address C8 3A 6B E5 70 E4

     
    • AvsGunnar's avatar
      AvsGunnar
      Community Streaming Expert
      6 months ago

      Amelia3 

      I haven't run into this audio issue on my 4660 with any MP4, but I have run into it using some MKV files with AC3 codecs.

      When I encounter it, I just toggle the Volume Mode to another setting (usually to "Off" since I keep it on "Leveling").

      Try playing the video and then press the asterisk (*) button on the Roku Remote to bring up an Options menu.  Then select Volume Mode and choose "Off" or another Mode (you should see a spinning circle appear) and hopefully the audio will return. (if the audio returns, you can change it back to your volume mode preference and it will operate in that preferred mode until next time you load that video).

      Otherwise, you may just have to run these videos through a conversion process and re-encode them.

      I personally just use ffmpeg which allows for easy conversion and fixing audio tracks without the time needed for a full re-encode like Handbrake and others. (allows you to fix codec issues that may be present within the mkv or mp4 containers).

      • Amelia3's avatar
        Amelia3
        Binge Watcher
        6 months ago

        Thank you for your suggestions.

        I tried launching the video, pressing the * options button -  selecting the Volume mode  and changed it from night mode to off, (didn't see the spinning circle) went back to video - no change, then changed volume back to 'Leveling'  (instead of night)

        I then used VLC to identify the AUDIO CODEC - decided not to use VLC for full conversion - takes too long.

        Using VideoSolo to do the conversion.   

        Hopefully  ROKU will find a solution to this problem soon  --  as I have many MP4s that won't play Audio on my neighbors Model 4660RW Roku Ultra - who I am helping with this.  My newer ROKU model 4800X does not have this problem

         

         

  • RokuEmmanuel-D's avatar
    RokuEmmanuel-D
    Community Moderator
    2 years ago

    Hi, AllyPally12.

    A warmest welcome here in the Roku Community!

    We understand you're having issues playing movie through an external drive via USB. We're happy to provide information.

    Encountering this type of issue might be caused by several problems. You may want to check the following to isolate the problem you're experiencing:

    1. Make sure that you added the Roku Media Player to the Streaming Store. Roku Media Player allows you to watch personal videos, listen to music, and view photos using the USB port on your Roku device or by accessing a media server on your local network.
    2. Also, try checking if your Media File is compatible to play on your Roku device.

    You might check it out here...

    The following file formats are supported:

    • Video – H.264/AVC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV)
    • Audio – AAC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV); MP3(.MP3, .MKV); FLAC (.FLAC, .MKV), PCM (.WAV, .MKV, .MP4, .MOV), AC3/EAC3 (.MKV,.MP4. .MOV, .AC3), DTS (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV,.DTS), ALAC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV, .M4A), Vorbis (.OGG,.MKV,.WEBM)
    • Playlists –.M3U, .M3U8, .PLS
    • Image – JPG, PNG, GIF (non-animated)

    The following media formats are supported on Roku devices that support 4K

    • 4K Video – H.265/HEVC (.MKV, .MP4, .MOV); VP9 (.MKV, .WEBM) and AV1 (.MKV, MP4) on some Roku devices.
    • 4K Video – H.264 (Roku Premiere, Premiere+, and Ultra only)

    The following media formats are supported on Roku devices that support 8K

    • 8K Video – AV1 (.MKV, MP4) and H.265/HEVC (.MKV, .MP4)

    The following media formats are supported on Roku TV systems and some Roku streaming players

    • Video – H.262 (.MKV)

    Note: 

    • The Roku Media Player app will not display unsupported file types or files it has determined cannot be played by your Roku device. DRM-protected content is not supported.

    For more information about playing content on Roku Media Player via USB, see How to use Roku Media Player to play your videos, music, and photos.

    Let us know how this works.

    All the best,
    Emman

    • perzaklie's avatar
      perzaklie
      Streaming Star
      24 days ago

      I have a similar problem with Roku Media Player. I have two movies over 5Gb in size on my external USB drive. I get an error that they cannot be played due to codec. The are both in mp4 format. I have lots of other files in mp4 on the same drive that play just fine. Only the large ones won't play. I tried re-encoding them to mkv and they will play audio only, no picture. I used two different encoding software programs and the problem is the same. Why will these large files not play?

      • atc98092's avatar
        atc98092
        Community Streaming Expert
        24 days ago

        perzaklie​ Same question as asked before. MP4 is a container, and within that container is the audio and video codecs. You need to tell us what codecs are within the container. The easiest program to use is called MediaInfo, and it can quickly provide the information we need to answer your issue. 

    • asSYSter's avatar
      asSYSter
      Newbie
      11 months ago

      Yes, I've checked all that and done all you've mentioned.  But neither my usb drive (tried low capacity, early versions of usb drives, some even reformated) and my external hard drive via usb.  I've read in some documentation that when a usb drive is inserted there will be a pop-up notification.  Not only is there no popup as far as I can tell it doesn't even recognize the usb device nor does it allow me to search for it.