4

My attempts to get it to work with gnome video (Totem) fail due to a missing decoder:

$ xdg-open some.mp4

The error message displayed is:

meta/x-gst-fourcc-mett decoder is required to play the file, but is not installed

Clicking "Find in Ubuntu software" in the popup launches gstreamer-codec-install in a background process which never completes.

I can play the video successfully with gst-play-1.0:

$ gst-play-1.0 some.mp4
Press 'k' to see a list of keyboard shortcuts.
Now playing /home/holmanb/Pictures/Brett's Pixel 6a/.trashed-1720475084-PXL_20240608_205818135.TS.mp4
Redistribute latency...
Redistribute latency...
Redistribute latency...
Redistribute latency...     
0:00:00.5 / 0:00:00.5       
Reached end of play list.

I can play the video successfully with ffplay:

ffplay version 6.1.1-3ubuntu5 Copyright (c) 2003-2023 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 13 (Ubuntu 13.2.0-23ubuntu3)
  configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=3ubuntu5 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --arch=amd64 --enable-gpl --disable-stripping --disable-omx --enable-gnutls --enable-libaom --enable-libass --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libcodec2 --enable-libdav1d --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libglslang --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-librubberband --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg --enable-openal --enable-opencl --enable-opengl --disable-sndio --enable-libvpl --disable-libmfx --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 --enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-ladspa --enable-libbluray --enable-libjack --enable-libpulse --enable-librabbitmq --enable-librist --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libx264 --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi --enable-lv2 --enable-sdl2 --enable-libplacebo --enable-librav1e --enable-pocketsphinx --enable-librsvg --enable-libjxl --enable-shared
  WARNING: library configuration mismatch
  avcodec     configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=3ubuntu5 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --arch=amd64 --enable-gpl --disable-stripping --disable-omx --enable-gnutls --enable-libaom --enable-libass --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libcodec2 --enable-libdav1d --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libglslang --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-librubberband --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg --enable-openal --enable-opencl --enable-opengl --disable-sndio --enable-libvpl --disable-libmfx --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 --enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-ladspa --enable-libbluray --enable-libjack --enable-libpulse --enable-librabbitmq --enable-librist --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libx264 --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi --enable-lv2 --enable-sdl2 --enable-libplacebo --enable-librav1e --enable-pocketsphinx --enable-librsvg --enable-libjxl --enable-shared --enable-version3 --disable-doc --disable-programs --disable-static --enable-libaribb24 --enable-libopencore_amrnb --enable-libopencore_amrwb --enable-libtesseract --enable-libvo_amrwbenc --enable-libsmbclient
  libavutil      58. 29.100 / 58. 29.100
  libavcodec     60. 31.102 / 60. 31.102
  libavformat    60. 16.100 / 60. 16.100
  libavdevice    60.  3.100 / 60.  3.100
  libavfilter     9. 12.100 /  9. 12.100
  libswscale      7.  5.100 /  7.  5.100
  libswresample   4. 12.100 /  4. 12.100
  libpostproc    57.  3.100 / 57.  3.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'some.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
    minor_version   : 131072
    compatible_brands: isomiso2mp41
    creation_time   : 2024-06-08T20:58:19.000000Z
    location        : +35.7165-105.9799/
    location-eng    : +35.7165-105.9799/
    com.android.manufacturer: Google
    com.android.model: Pixel 6a
    com.android.capture.fps: 30.000000
  Duration: 00:00:00.57, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 21413 kb/s
  Stream #0:0[0x1](eng): Data: none (mett / 0x7474656D), 22 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2024-06-08T20:58:19.000000Z
      handler_name    : MetaHandle
  Stream #0:1[0x2](eng): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 194 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2024-06-08T20:58:19.000000Z
      handler_name    : SoundHandle
      vendor_id       : [0][0][0][0]
  Stream #0:2[0x3](eng): Video: hevc (Main) (hvc1 / 0x31637668), yuvj420p(pc, bt709), 1920x1080, 21174 kb/s, SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9, 29.87 fps, 29.92 tbr, 90k tbn (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2024-06-08T20:58:19.000000Z
      handler_name    : VideoHandle
      vendor_id       : [0][0][0][0]

I'd like to play this video using Gnome video / Totem, but don't how (if it is possible) to make it use the codecs used by gst-play-1.0, ffplay or vlc.

I'm using the latest Ubuntu LTS release 24.04.

Possibly related bugs:

[1] similar scenario: "installer failed, video playback failed" -> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/totem/+bug/825741

[2] related scenario: "installer failed, video playback succeeded" -> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/totem/+bug/1962123

[3] issue with same codec -> https://forums.opensuse.org/t/codec-x-gst-fourcc-mett-required-to-play-google-mp4/170421/15

[4] I just filed this issue -> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/totem/+bug/2070804

1 Answers1

2

A reddit thread pointed me to this bug which had a useful comment:

If I click "cancel" to dismiss the dialog, then totem plays the video just fine.

It didn't appear that this worked, however on reading another comment:

Sometimes if I hit the cancel button in the Totem Dialog box it will play but typically I have to press the pause / play button several times.

If I spam the Play/Pause button enough times after canceling the dialogue window, I can indeed play the video.