# JMF video formats

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jmf-video-formats/556872>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 12, 2010, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jmf-video-formats/556872 "2010-10-12T07:57:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jmf-video-formats/556872/1 "2010-10-12T07:57:32Z")

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Hey all,

I’m trying to write a video player using JMF (Java Media Framework). I’m able to get MP3s to play, so I know I’m on the right track, but testing video playback is impossible because with every video I have it cannot read the format.

Are there any files out there it should work with?

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**Author:** ![ramel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb8c5e/32.png) [@ramel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramel)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jmf-video-formats/556872/2 "2010-10-12T08:04:37Z")

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I looked on wikipedia and it says “Many JMF developers have complained that the JMF implementation supplied in up-to-date JRE’s supports relatively few up-to-date codecs and formats. Its all-Java version, for example, cannot play MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Windows Media, RealMedia, most QuickTime movies, Flash content newer than Flash 2, and needs a plug-in to play the ubiquitous MP3 format.”

Googling JMF it says…

JMF 2.1.1 supports a wide array of media types, including

```
* protocols: FILE, HTTP, FTP, RTP
* audio: AIFF, AU, AVI, GSM, MIDI, MP2, MP3*, QT, RMF, WAV
* video: AVI, MPEG-1, QT, H.261, H.263
* other: HotMedia

```

\*MP3 is supported only on the Windows platform.

So maybe an H.263 video contained in AVI?

Just a guess, I’ve never used it.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jmf-video-formats/556872/3 "2010-10-12T08:27:14Z")

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I’ve found one in that very format, and indeed, it works. I’d been Googling for an hour or more, so thanks for your keen Google-fu skillz!