Video Download playback

using the 411 camera, I downloaded a couple of videos Each indicated 100% complete.
I then attempt to perform local playback and nothing happens, I'm not prompted for a file...simply nothing happens

I went to the directory where the downloads are located and there are files there with .h264 extensions. I have tried playing them as .mkv, .mp4 and avi with no luck.
I tried converting the files with Handbrake. It failed too.

My version of the windows client is V7.1.2.28

mhopeng

See this thread: https://reolink.com/topic/video-file-format/

Summary: you can use the client software to decode the .h264 files only when you download from a camera directly. Many people (incl. me) have the same problem that you describe, and have requested a solution from Reolink.

The technical solutions to this problem are not trivial, however it seems to me that a camera with the ability to create and send files which cannot be viewed is not very useful; you could say that it defeats the purpose of the ftp/email features.

Reolink has made many improvements to the hardware and software recently, and so I am hopeful that this will be addressed.

I'm never prompted for the file. When I perform the step shown in the first picture on that thread, its as far as I get.

I found the answer. When you select Playback --> Local Playback, you must then click the icon of the PlUS sign inside the circle on the Right of the screen. This causes a file prompt to occur. Select the file previously downloaded and it plays.

Pls check the instruction on our website:https://reolink.com/faq/remotely-playback-record-on-hdd-reolink-client/

mhopeng

This link describes downloading video files *from the camera*, but the question is about files that are sent by email or ftp.

Also, it looks like the menu "Local Playback / Remote Playback" is missing from the OS X client. Is that true?

Which version for your MAC client? Pls download the latest version from https://reolink.com/software-and-manual. We have updated the functions to be mostly the same as Windows client.

user_748557889581266

I'm sorry to hear that you're facing issues with playing the videos you downloaded using the 411 camera. It's important to ensure you can access and view your recorded content. Let's troubleshoot this together.
First, let's address the issue of the downloaded videos not playing. The fact that the files have a .h264 extension suggests that they might be encoded in the H.264 format. This format is commonly used, but playback issues can occur if the necessary codecs are not available on your system. Here are some steps to resolve this issue:

Video Player: Ensure you are using a video player that supports the H.264 format. VLC Media Player is a good choice, as it supports a wide range of formats. You can download it for free if you don't have it already.
Codec Installation: Make sure you have the H.264 codec installed on your system. Sometimes, a missing codec can prevent playback. You can download and install the codec pack specific to your operating system.
File Association: Check the file association settings on your computer. Right-click on one of the downloaded videos, select "Open with," and choose your preferred media player. Also, check the "Always use this app to open .h264 files" option.

Now, regarding Handbrake failing to convert the files, it's possible that the files themselves may be corrupted. Before trying to convert them, ensure that they can be played successfully. If playback is successful, you can then proceed with the conversion using Handbrake or a similar tool.
If the issue persists despite trying the above steps, please provide more details about the error message or any specific error codes you encountered during the playback or conversion process. Additionally, it might be helpful to confirm the source of these videos and whether they were recorded properly on the 411 camera.
Let me know how these suggestions work for you, and if you encounter any more issues, I'll be happy to assist further.