Error could not load video

Continuously getting an error message ‘Error in Loading Media: File Could Not Be Opened’ when trying to watch an online video on your web browser? Well, if it is so then you don’t have to worry anymore. I am saying so because, in this guide, I am going to share complete info regarding how to fix error loading media file could not be played and what actually causes this issue.

You can fix error could not load media by checking your internet connection, clearing browser cache & cookies, updating the browser, disabling the browser extensions, etc.

However, if you are unable to play your video due to file corruption, you can try the best Video Repair Tool. It will help you to repair corrupt videos and watch online videos without any disturbance.

But, before that, let’s know about ‘JWPlayer error loading media file cannot be played’ in detail.

The ‘error loading media file could not be played’ actually means that you’re trying to load a file in an unsupported video file format in the media player. The most common cause is the loading of a .mov or a .wmv video file format that does not use the H264 video codec.

Besides, there are some other reasons that can also result in the above-shown error on your browser when trying to play a video. They are as follows:

1. Weak or slow internet.
2. Due to excess cookies and cache data stored in the browser.
3. The Video file is corrupted itself.
4. Outdated version of a browser.

Now, let’s move ahead to know how to fix error loading media: (file could not be played) on Chrome or other browser and devices.

How To Fix Error Loading Media File Could Not Be Played?

Well, when it comes to fixing the error loading media file not found or unable to play video files, there are several ways that can be tried. But the best options that you can try are mentioned in the below section.

So, let’s try them one by one and check which one works in your case.

• #1: Check Your Internet Speed
• #2: Delete Cookies, Cache & Browser History
• #3: Update To The Latest Version Of the Browser
• #4: Turn Off Hardware Acceleration
• #5: Play Media Player In Incognito Mode
• #6: Disable Browser Extensions
• #7: Reset the Browser Settings
• #8: Try Different Video Player
• Ultimate Solution: Video Repair Tool

Method #1: Check Your Internet Speed

Fluctuation of network connection or unstable internet is the major factor behind can’t play online videos or videos playing in slow motion problem.

Hence, it might possible that a weak internet connection is responsible for the “error loading media: file could not be played” issue. So, make sure that your network has good strength before you try to play an online video.

If this way won’t help you to troubleshoot this error, then try the next one.

Method #2: Delete Cookies, Cache & Browser History

Cookies and cache are just a small piece of information that is stored in directory of the web browser to provide you with the best user experience. Internet browsers like Google Chrome or Internet Explorer stores cookies and cache to spend up the loading process.

But, as time passes by, these cookies and cache pile up in the PC creates issues like ‘error loading media file could not be played on Chrome’. So, it is important to clear the cookies and cache, and browsing history on a regular basis. To do so, you have to follow the below steps:

For PC Users

• First of all, you have to open Google Chrome and then access the action menu in the very top-right corner of the screen.
• Next, you have to go to the option More Tools and then select Clear browsing data.
• After this, you are required to select the tab ‘Basic’ and then use the drop-down menu near Time range just to select the option ‘All Time’.
• You can then check the box just next to Cookies and other site data and then next to Cached images and files. After this, simply hit the option ‘Clear Data’ in order to eliminate or delete the cookies and cached files in Google Chrome.

• After the process gets complete, you have to restart the Google Chrome and then tap the action menu.

For Android Users

• In the first step, you have to launch Google Chrome on the Android device and then simply tap the action menu
• Next, you have to go to Settings and then simply tap on Privacy.
• Now, you have to scroll all the way down and then tap on Clear Browsing Data.
• After this, you have to select the Basic tab and then set the Time Range option to All-time with the use of drop-down menu. Now, you have to check the boxes that are associated with cookies and site data and cached images and files. After this, you have to hit Clear Data to delete the items.

Also Read: Fix This Video File Cannot Be Played Error Code 224003 (2022 Guide)

Method #3: Update To The Latest Version Of the Browser

When you get an error loading media files could not be found issue appears in the browser then make sure that the browser you are using is up to date.

Here are the steps mentioned below individually for PC users and Android users. So, follow them and try to solve error loading media file could not be played Chrome.

How To Update Chrome Browser On PC

• First of all, you have to open Google Chrome and then click the three vertical dots on the very top-right corner of the toolbar. After this, you have to click Help and then go to About Google Chrome.
• If there is a new Chrome version available then you will simply see an option called ‘Update Google Chrome’ or else the Google Chrome is updated. You can see the Relaunch button and if there is any new update available then click on it to end the process.

• However, if you still get the error loading media file could not be found issue, just clear cookies and cached files and then simply play the media files easily.

How To Update Chrome Browser On Android Device

The browser installed on the Android device should update automatically when you have to turn on Auto-update apps in the Play Store settings.

However, you can also check if there is a new browser update available just to resolve error loading media file in Android devices. Here are the steps you can try to update the Chrome browser on an Android device:

• First of all, you have to open Play Store app on the Android device.
• Next, you have to tap Menu and then go to My apps & games option found at the top-left corner.
• After this, you have to find the browser under the Update
• Lastly, you have to tap Update.

Method #4: Turn Off Hardware Acceleration To Fix Error Loading Media File Could Not Be Played

Suppose if there is a problem with the media file you are playing then this could be because of reasons like hardware acceleration. However, when it is enabled, the hardware acceleration passes graphical intensive tasks within the browser so that it can make it perform better.

Well, it may happen because of the error ‘media file could not be played’ and so you have to disable it. This can help you to play the video file.

Steps to Disable Hardware Acceleration in Google Chrome

First of all, you have to click the option ‘Settings’ and then go to ‘Advanced’ on Google Chrome.

• Now, you have to toggle-off the option ‘Use hardware acceleration when available’ under Settings

That’s it….you have to do just these two steps to disable hardware acceleration in Chrome.

Method #5: Play Media Player In Incognito Mode 

We all know that incognito mode doesn’t store any cache or cookies and it automatically deleted the search and browsing histories.

So, to play media player in Incognito mode, you’ve to press ‘CTRL+SHIFT+ N’ keys together to go to the incognito mode. You can simply enter the website link and then play the video file without any hassle.

Method #6: Disable Browser Extensions

It might possible that the error loading media file could not be played has occurred because of browser extensions. So, you need to disable them as soon as possible.

However, you can check once if the error is causing due to browser extensions. For this, you have to open the video hosting website in Incognito Mode and then play the video.

But, if the video plays smoothly without causing any sort of error then it indicates that an extension was the actual reason for the error could not load media.

4 Easy Steps to Disable Extensions in Google Chrome

• First of all, you have to open Google Chrome and then click on the three vertical dots.
• Next, you have to click on the option ‘More Tools’ and then go to Extensions.
• After this, you can simply choose Remove or toggle-off each extension.
• Now, you have to simply close the window and then reopen the browser. You can then check if the media file could be played or not.

Method #7: Reset the Browser Settings

You can try to fix error loading media file could not be played Chrome is to reset the browser setting. If you clear browser settings then it might help to resolve Error loading media: File could not be played issue. However, when you reset the browser settings, all the extensions, Chrome settings as well as browser history will be removed.

So, here are the steps below:

• First of all, you have to open Chrome browser.
• Next, you have to click the three vertical dots shown on the very top-right portion of the screen.
• Now, after clicking that, you have to click there Settings and then go to Advanced.

• On the Windows PC, you will get this option under Reset and clean up.
• However, on Mac PC, this option will take place when you click Restore settings to their original defaults.

Method #8: Try Different Video Player

Sometimes, the media file that you want to play is not supported via video player and displays such errors, mainly JW player. Though according to the JW player, WMV and MOV video file does not use H264 codec, so it fails to load and play the file on the browser.

Maybe the file that you want to play is one of the MOV or WMV, that’s why you are unable to watch the online video with JW player. In such a case, you should download that video on your device & try to watch it in another media player.

Ultimate Solution: Video Repair Tool To Fix Videos Errors

After trying all the above fixes, if you’re unable to fix error loading media file could not be played, you can try another option. Yes… and the option is to try Video Repair Tool. This tool has the ability to fix any kind of error related to video files.

No matter what file format you are using because this tool repairs all video file formats error in no time. The best part is – it is available for Windows as well as Mac PCs. So, whatever OS you are using, you can fix your issue in any of these platforms easily.

Apart from this, video repair tool also:

• Fix unplayable, corrupted, damaged, inaccessible or broken video files
• Repair all video file formats like 3G2, MOV, MP4, WMV, FLV, M4V, MTS, AVCHD, F4V, etc
• Completely trustworthy tool
• User-friendly interface
• 100% safe, secure and easy to use

* Free version of this program only previews repaired videos.

Here is the step-by-step guide to follow to fix error could not load media.

Steps To Repair Video File Errors

Step 1: Download, install and launch Video Repair software on your system. Click on ‘Add Files‘ to add corrupted video files.

Step 2: Click on ‘Repair‘ button to begin the repairing process. This start repairing your added video files one by one.

Step 3: You can click on ‘Preview‘, in order to preview the repaired video file within the software and click on ‘Save Repaired Files‘ button to save the repaired videos at desired location.

How Do You Reset Google Chrome To Avoid Online Video Playing Errors?

To know how to reset Google Chrome to avoid getting video file errors, you have to follow the below steps:

• First of all, you have to click the menu icon that is found just next to the address bar.

• After this, you have to select Settings from the drop-down menu.

• Next, you have to scroll down to the Settings page and then click there the Advanced.
• After this, you have to scroll down to the page and then click there ‘Reset’ option.

• Lastly, you have to click the Reset button in the pop-up window.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Conclusion

I know it’s quite annoying to face an error loading media Android or PC issue no matter which browser you are using. However, you can try the aforesaid ways to resolve message error loading media file could not be played issue.

I hope after you try the above fixes, at least one of them will definitely work for you. Or, if you fail to do so then you can also try Video Repair Tool. This tool has the ability to fix all video repair related errors including this error could not load media.

So, all the very best to you…..

Video codecs are likely to cause this error

by Ivan Jenic

Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and… read more

Published on July 7, 2022

Fact checked by
Alex Serban

After moving away from the corporate work-style, Alex has found rewards in a lifestyle of constant analysis, team coordination and pestering his colleagues. Holding an MCSA Windows Server… read more

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Have you, at any point, encountered the media could not be loaded error while trying to watch a video on the Internet?

If so, you know just how frustrating it can be. The full message states that the media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.

Unsurprisingly, it’s usually associated with the Chrome browser. If you’re looking for a quick fix for the format is not supported error, this tutorial has you covered!

This isn’t the only error, and many reported that their browser does not support playback of this Twitch video, but we covered that in a separate guide.

This is a browser error and it occurs when you try to play multimedia files, such as videos. The error can be caused by server-side issues, but it can also be caused by your browser.

An outdated browser or certain extensions can prevent multimedia files from playing, thus resulting in this error. The error comes in several variations, and here are the most common ones:

• The media could not be loaded Zoom: Even large web apps that use videos are affected by this. Switching to a different browser might help.
• The media could not be loaded Videos: This is a custom video player, and if you encounter issues, adjust your code.
• The media could not be loaded Opera, Safari, Chrome, Firefox: All browsers are affected by this issue. Usually, the problem is related to extensions.
• The media could not be loaded Reddit: Videos on Reddit are also affected. Restarting the browser can help with this.
• The media could not be loaded Mac, iPhone: The issue affects all platforms, so be sure to keep your software up to date.

1. Switch to a different browser

If you’re getting Format is not supported or source is unavailable, you might want to consider a different browser. If you don’t know what browser to download on your computer, we recommend Opera.

This browsing solution is also based on the Chromium architecture. It has native support for WebM – a modern, high-quality, and open video format. It also has built-in support for the Ogg Theora video codec.

There’s another format out there the H.264 codec which is supported only by certain browsers. For all web developers out there, it means that you should offer the same video in two different formats. Doing so will ensure 100% compatibility.

You won’t experience any video buffering issues since this browser automatically blocks trackers, ads, and other elements that may cause slow browsing problems. As a bonus, it also has a Video pop-out: a floating video window that is adjustable

It also has a bunch of neat features to increase your productivity such as sidebar integration with Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp, Workspaces to group tabs together, and even a free VPN.

Opera

Watch online videos without any loading issues with Opera!

2. Update your web browser

1. Open the Chrome browser on your PC.

2. Click the Menu icon and choose Settings.

3. Select About Google Chrome from the menu.

4. From here, the browser will automatically check for available updates and install them directly.

5. Once this is done, go back and try to load the affected video again. If you are able to load/play it, then you are all set.

More often than not, when you get Video format not supported in Chrome error, the actual cause could be that you are running an outdated browser.

In this case, the ultimate solution would be to update your web browser to the latest version, after which you should be able to load and watch the affected media/video.

Read more about this topic

• Your Browser Does not Support HTML5 Video: 4 Quick Fixes
• FIX: Your browser does not support video playback
• Chrome Toolbar Missing: 5 Tested Ways to Get It Back
• Why does Yahoo Keep Opening in Chrome? Stop it like This

3. Disable Adblock on your browser

1. Open Chrome and go to the website that gives you this error message.
2. Go to the Menu icon, then More tools. Lastly, select Extensions.
   
3. Disable AdBlock by clicking the switch icon.
   
4. Refresh the page.

Check if the video can now load. If the error persists, the problem is probably network-related (and not from your end), in which case there is little or nothing you can do about it, except to keep trying.

However, if you are running a web server that does not support certain video formats (like MP4, OGG, WebM, and such) you might have to reconfigure your server, to offer support for those video formats.

At times, some sites use this error as a smokescreen to trick you into disabling any ad-blocking feature on your browser. Most times, the video you are trying to watch contains some ads, and your browser (with an ad blocker) would not be able to play this video.

This will result in The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported error.

There are various ways of enabling/disabling AdBlock, depending on the browser. And for convenience, we’ll be showing you how to disable it on Google Chrome. You can simply disable AdBlock on the affected video’s host site, in order to gain access to the video.

If you’re having issues with playback quality, be sure to read our guide on how to fix bad video quality in Chrome.

The error message is usually associated with an unsupported format, and in most cases, you should be able to fix this problem using one of our solutions.

We hope you found this article useful. Leave any questions you might have in the comments section below.

We’ve all been there at some point in recent times – when you’re just surfing your way through the World Wide Web as usual, see a video you want to watch, play it and, after a feeble attempt from the respective online media player to play the video in question, BAM – you see an error message within the video player. The error message you see reads:

“The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported”

What does this error message tell us? Not a lot, to be honest, as it does not pinpoint an exact reason for keeping you from the video you wanted to watch. All it does make clear is that the player was unable to load the video you were trying to view, and that this could have been caused by a failure on the server’s end or the format the video is in not being supported on your end by the medium you used to access it – your internet browser. This little error message has been seen on basically every single internet browser that exists and is also not exclusive to one or two online media players – it affects all of them.

There’s a lot of ground to cover when it comes to determining exactly what this issue is caused by, which is why trying to resolve it is no walk in the park either. If you are seeing the “The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported” error message while trying to view a video on a webpage, the following are the most effective solutions you can use to get rid of the error message and successfully watch the affected video:

Solution 1: Disable AdBlock for the webpage the video is on

It has come to light that video players and video hosts all across the internet are using this error message as a tactic to get visitors to disable whatever advertisement blocking software or extension they are using and to allow advertisements to be visible to them in exchange for access to videos. In many cases, the display of this error message instead of the video in question is triggered when the video player detects that the visitor has some kind of advertisement blocking utility engaged. If AdBlock is the reason why you’re viewing this error message instead of the video you want to view, the problem can be resolved by simply disabling AdBlock for the webpage (or website) the video you want to watch is on.

The exact steps you need to go through in order to disable your AdBlock on a specific webpage or website vary depending on the kind of advertisement blocking utility and internet browser combination you use. For example, if you’re using AdBlock Plus on Google Chrome and want to disable the extension on a specific website, you need to:

1. Navigate to the webpage that has the affected video on it.
2. Click on the Options button (represented by three vertically aligned dots) in the top-right corner of the Google Chrome window.
3. Click on the little icon for AdBlock Plus.
4. You will see that the Power button is blue, meaning that AdBlock Plus is enabled. Click on the Power button and the extension will be disabled for the website you are on.

For the changes to take effect, be sure to refresh the webpage you were on. Once you have refreshed the webpage, try playing the affected video and see if your browser successfully plays it.

Solution 2: Update your internet browser

Your internet browser might be having issues playing the video in question because of some kind of a problem with it (such as a lack of support for the format the video is in), a problem that was remedied by the browser’s developers in a later update. If you are seeing the “The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported” error message while trying to watch a video, try checking to see if there are any updates available for the internet browser you are trying to watch the video on, and then downloading and installing any updates that are available.

Exact instructions for manually checking for updates on your internet browser will vary depending on the internet browser you use. For example, if you’re using Google Chrome, here’s what you need to do in order to manually check for updates:

1. Launch Google Chrome.
2. Click on the Options button (represented by three vertically aligned dots) in the top-right corner of the Google Chrome window.
3. Hover your pointer over Help.
4. In the resulting context menu, click on About Google Chrome.
5. On the page that you will be taken to, Chrome will automatically begin manually checking for updates. If any updates are available, the browser will even do you the courtesy of downloading and installing them for you.

If you do end up installing any updates for your internet browser, be sure to check whether doing so gets the affected video to start playing without a hitch.

Solution 3: Use a different internet browser

If neither of the solutions listed and described above have worked for you, there’s a chance that the internet browser you are using to play the affected video, in and of itself, is the problem. This error message has been known to affect any and all internet browsers, but in most cases, it only affects one specific internet browser for one victim of this issue. That being the case, you might be able to resolve this problem by simply using a different internet browser to play the video you want to watch. For example, if you were seeing the “The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported” error message while playing a video on Internet Explorer, try playing the same video on Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox and you should be able to watch it with no problems.

Solution 4: Wait out the storm

If every single attempt you have made to remedy this situation up to this point has bore no fruit, you might have to swallow a difficult pill – there is a good chance that the problem simply does not lie on your end, and is actually a server-side issue preventing your browser or the media player from playing the video for you. If that is true, there’s not much else you can do. Only wait for the folks behind the server the video is hosted on to get things in order on their end, at which point you should be able to successfully play the video you want to watch. Be sure to check whether the server or network the affected video is located on is back up every now and then so that you know as soon as you can watch the video.