This type of media playback error occurs when browsers fail to handle embedded media players. It is seen that the browsers, most commonly Chrome, cannot handle the JW player, an HTML5-based online video player. This problem can also be caused by incompatible browser extensions or if the website’s javascript is disabled. In today’s article, we’ll go over how to fix this error and get the videos to play normally again.
How to Fix Error Loading Media File Could Not Be Played
The first thing to do is check your internet connection. Sometimes due to poor internet, the media player might fail to load properly, and you can receive this error message. Ensure that the internet is stable and that no connectivity issues are leading to this error.
Reset Browser
Generally, resetting the browser solves this media player issue. Resting a browser will reset its default settings and delete the cookies and temporary site data. Here, we are resting the Chrome browser. Here’s how you can do it on Safari,
Delete Browser Cache
The browser cache contains the website contents in order to enhance faster loading time and reduce data usage. Clearing the cache regularly can help users resolve the issue brought on by broken links and poor web page formatting. Browser cache can also occupy a decent amount of space on your device; cleaning it would free it. To delete the Browser cache on Safari, follow these steps,
Update the Web Browser
This is a glitch in the browser, which has been solved in the newer versions of the Chrome Browser. Therefore, it is wise to keep the browser up to date to get rid of glitches and also improve performance. The chrome browser notifies the users when there is a new update release. The three dots on the upper right corner of the screen will turn into different colors (Green, Orange, and Red) depending upon the time since the browser was updated. Here’s how to update the browser. Follow these steps to update Safari on Mac.
Uninstall Extensions
Extensions in chrome can sometimes generate some functional issues, especially if they are from unknown sources. You are advised to uninstall such extensions, which affect the browser’s performance and threaten your data privacy. You can also check which extensions are causing the issue for you. To do this, disable an extension and then open the video from the website where you get the error message. If you do not get the error message this time, it indicates that the extension is the culprit for the problem. Here’s how to disable the extension on chrome:
Disable Hardware Acceleration
Enabling the hardware acceleration shifts some portion of the workload of the CPU to the GPU and makes the Browser performance much more efficient. However, on some devices, the hardware acceleration might not be handled well, which might result in an error during online Video playbacks. Here’s how to disable the Hardware Acceleration on Chrome. On Mac devices, the Hardware acceleration feature is automatically enabled, and there is no way to disable it.
Allow sites to use Java Script
Usually, javascript is by default, enabled for all the sites on most browsers these days. However, they also provide the flexibility to disable it or turn it off for a specific website. Disabling the javascript access to a website can prevent you from seeing the media contents such as videos, photos, and other graphical materials on it. Here’s how you can enable it on the chrome browser. Here are the steps you need to follow to enable the javascript on Safari for Mac Devices.
Clear Application Cache
This error is very commonly seen in mobile-based applications that use an embedded browser to play videos and open links. Facebook Messenger and Youtube app are such apps where users face this issue. If you are getting similar issues with the application, you can get them resolved by clearing the application’s cache. Here’s how to clear the app cache on Android Devices. On IOS, go to Settings> General > iPhone Storage > Manage Storage. Find the messenger app and select Offload app.
