Easily Fix The Media Could Not Be Loaded, Either Because Error
Video codecs are likely to cause this error
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Key notes
- Adding a video to a webpage implies using certain video codecs, which can trigger format is not supported errors.
- If your browser is not compatible with a specific file format, you’ll see the media could not be loaded message.
- Since this error is usually associated with Chrome, you might want to update it or consider a different browser.
Have you, at any point, encountered the media could not be loaded error while trying to watch a video on the Internet?
If so, you know just how frustrating it can be. The full message states that the media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.
Unsurprisingly, it’s usually associated with the Chrome browser. If you’re looking for a quick fix for the format is not supported error, this tutorial has you covered!
This isn’t the only error, and many reported that their browser does not support playback of this Twitch video, but we covered that in a separate guide.
How to fix the media could not be loaded either because the server or network failed or the format is not supported?
1. Switch to a different browser
If you’re getting Format is not supported or source is unavailable, you might want to consider a different browser. If you don’t know what browser to download on your computer, we recommend Opera One.
This browsing solution is also based on the Chromium architecture. It has native support for WebM, a modern, high-quality, and open video format, and built-in support for the Ogg Theora video codec.
There’s another format out there, the H.264 codec, which is supported only by certain browsers. For all web developers, this means offering the same video in two different formats. Doing so will ensure 100% compatibility.
This browser automatically blocks trackers, ads, and other elements that may cause slow browsing, so you won’t experience video buffering issues. As a bonus, it also has a Video pop-out and an adjustable floating video window.
It also has many neat new features to increase your productivity, such as an AI-assistant integration, a modular design, and tab islands to organize your tabs better.
Opera One
Watch online videos without any loading issues by using this excellent browser.2. Update your web browser
1. Open the Chrome browser on your PC.
2. Click the Menu icon and choose Settings.
3. Select About Google Chrome from the menu.
4. From here, the browser will automatically check for available updates and install them directly.
5. Once this is done, go back and try to load the affected video again. If you are able to load/play it, then you are all set.
More often than not, when you get Video format not supported in Chrome error, the actual cause could be that you are running an outdated browser.
In this case, the ultimate solution would be to update your web browser to the latest version, after which you should be able to load and watch the affected media/video.
3. Disable Adblock on your browser
- Open Chrome and go to the website that gives you this error message.
- Go to the Menu icon, then More tools. Lastly, select Extensions.
- Disable AdBlock by clicking the switch icon.
- Refresh the page.
Check if the video can now load. If the error persists, the problem is probably network-related (and not from your end), in which case there is little or nothing you can do about it except to keep trying.
What is the could not load media error?
This is a browser error, and it occurs when you try to play multimedia files, such as videos. Server-side issues can cause the error, but your browser can also cause it.
An outdated browser or certain extensions can prevent multimedia files from playing, thus resulting in this error. The error comes in several variations, and here are the most common ones:
- The media could not be loaded Zoom: Even large web apps that use videos are affected by this. Switching to a different browser might help.
- The media could not be loaded Videos: This is a custom video player, and if you encounter issues, adjust your code.
- The media could not be loaded Opera One, Safari, Chrome, Firefox: All browsers are affected by this issue. Usually, the problem is related to extensions.
- The media could not be loaded Reddit: Videos on Reddit are also affected. Restarting the browser can help with this.
- The media could not be loaded Mac, iPhone: The issue affects all platforms, so be sure to keep your software up to date.
However, if you are running a web server that does not support certain video formats (like MP4, OGG, WebM, and such), you might have to reconfigure your server to offer support for those video formats.
At times, some sites use this error as a smokescreen to trick you into disabling your browser’s ad-blocking feature. Most times, the video you are trying to watch contains ads, and your browser (with an ad blocker) will not be able to play it.
This will result in The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported error.
There are various ways of enabling/disabling AdBlock, depending on the browser. For convenience, we’ll show you how to disable it on Google Chrome. You can disable AdBlock on the affected video’s host site, in order to gain access to the video.
If you’re having issues with playback quality, be sure to read our guide on how to fix bad video quality in Chrome. And this article also includes confirmed methods to solve Please insert the external storage media and press OK errors with ease. Just take a closer look.
The error message is usually associated with an unsupported format, and in most cases, you should be able to fix this problem using one of our solutions.
We hope you found this helpful article. Leave any questions you might have in the comments section below.
