I hope you can help me. I’ve read the forums, but do not see where this has been fixed. I have been using ELAN for 5 years and now my files will not open without a “No player could be created for…Cocoa QT player can not handle file…Quicktime/QTException” error. The file opens, but the .MP4 is not visible. I’m wrapping up my masters thesis and am in a bit of a panic as none of my gazillion files are operational now.
I am running the current ELAN (4.9.1-b) on Mac Yosemite (10.10.5) with the latest Java (Version 8 Update 66, build 1.8.0_66-b17). I have tried going into ELAN’s preferences: Platform/OS: Media Framework and changing it from Cocoa QT to QuickTime for Java with no change in the error code. These MP4s run fine in QuickTime outside of ELAN.
I greatly appreciate any help you can give me! Here is the log:
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO:
@ELAN Launched
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: ELAN 4.9.1
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: Java home: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk/Contents/Home
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: Java version: 1.6.0_65
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: Runtime version: 1.6.0_65-b14-468-11M4833
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: OS name: Mac OS X
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: OS version: 10.10.5
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: OS architecture: x86_64
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: User language: en
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: User home: /Users/pawnee
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: User dir: /Users/pawnee/Desktop/ELAN_4.9.1-b
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: Classpath: lib/elan-4.9.1.jar:lib/sunjce_provider.jar:lib/help.zip:lib/jhall-2.0.0.5.jar:lib/nl.mpi.lookup__V1.0.jar
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.ELAN main
INFO: Library path: lib:extensions
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:17 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.prefs.PreferencesReader parse
INFO: Reading preferences: /Users/pawnee/Library/Preferences/ELAN/elan.pfsx
External updater thread started
Loading new Apple integration 2
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:18 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.prefs.PreferencesReader parse
WARNING: Preferences file does not exist: /Users/pawnee/Library/Preferences/ELAN/shortcuts.pfsx
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:18 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.commands.ShortcutsUtil readCurrentShortcuts
INFO: Could not load the keyboard shortcut preferences file. The file does not exist or is not valid.
Nov 20, 2015 2:29:59 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.prefs.PreferencesWriter encodeAndSave
INFO: Writing preferences: /Users/pawnee/Library/Preferences/ELAN/elan.pfsx
Nov 20, 2015 2:30:00 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.prefs.PreferencesReader parse
INFO: Reading preferences: /Users/pawnee/Desktop/MY ENTIRE GORILLA HONORS THESIS INFORMATION/THESIS ZOO & MTN DATA/1. CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO/CMZ ELAN (2 files left)/CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN-DAY1-1 masters.pfsx
Using Cocoa QT Media Player for file:///Users/pawnee/Desktop/MY ENTIRE GORILLA HONORS THESIS INFORMATION/THESIS ZOO & MTN DATA/1. CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO/CMZ ELAN (2 files left)/CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN-DAY1-1.MP4
mediaURL = file:///Users/pawnee/Desktop/MY ENTIRE GORILLA HONORS THESIS INFORMATION/THESIS ZOO & MTN DATA/1. CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO/CMZ ELAN (2 files left)/CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN-DAY1-1.MP4
Nov 20, 2015 2:30:00 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.player.CocoaQTMediaPlayer playerCreated
WARNING: Invalid movie: format not supported
Using QT Media Player for file:///Users/pawnee/Desktop/MY ENTIRE GORILLA HONORS THESIS INFORMATION/THESIS ZOO & MTN DATA/1. CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO/CMZ ELAN (2 files left)/CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN-DAY1-1.MP4
Nov 20, 2015 2:30:04 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.commands.ExportMediaCA <init>
INFO: No version of M2-edit-cl or M2-xcode-cl found
Nov 20, 2015 2:30:04 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.commands.ClipMediaCA <init>
INFO: Found clipping script: clip-media.txt
Nov 20, 2015 2:30:05 PM mpi.eudico.client.annotator.prefs.PreferencesWriter encodeAndSave
INFO: Writing preferences: /Users/pawnee/Library/Preferences/ELAN/elan.pfsx
I think only the ‘Cocoa QT Player’ works on Mac OS without special efforts, but in case of errors both options are tried anyway (so you change the preferred media framework back to the default setting).
ELAN depends on Apple’s Java 6 and the log shows that that version is used, so that’s not the problem either. I have no idea what is the problem, the warning message in the log is fairly clear:
WARNING: Invalid movie: format not supported
suggesting that the format is not supported, but then again you already tried successfully to play the file in QuickTime Player (and you have been working with them for 5 years).
I don’t know. Did you try to move one of the .mp4 files to another location (e.g. the desktop) and link it into a new ELAN transcription? To see if that makes a difference?
Thank you for your reply. I tried creating a new ELAN file and adding an existing .MP4 media file (copied to the Desktop), but the results are the same with the same error: “No player could be created for…Cocoa QT player can not handle file…Quicktime/QTException."
Then I tried adding a sample .MP4 file downloaded from the internet and it works. Also, other files I have (unrelated to this project) that I obtained from other people work. Files that I have specifically recorded (related and unrelated to this project), which use to work fine, no longer do. I did upgrade to Yosemite and also upgraded ELAN. I did not check the files prior to or right after the upgrades, so I don’t know exactly when the failure occurred.
is important after all (although I still don’t understand).
If you open one of those .mp4’s (that don’t play in ELAN) in QuickTime Player and open the Movie Inspector, what information is displayed for the video and audio tracks?
Could it be you had some QT plugins installed on your previous system, before upgrading to Yosemite that are now gone (just guesses…)?
It is now 3 years later and I still have the same problem as above. I have looked through all the posts and see other people are having this issue as well and I see no fix posted. I have ELAN 5.1 running on a Mac OS X El Capitan (v10.11.6). Let’s assume this is a problem with the OS…some incompatibility between later versions of Mac and ELAN. Is there any way I can change ELAN’s default use of Cocoa to perhaps Java? If so, the files I have after the download are ELAN_5-1_mac.zip (zip archive) and ELAN_5.1 (application).
I believe there are still some unanswered questions from 3 years ago. As you mentioned then, .mp4 files you downloaded from internet did work, so it would be good to know why your files don’t work (and for that it would be good to know how they are encoded etc.).
The situation with media playback in ELAN on macOS is not ideal (it still depends on an older Java version and an older media framework), but it in general it still works.
In the mean time we made a version available which works with Java 8 and which is independent of our Cocoa QT approach; on the download page it is labeled: “ELAN 5.0 with JavaFX player”. It is based on a media player which is built-in in that version of Java. It has its own issues, but you can give it a try.
So, we have been working and are still working on improvements in that area, but our resources are limited.
Thank you, Lisa. I guess the problem is the encoding of your file, with the additional ODSM and SDSM tracks. JavaFX’ video support is (also) limited to H.264 mp4 files (H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 / AVC).
Being pragmatic: are there pressing reasons (apart from the extra work) for not re-encoding the files to a more “standard” mp4 file?
I have no problem doing whatever it takes to get these file to work. I have tried twice with two different transcoders to re-encode the file. Here are the results from HandBrake for Mac, which looks like a clean re-encode matching the codecs of sample file that works:
Hmm, did you, or can you otherwise, check with this encoding guide whether your settings were the same?
I’m not sure about the Color Profile in your test HandBrake file, but I’m not sure if that can be a problem.
If, after double checking with the media encoding guide, it still doesn’t work, would it then be possible to share one of your files with us (preferably a small test file without IPR issues etc.)?
I set everything up with the recommended settings for MP4 and Handbrake and encoded it (test with handbrake 2.mp4). I then opened a new file with this latest encoding using ELAN 5.0-FX. This is the error I got:
I then decided I should also try it with ELAN 5.1 and it worked! This is wonderful as I’m now working on my Master’s thesis and getting ready to defend on February 3rd. I so appreciate you sticking with me through all of this, Han!
