What to Do If Your Wedding Video Won’t Play Properly
We know how important your wedding video is—and how frustrating it can be if it won’t play smoothly, freezes, or won’t open at all. Whether you're excited to watch your highlights or share the full film with family, it's disappointing when something goes wrong. At Jay Grubb Photography & Video, we want to make sure you can easily experience your video memories again and again.
You may be experiencing one of these issues:
- The video freezes or pauses randomly
- The picture lags behind the sound
- The video stutters or plays in slow motion
- You can hear the audio but there’s no picture
- The video skips ahead or jumps back unexpectedly
- The video plays for a few seconds and then stops
- The screen goes black while playing
- You see an error message like “file not supported”
- The video crashes the player or freezes your computer
- The video looks pixelated or glitchy
- There’s no sound even though the video is playing
- The video takes a long time to start
If you’re experiencing any of these issues, don’t worry—this guide will walk you through simple troubleshooting steps to get things working again, even if you're not tech-savvy.
The 3 Most Common Reasons Your Wedding Video Isn’t Playing
Before we get into troubleshooting, here are the top 3 reasons we see most often when clients have trouble playing back their wedding video after downloading it:
1. Incomplete or Corrupted Download
Wedding videos are large files, and if your download was interrupted (for example, your internet connection dropped or your computer went to sleep), the video file might be incomplete. This can cause it to freeze, stutter, or not open at all.
What to do:
- Check the file size. Compare the file size of your download to what was listed in your delivery email or link from the cloud service (Such as Smash, Google Drive, or DropBox. etc.)If it’s much smaller, it likely didn’t finish downloading.
- Re-download the video. Make sure your internet connection is stable and let the download complete fully before watching. It helps to keep your computer plugged in and awake during the process.
- Use a download manager (optional). If your internet is spotty, using a tool like Free Download Manager can help resume interrupted downloads automatically.
2. Missing or Outdated Video Codecs
Your computer needs special software (called codecs) to understand and play video files. If your system is missing the right codec—especially for high-definition or 4K videos—it might not know how to play your wedding film, even though the file is fine.
What to do:
- Install VLC Media Player. This free player (available at videolan.org) includes built-in support for nearly all video formats, so you don’t need to worry about missing codecs. We use this player often for our own testing of video playback.
- Already have VLC? Make sure it’s updated to the latest version—new updates often add support for new formats and fix bugs.
- Don’t want to change players? Make sure your operating system is up to date. Then make sure your media player is up to date. Many times, new codecs will be installed with operating system and other software updates.
3. Hardware Limitations
High-quality wedding films require more computer power to play smoothly. If you're using a laptop, computer, or machine with inadequate memory or graphics capabilities, the video may lag, freeze, or not play at all. Computers need enough RAM, hard drive speed, free hard drive space, and fast enough graphics cards to playback your wedding videos in 4k or any other high quality format. Any one of these factors could prevent you from enjoying your videos.
What to do:
- Close other programs. Free up your computer’s resources by closing web browsers, background apps, and anything else running.
- Play the video from your internal hard drive. If it’s on a USB stick or external drive, copy it to your desktop for faster access.
- Try on a newer device. If possible, test the video on a newer computer or tablet that has more power.
General Troubleshooting Guide
Step 1: Fully Restart Your Computer
First, try the simplest fix: shut down your computer completely (not just restart) and turn it back on. This helps clear out any temporary glitches or “stuck” apps that might be causing problems. This is a solution to many
Step 2: Try a Different Video Player
Sometimes the app you’re using can’t handle certain types of video files. We recommend VLC Media Player (which is free to download at videolan.org), because it plays almost any video format.
Step 3: Check for Updates
Make sure your video player is up to date. New updates often fix bugs and improve how videos play.
Step 4: Test the Video on Another Device
Try watching your video on a different computer (or even a friend’s). If it plays fine there, the issue is likely with your computer’s settings.
Step 5: Close Other Programs
Too many apps running at once can slow things down. Close any apps you don’t need, especially web browsers and video call software.
Step 6: Update Graphics and Sound Drivers
Your computer uses small pieces of software (called drivers) to handle video and sound. Updating these can solve many playback issues. If you’re unsure how, a quick Google search for “update [your computer model] graphics drivers” is a good place to start—or feel free to ask us for help.
Step 7: Run a Virus Scan
Malware can sometimes interfere with video files. Run a full virus scan using the antivirus program you already have installed.
Step 8: Copy the Video to a Different Location
If you’re playing the video from a USB stick or external hard drive, try copying it to your computer’s desktop and playing it from there.
Step 9: Check Your Hard Drive for Problems
Hard drives sometimes develop small errors. If you’re on Windows, you can right-click the drive > Properties > Tools > Error checking. On a Mac, open Disk Utility > First Aid.
Step 10: Adjust Playback Settings
If your video is super high-quality (like 4K) and it’s choppy, look in your player’s settings for options like “hardware acceleration” and try turning it off—or lower the resolution if possible.
20 Common Reasons Videos Won’t Play—and How to Fix Them
No Sound
Quick Fix:
First, make sure your sound isn't muted (either by a physical switch or your computer settings). Then try to turn the volume up in your computer's operating system settings. Next, make sure the sound is turned up in your media player. If you have physical speakers, be sure they are on, plugged in to the correct port, and the volume is up. Unplug them from the computer and plug them back in. If the sound is turned up in all locations, Make sure the correct sound output device is selected in your computer settings.
Missing or Outdated Codecs
Quick Fix:
Codecs are like "translators" that help your player understand video files. If yours is missing one, your video won’t play. Install the K-Lite Codec Pack (available free online) to cover most formats.
Corrupted Video File
Quick Fix:
If the video is damaged—often from a bad download—it may not play at all. If you downloaded it, try the download again.
Outdated Video Player
Quick Fix:
Newer videos sometimes need updated players. Go to your player’s website (like VLC’s) and download the latest version.
Older Computer or Weak Hardware
Quick Fix:
High-definition videos (like your wedding film) need power to play smoothly. Close all other apps to free up resources, or try the video on a newer computer if available.
Hard Drive Errors
Quick Fix:
Your computer’s storage might have errors. Run a disk check (see Step 9 above) to fix small issues that could block playback.
Too Many Apps Running at Once
Quick Fix:
Apps like web browsers or Zoom can eat up your computer’s power. Close everything you don’t need and try again.
Incorrect File Name or Extension
Quick Fix:
The file name should end with something like .mp4 or .mov. Don’t change the name unless you’re sure what you’re doing—reach out if you’re unsure.
Outdated Graphics Drivers
Quick Fix:
Drivers help your computer handle video. If yours are outdated, playback can glitch. Update via your computer’s settings, or search online for your computer model + “update graphics drivers.”
Antivirus Blocking the File
Quick Fix:
Sometimes, antivirus software is overprotective. Check if your antivirus flagged the file and “allow” it if it’s safe (like your wedding video from us!).
Power Saving Mode
Quick Fix:
Laptops in battery saver mode may slow down video. Plug in your charger and set your computer to “High Performance” in your settings.
Unsupported Format
Quick Fix:
Some players can’t handle certain formats. Use VLC, or convert the file using a tool like HandBrake.
Playback Settings Issues
Quick Fix:
Turn hardware acceleration off (found in your player’s settings) if playback is choppy.
Slow External Hard Drive or USB Stick
Quick Fix:
These can be slower than your computer’s built-in storage. Copy the file to your desktop and try playing it there.
Corrupted Player Settings
Quick Fix:
In VLC, go to "Preferences > Reset Preferences" to start fresh. Many players will have some way to reset your preferences. Or you may need to uninstall and reinstall the software.
Security Software Interference
Quick Fix:
Add your video player to your antivirus’ “safe list” if you think it’s blocking the app.
Multi-Monitor Setup Issues
Quick Fix:
Videos sometimes lag on a second monitor due to a mismatch of settings between the computer, player, video file, or second monitor. Drag the player window to your main screen and try again. If that doesn't work, try disconnecting all of your secondary monitors from your computer.
Outdated Operating System
Quick Fix:
Run system updates (Windows Update or Mac Software Update) to make sure everything is current.
Overheating Computer
Quick Fix:
If your laptop feels hot, let it cool down or use a cooling pad. Overheating can slow everything down.
Fragmented Hard Drive (Physical Rotating HDDs)
Quick Fix:
If you’re using an older-style hard drive (not SSD), run Defragment and Optimize Drives to tidy things up.
Audio Driver Issues
Quick Fix:
Sometimes the video freezes because of a sound problem. Update your audio drivers via your computer settings or by searching for “[your computer model] audio driver update.”
Still Stuck?
If you're you've tried these steps and you're still having trouble playing your wedding video from us, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to help make sure your memories are ready to enjoy.