There's nothing more frustrating than downloading a video or audio file to your phone, launching it in the Android player, and getting an "unable to open file" or "unsupported audio codec" error when you try to play it. So, how to solve the unsupported audio video file error on Android? Read on, we'll tell you our solution!
Before we get into the details, it's worth explaining why and how this error occurs. When it would seem that the same video file format is not supported, but another one plays perfectly! To do this, you need to understand what a codec and containers are.
How to play "unsupported media" on my smartphone?
As we said above, one of the most likely reasons why you are getting "cannot open file", "unsupported audio codec" or "unsupported video file error" is because your current media player does not support your file's codec. The simplest solution is to download a new media player.
VLC is one of the best and omnivorous media players. It supports almost any file format, can handle multiple audio tracks and subtitles!
VLC for AndroidDeveloper: VideolabsPrice: Free
Do you still have additional questions? Write them in the comments about what you did or vice versa!
That's all! Stay with the Android +1 , it will be even more interesting! Read more articles and instructions in the section Articles and Android Hacks .
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Question from a user
Hello.
Please tell me, my smartphone does not play some videos: both online and just from an SD card. I tried to watch these videos on my old phone - everything was OK with it.
I think maybe this is due to the fact that I have Android 9.0 on the new one, and 6.0 on the old one. What do you say?
Hello.
There is little introductory information (it would be nice to see a link to the video that is shown and which is not), and, by the way, most likely the Android version has nothing to do with it...
Most often, a problem with playback is observed due to a missing codec (with which the video is encoded), or due to incorrect browser settings (for example, when Flash Player is disabled). In general, be that as it may, below I will consider everything in order, where to start and how to check...?
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What is ac3 format?
AC3 is an audio format containing a multi-channel audio track. In total, up to 6 channels are supported, which allows you to record 5.1 surround sound and almost any modern player can work with it. Such an audio track can be inserted into a video sequence, and it also comes in the form of an independent sound recording.
It is important to note that it really makes sense to play files in this format if there is appropriate acoustics, since when using conventional speakers you will hear only two channels, and this neutralizes all the delights of the sound.
Causes of malfunction
Some time ago, after another update, MX player stopped supporting some codecs, like some other players, which is why audio in AC3 format stopped playing. This is due to the fact that AC3, DTS and MLP codecs can no longer be used for free by J2 Interactive developers due to licensing changes .
For a certain period of time, I had to search and download the AC3 codec for Android on third-party sites. And although it was easy to deal with this, the likelihood of ending up on an infected or simply malicious site was high. But now it’s absolutely safe and free to download the required element directly from Google Play .
Alternative way to solve the problem
If for some reason the installation according to the instructions from the first method was unsuccessful, and the error “this ac3 audio format is not supported” still appears, there is another way to resolve the situation. In our case, the phone refused to carry out the installation without explanation, this happens, although rarely. Therefore, we will continue to work with a computer.
Knowing the name of the CPU type, you should go to forum.xda-developers.com.
Find and download the required file there. To do this, click on it and in the new window click on the green button that appears.
The downloaded file is dropped into any folder on Android. There is no need to unzip anything.
Launching the player most often starts the automatic installation of codecs , but sometimes a request from the application for permission is possible. Click OK and restart the application.
It is extremely rare, but it happens that you have to recognize the decoder manually. To do this, again in the player you will need to go along the path Options - Settings - Decoder. And click on the line “ Custom codec ”.
Select the path to the downloaded file.
And the player itself will install and make the necessary changes to the application.
How to fix the error and make ac3 play?
First of all, let's figure out what codecs are and for what purposes they are needed. A codec is a small program designed to compress and decompress multimedia files. Most codecs are presented not as a separate application, but as a library that interacts with some kind of multimedia player. Since a codec is needed to repackage multimedia data, naturally, if it is not available, the player you are using simply cannot decrypt the necessary data, which manifests itself in the form of missing sound or image (if we are talking about video codecs). This problem can be found not only with MXPlayer, but also with other players. Conclusion: the task comes down to taking this very missing component somewhere and indicating to the player that it is necessary to use it.
Initial decoder check
So, AC3 MX Player is not supported. What to do? First of all, you need to open the player itself and enter the settings menu (options button in the upper right corner).
In the menu that appears, you need to select the “Decoder” line, scroll through the list to the very bottom and look at the item indicating the custom codec.
Typically this is ARMv7 NEON (although another option may be specified). Several modifications of the codec itself are available for different versions of MX Player. As a rule, these are NEON, Tegra 2, Tegra 3 and x86. Please note that for player versions 1.8.6 and higher, all similar codec modifications are marked with a “+” sign. However, if you determine the required codec in the player, it will be extremely difficult to make a mistake when loading.
Why do I get the "This audio format (AC3) is not supported" error?
The problem that AC3 is not supported by MX Player is not technical, but legal. There have been certain changes in codec licensing agreements, and from a certain point some of them became paid. This led to this functionality being excluded from freely distributed players. This is exactly what happened with AC3. The difficulty was further aggravated by the fact that GooglePlay will not be able to download it (the codec), even if you are willing to pay - a separate paid version is simply not released. But despite such difficulties, getting the player to work as it should is still not difficult. Read below to find out how to do this...
Main features of MX Player apk for Android
- Hardware and software decoding
- Multi-core decoding
- Zoom and Pan features allow you to easily zoom in and out by swiping your fingers across the screen
- Supports multiple subtitle formats
- Gesture support for subtitles - scroll forward/backward to move to next/previous text, up/down to move text accordingly, zoom in/out to change text size
- Lock your screen so you don't have to worry about making random calls or launching other apps
If you have no sound during playback and the message “This audio format (AC3) is not supported” appears, then you need to download ac3 codecs for MX Player from our website. Then go to the player menu: Settings -> Decoder -> Custom codec and select the downloaded file (no need to unpack it).
The player will automatically install the codec required for your device. Please note that for older devices built on ARMv6 architecture processors, you must download version 1.7.39, because newer versions for the ARMv7 architecture will not work.
Version: 2.17.0 Developer: J2 Interactive Official website: J2 Interactive Google Play page
Codecs for Android free download . One of the problems with Unix-based operating systems (both desktop and mobile) is the correct decoding of multimedia. On Android, this procedure is further complicated by the enormous variety of processors and the instructions they support. Developers cope with this problem by releasing separate codec components for their players.
Content:
Specific codec for a number of reasons. The ARMv7 typology today represents the penultimate generation of processors, however, internally, processors of this architecture differ in a number of ways - for example, the instruction set and the type of cores. The choice of codec for the player depends on this.
Actually, this codec is intended primarily for devices with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor (for example, Motorola Atrix 4G smartphones or Samsung GT-P7500 Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet). This processor is notorious for its HD video playback problems, and this codec for MX Player will help solve them. Naturally, you will need to install MX Player itself. In rare cases, the codec may not be compatible with the device, so keep this in mind.
Download MX Player codec (ARMv7)
Essentially, it contains the above video decoding software plus components that support NEON instructions, which are more productive and energy efficient. As a rule, for devices that support NEON, installation of additional codecs is not required.
Versions of EmX Player that are not installed from the Google Play Store often do not have this functionality - in this case, the components must be downloaded and installed separately. Some devices with rare processors (for example, Broadcom or TI OMAP) require manual installation of codecs. But again, this is not required for most devices.
Download MX Player codec (ARMv7 NEON)
Most modern mobile devices are based on processors based on ARM architecture, but some manufacturers are experimenting with predominantly desktop x86 architecture. The only manufacturer of such processors is Intel, whose products have been installed in ASUS smartphones and tablets for a long time.
Accordingly, this codec is intended mainly for such devices. Without going into details, we note that the operation of Android on such CPUs is very specific, and the user will be forced to install the appropriate player component so that it can play videos correctly. Sometimes it may be necessary to manually configure the codec, but this is a topic for a separate article.
Download MX Player codec (x86)
Unlike those described above, this set of encoding and decoding instructions is designed for the DDB2 audio player and includes components for working with formats such as APE, ALAC and a number of less common audio formats, including network broadcasting.
This pack of codecs is also distinguished by the reasons for its absence in the main application - they are not in DDB2 in order to satisfy the requirements of the GPL license, under which applications are distributed on the Google Play Store. However, playback of some heavy formats is still not guaranteed even if this component is present.
Download DDB2 Codec Pack
Both a player and a codec capable of playing audio files and movie soundtracks in AC3 format. The application itself can function as a video player, and thanks to the included decoding components, it is distinguished by its “omnivorous” formats.
- Smartphones with aptx support
As a video player, the application is a “nothing extra” solution, and can only be interesting as a replacement for usually low-functional stock players. As a rule, it works correctly with most devices, but problems may occur on some devices - primarily, this applies to machines with specific processors.
Download AC3 Codec
Android differs in many ways from Windows in terms of working with multimedia - most formats will be read, as they say, “out of the box”. The need for codecs appears only in the case of non-standard hardware or player version.
Many users of mobile devices running the Android operating system consider the MX Player software player to be one of the best, since it is distinguished by its ease of interface and use, as well as high-quality sound and video parameters. But recently, when I try to play videos, I get an error saying that MX Player does not support the AC3 audio format. This confuses many people. However, this problem can be solved with one simple method, which will be discussed further. But first, a little background.
