Multimedia Macro does not play attached MP4 file
Asked by Tobias Voigt:

Dear all,

my company is using a hosted version of confluence. To one of the articles I have uploaded an MP4 file as attachment. I wanted to embed it into the article using the Multimedia Macro.

When I create the macro I cannot select the already attached file in the attachment field. The field is empty.

I can insert a link to the attachment into the article just as for any other atatchment. However, when clicking on the link it says "Video can't be played because the file is corrupt". I can download it and play it on my PC and it works just fine so I know that it is not actually corrupt.

To be sure I uploaded a couple of other MP4 files. Some I can play in the browser by clicking on them in the attachment menu. However, I can still not use the Multimedia macro - the attachment drop down menu remains empty.

I was not sure whether to report it as a bug or whether I am just incapable of using the system .... so I decided to ask here first. I would appreciate your help and looking forward to your responses.

As browser, I am using Firefox 29.

Best Wishes

Tobias


Answers:
author: Deividi Luvison
body: I tested locally in latest version and it's working fine. Since some files work and others don't could you please validate if you are hitting this bug?

[](https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-26667)<https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-26667>

In the work around in there does not work let me know which Confluence version you are using?  
Thanks and Regards,  
David\|Atlassian Support

comments: author: Tobias Voigt
body: Thank you David,

first of all: I am working with Confluence 5.4.3 in a hosted version. And no, the file names I am using do not contain any non latin characters. They are simple names like 122 TZ.mp4 .

There are two elements to the problem as I see it:

* The file corruption on a file which is actually fine as the download shows. This, as you rightly pointed out, only happens with some files.
* I cannot link an attached MP4 file via the Multimedia Macro, the field where I should be able to choose an attachment is simply empty even though the file is atatched. This problem arises also for MP4 files which can be played using Confluence if accessed via a link or directly via the atachment menu.

So the work around does not work for me unfortunately. Any ideas what the prblem could be?

Best Wishes

Tobias


author: Deividi Luvison
body: Interesting,

Basically it happens with multimedia macro only and with some files, is it feasible for you to upload one of those mp4 that you are having trouble with so I can test locally?

Thanks and Regards,  
David\|Atlassian Support


author: Tobias Voigt
body: Dear David,

you probably did not se my answer as I accidentily hit the comment instead of the continue discussion button ... find my answer below. Thanks again (and in advance :) ) for your help.

Best Wishes

Tobias

-----

Dear David,

I would be happy to send you one of the files but mp4 is not allowed as an attachment to this post. How can I send it to you?

I experimented a bit by deleting all MP4 files and only upload one again which I know is not corrupt and which is also shown correctly in the browser. However the attachment drop down in the Multimedia macro is still empty.

However, if I take the same file and upload it to a different article it works fine. I can attach it, play it in the browser and select it via the multimedia macro.

I now choose an article with a very similar name as the first article and tried the same procedurte and the multimedia macro did *not* work (cannot choose file from drop down menu).

So maybe it is the article name which causes the problem. The two articles in which the macro does not work are:

Tutorial: Crops, Types \& Varieties

Tutorial: The Simpatica Domain Structure

All three files are in the same space. Maybe that helps? What do you think?

Best Wishes

Tobias


author: Deividi Luvison
body: Actually that indeed helped my friend :) (bulls eye).

Basically that is a BUG, because of the accents in that page name the multimedea macro can't find the attachment, based on that I went ahead and created [CONF-34075](https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-34075) to address this problem.

I also found the below work around to make the multimedia macro to work:

Work Around 1

* Edit the page.
* Remove the any accents you have in the page name.
* Save the page.
* Edit and try to add the attachment again.

Work Around 2

* While the page is open (edit mode), drag and drop the mp4 file, so it will display accordingly.

Thanks and Regards,  
David\|Atlassian Support


author: Tobias Voigt
body: Thank you so much! That really helped. Sometimes the problem is where you expect it least :)


author: Michelle Rau HP
body: I also experienced this issue when there was a colon **:** character in the page title.

I changed

How To**:** Do Something

to

How To Do Something

and the macro worked fine after that.


author: Mikayla Burnett
body: I too am having a similar issue. There are no special characters in the file name. Dragging and dropping works, but wondering if this bug has been fixed since this post is from 2014.

comments: author: sarah@leadermes.com
body: Hi!

I just encountered a related bug:

In my case, I published a page in confluence cloud with an MP4 file and it plays via the multimedia macro. But the same macro **fails** when the article is viewed via JSD.

I tried troubleshooting the page title and file name but saw no results.

Any suggestions?


author: Rodney Hughes
body: Hi I have the same problem - Hosted v5.8

plain MP4 file name, plain page name

Multimedia Macro says a plug in is needed, but other web sites play MP4 files no problem

if I just use a hyperlink on my page instead of teh Multimedia Macro, it says I have to download it


author: Tobias Voigt
body: Dear David,

I would be happy to send you one of the files but mp4 is not allowed as an attachment to this post. How can I send it to you?

I experimented a bit by deleting all MP4 files and only upload one again which I know is not corrupt and which is also shown correctly in the browser. However the attachment drop down in the Multimedia macro is still empty.

However, if I take the same file and upload it to a different article it works fine. I can attach it, play it in the browser and select it via the multimedia macro.

I now choose an article with a very similar name as the first article and tried the same procedurte and the multimedia macro did *not* work (cannot choose file from drop down menu).

So maybe it is the article name which causes the problem. The two articles in which the macro does not work are:

Tutorial: Crops, Types \& Varieties

Tutorial: The Simpatica Domain Structure

All three files are in the same space. Maybe that helps? What do you think?

Best Wishes

Tobias


author: Tobias Voigt
body: Thank you David,

first of all: I am working with Confluence 5.4.3 in a hosted version. And no, the file names I am using do not contain any non latin characters. They are simple names like 122 TZ.mp4 .

There are two elements to the problem as I see it:

* The file corruption on a file which is actually fine as the download shows. This, as you rightly pointed out, only happens with some files.
* I cannot link an attached MP4 file via the Multimedia Macro, the field where I should be able to choose an attachment is simply empty even though the file is atatched. This problem arises also for MP4 files which can be played using Confluence if accessed via a link or directly via the atachment menu.

So the work around does not work for me unfortunately. Any ideas what the prblem could be?

Best Wishes

Tobias  

<br />

comments: author: Rodney Hughes
body: third attempt to post this ...

Hi I have the same problem - Hosted v5.8

plain MP4 file name, plain page name

Multimedia Macro says a plug in is needed, but other web sites play MP4 files no problem

if I just use a hyperlink on my page instead of teh Multimedia Macro, it says I have to download it