Unable to view newer .MOV video files on Fedora 41

Ask Fedora
,
23

yeah, did that a week ago, nothing, unfortunately.

I have run a modified version of the command by Andrew Thurman back in 2021, possibly syntax has changed for groupupdate as it is deprecated now I read:
sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm && sudo dnf group install multimedia --exclude=PackageKit-gstreamer-plugin && sudo dnf group install sound-and-video

and it did not resolve the issue, I am sure I did the package install before. I have read a lot about this issue and people have had it with one release, then got fixed and I suspect that Fedora just can’t keep up on time with the new codecs that apple is making, because issue reappears year after year.

Screenshot From 2025-02-11 20-46-50
Screenshot From 2025-02-11 20-46-501206×336 30.8 KB

24

obviously find software doesn’t find that, but I did find it on the internet and yet doesn’t help

25

that’s the problem with devices using patent-encumbered codecs.

I think for vlc you also need to have vlc-plugins-freeworld installed from rpmfusion.
Have you tried to play the video from command line with ffplay?

You could also try to update to ffmpeg 7.1 (its available in the rpmfusion-testing repository) dnf upgrade --enablerepo rpmfusion-free-updates-testing

Or try mpv (cli) and one of the frontends like smplayer.

26

I have run a test, i.e. made a test movie on my iPhone, copied it to a Fedora machine, and have received an error similar to yours in Totem (the default media player). Neither did it work with VLC.

After performing the Multimedia steps from RPMFusion’s HowTo, it still didn’t work with Totem, however, VLC did play the video just fine.

I’ve noticed that as opposed to your command, RPM Fusion has also this additional step (actually it was this specific step that was needed in order to play that movie):

sudo dnf swap ffmpeg-free ffmpeg --allowerasing

Actually Fedora doesn’t even try to, given that its approach is not to deliver patent-encumbered software.

1 Like
27

Not sure if it’s been addressed, but I heard iOS 18 or something recently changed something with camera recorded videos to where the newer format doesn’t work with existing codecs(?) like the older format.

28

VLC plays the video attached to this issue (Vision_Sample) if package vlc-plugins-freeworld is installed.

VLC does not call ffmpeg. Ffplay and mpv did play the video, too.

29

thanks Mike, I did do that command, but VLC is still not happy and yes, this rpmfusion has been added, upgraded, uninstalled, re-installed, no luck.
Mark: cli works, so I am suspecting it’s not a codec issue anymore, as they are all installed, but it’s more of an application specific issue, like the default ones which should be able to play the videos and they are not.
Mike: about Fedora not keeping up with Apple’s codec’s. I see your point and I bought a laptop to install Fedora Linux exactly to get away from BigTech and get some privacy, however, that does not mean I am giving up watching videos which other devices are producing. In the long term I may adapt, but this Fedora has lots of limitations compared to other most famous OS’s. Privacy first at the price of usability is not my filoposphy, because having a laptop you can’t use for what you need is pointless.
I have opened some of the nw videos with SMPlayer and it does not give errors and plays them, thanks Mark for tipping me on that. looks like the only SW which does it without complaining.
and BTW, I don’t have latest IOS version, it’s 17.6.1
thanks all, you can close this.

1 Like
30

Something is wrong with your VLC version. It it possible that you’ve installed the flatpak version? The flatpak version does not support HEVC.

What does dnf list vlc\* --installed show?
The flatpak version can be found with the command flatpak list

Uninstall the flatpak version and install with sudo dnf install vlc
It should automatically select vlc-plugins-freeworld if rpmfusion repositories are enabled.

1 Like
31

Which flatpak version. There is one from flathub and another one from fedora flatpak. I expect the one from flathub is more complete.

32

like I mentioned in my initial post, It’s not just VLC having this issue, all other software for video’s have same issue. I have tried about 8, but only the one Mark recently mentioned works without complaining about codec (SMPlayer), I guess the only one I hadn’t tried before.
I have installed also several versions of VLC, certainly the full one too. After more than a decade of using VLC to open virtually any media, I was surprised.

33

yeah, sounds likely. I don’t use flatpak if rpm is available.

1 Like
34

you are right, but what can a user do if all the packages which the Software app finds are limited? I have to install all from CLI, then I don’t see the use of the UI Software app to install programs. it just creates problems.

35

You can choose from three different VLC versions in the gnome software installer! I guess you may have always re-installed the flatpak version from Fedora, and Fedora does not enable patent-encumbered audio and video codecs. It’s simple as that.

image
image539×425 75.9 KB

make sure these two repositoriea are enabled if you want to install the rpm version.

image
image554×258 14.2 KB

CLI offers the user better control and feedback and is preferred by many users.

sudo dnf install vlc
Updating and loading repositories:
Repositories loaded.
Package                       Arch    Version                          Repository              Size
Installing:
 vlc                          x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates            373.6 KiB
Installing dependencies:
[removed lines]
 vlc-cli                      x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates             35.4 KiB
 vlc-gui-qt                   x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates              3.0 MiB
 vlc-libs                     x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates             41.3 MiB
 vlc-plugin-lua               x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates            863.9 KiB
 vlc-plugin-pipewire          x86_64  3-4.fc41                         fedora              83.8 KiB
 vlc-plugin-pulseaudio        x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates             93.1 KiB
 vlc-plugins-base             x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates              7.5 MiB
 vlc-plugins-video-out        x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates            718.5 KiB
Installing weak dependencies:
 libproxy-bin                 x86_64  0.5.8-1.fc41                     fedora              16.2 KiB
 vlc-gui-skins2               x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates            876.0 KiB
 vlc-plugin-ffmpeg            x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates            302.7 KiB
 vlc-plugin-gnome             x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates             18.2 KiB
 vlc-plugin-notify            x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates             18.3 KiB
 vlc-plugin-visualization     x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates             64.6 KiB
 vlc-plugins-extra            x86_64  1:3.0.21-15.fc41                 updates              2.0 MiB
 vlc-plugins-freeworld        x86_64  3.0.21-2.fc41                    rpmfusion-free     412.6 KiB

the last line vlc-plugins-freeworld x86_64 3.0.21-2.fc41 rpmfusion-free is important. This package installs the required libraries to enable HEVC support.

36

some of the video playing software I had installed from the CLI and with rpn and yet turned to have issues with the type of video mentioned in this thread, but I will keep your advice in mind for the future and keep an eye on the packages available in UI before installing the flat default, didn’t know the flat would not include all codecs. thanks, Nico

37

Yes this can happen if rpmfusion repositories were not added and enabled first:

list of installed vlc packages w/o rpmfusion:

$ rpm -qa vlc\* |sort
vlc-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-cli-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-gui-qt-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-gui-skins2-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-libs-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-ffmpeg-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-gnome-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-lua-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-notify-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-pipewire-3-4.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-pulseaudio-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugins-base-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugins-extra-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugins-video-out-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-visualization-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64

the same with rpmfusion repositories:

$ rpm -qa vlc\* |sort
vlc-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-cli-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-gui-qt-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-gui-skins2-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-libs-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-ffmpeg-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-gnome-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-lua-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-notify-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-pipewire-3-4.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-pulseaudio-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugins-base-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugins-extra-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugins-freeworld-3.0.21-2.fc41.x86_64    <-----HERE IT IS
vlc-plugins-video-out-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64
vlc-plugin-visualization-3.0.21-15.fc41.x86_64

list the files installed by vlc-plugins-freeworld ( I list only the libraries here )

$ rpm -ql vlc-plugins-freeworld
/usr/lib64/vlc/plugins/codec/libfaad_plugin.so
/usr/lib64/vlc/plugins/codec/libx26410b_plugin.so
/usr/lib64/vlc/plugins/codec/libx264_plugin.so
/usr/lib64/vlc/plugins/codec/libx265_plugin.so         <==== HEVC support

Usually, with a fresh fedora install you have to do two steps first:

  1. update the system dnf upgrade --refresh and reboot.
  2. browse to rpmfusion.org and follow instructions how to add and enable the rpmfusion repositories

some packages need to be replaced like ffmpeg with ffmpeg-free, other need only additional rpm packages installed like vlc.

38

May be, but not my case. I installed rpmfusion repo on day 1

39

then you did not install the rpm version. Or repositiories were only installed but not enabled.

dnf repolist lists the currently enabled repositories

not the complete list:

$ dnf repolist 

rpmfusion-free                                                 RPM Fusion for Fedora 41 - Free                                              
rpmfusion-free-updates                                         RPM Fusion for Fedora 41 - Free - Updates                                    
rpmfusion-nonfree                                              RPM Fusion for Fedora 41 - Nonfree                                           
rpmfusion-nonfree-updates                                      RPM Fusion for Fedora 41 - Nonfree - Updates