Cannot play *.mp4 - files in Ubuntu 18.10

Question

I had several tutorial videos stored on my computer, I could run them all, while Ubuntu 16.04.was installed.
Since I have installed Ubuntu 18.10, it is not possible to play any video. I always get the message: File cannot be played, H264-Decoder is necessary.
In the Ubuntu Wiki can't find a solution.
Can someone help? Please!

Solution 1

Have you tried installing the restricted extras package? That normally covers most non-free media formats.

The command to use is:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Full instructions here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats

Solution 2

Install VLC it comes with all the codecs you need.

Solution 3

Support to decode MPEG-4 AAC is provided by gstreamer1.0-libav and to decode H.264 there is ffmpeg:

sudo apt-get install gstreamer1.0-libav ffmpeg

Comments

[cloud.009]

Hope this can help you link

[Georgios]

VLC works. But I think it's a shme, that the mp4 Codec had been working in earlier editions (e.g. 16.04) of Ubuntu Video.

[singrium]

Well, may be in 16.04, you already installed the mp4 codec that's why you didn't face the problem.

[Al Lelopath]

Nope. VLS is unable to open the MRL 'file:///media/.../myfile.mp4. Check the log for details.

[nicolimo86]

install vlc via snap snap install vlc. The vlc that comes from the apt repo was not playing mpeg4 on my ubuntu (18.04). PS: I have not installed the ubuntu-restricted-extras, just vlc.