topic Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB in Other/General

Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Thommo — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:43:24 GMT

I have converted a few of my Blu-Ray films to mp4 format so I can keep the HD format,

However some of my conversions are larger than 2GB and will not play on the built in video player nor will it play on any 3rd party players including MOBO Player,

So my question is why or is there a limit on file size - If and I have decreased the file size to less that 2GB keeping the aspect ratio it plays fine

I have ruled out Audio bitrate, Frame rate, Resolution and Aspect ratio.

I find nothing on any documents stating the maximum file size so if it is out there could someone direct me to this and if it does not exsist could a Sony mod explain why this detail has been omitted from the manuals,

My phone knows the video is there, It is not larger than the FAT32 maximum limit or the FAT16 limit also 4GB unless in the case of FAT16 Sony has programmed the Xperia S to run like a Windows 98 or Millenium operating system.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Samuel1 — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 08:55:14 GMT

The limit of storage format is based on the defiance of Windows and Linux. PC's are mostly on Windows, which formats the hard drive as FAT32 or NTFS, while Linux are on exFAT. Both FAT32 or exFAT are extended from the standard FAT format, on which has a file size limitation of 2GB. Therefore, files smaller than 2GB can be transferred between the two types of storage without any problem, while larger files may cause a corruption. Android is an operating system with a Linux core and phones with Android has an internal storage of exFAT. This is the reason why you are not able to play movies larger than 2GB when you transfer them from your PC.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

PVV — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:13:24 GMT

I have 18 months old Acer A500 with Android 4.0.3 and it perfectly plays even 8gb video files cause it even has NTFS support since Honeycomb 3.2 and before that it played any video up to 4gb size). So it has nothing to do with Android itself it is only Sony own poor software problem.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Samuel1 — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:18:21 GMT

If Acer have made some kind of solution for it, it most definitely is an issue with Android. If it wasn't, they wouldn't have to build in NTFS support by themselves.

However, I will forward this internally for further investigation.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

fredrik — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:07:37 GMT

I thought that Android was using ext4 as default file system, and FAT was used for SD-cards, am I wrong?

I have a follow up question regarding the file system on Xperia S.

Nexus devices such as Galxy Nexus ans Nexus 7, has "one big" partion shared between apps and users storage.

Since the Xperia S does not have external memory card, what is the point of have a 2 GB system partion and a 26 GB memory card partition.

I could understand it on GB when you could mount the phone with MSF, but since ICS, only MTP is supported, so why not make it possible to partition the internal memory, same as the nexus devices.

I would have really preferred to have one big storage, instead of having a 2 GB limit for apps.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Samuel1 — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:22:03 GMT

That might be true for the phone memory, but not for the storage space. I'm not really sure.

EDIT: Realized my answer was a bit confusing. But the memory have 3 parts, one for android (ext3/4 - not 100% sure), "app storage" and file storage. The file/app storage is exFAT.

Regarding storage I believe it's partitioned to prevent loss of pictures/music etc when updating/repairing phone software. If it was all just one big partition you would lose everything in case of a system failure or repair. Now you will at least have the (for most people) important things safe.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Thommo — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:56:47 GMT

Your answer is flawed and it would appear you have simply copied and pasted some answer that you believe to be true and if this is what Sony told you to say then have a word with them

FAT32 can only format a drive up to 32 GB - Sonys memory on this phone

The maximum file size on a FAT32 formatted drive is around 4 GB

FAT16 can only format a drive up to 2GB on some O/S 4GB

The maximum file size is 2GB (Limit Only by Volume Size)

exFAT can only format a drive up to 128PB and has a file size limit of 16 Exabytes

So where do you pull 2GB file size limit from on a FAT32 or exFAT formated drive

Are our phones running FAT16 in some sort of Raid format with "16" 2GB memory chips

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

PVV — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:33:10 GMT

It is another example of poor software from Sony (regarding storage partitioning). One of main ideas for ICS by Google was the elimination of memory partion on app storage and general storage. That is the very thing why the mass storage mode is disabled by default on Android 4.0. All other ICS devices I have seen doesn't have that partition. Sony just took the worse part from both system - no mass storage mode and still memory partion. Tells a lot about Sony software developers.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

fredrik — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:42:13 GMT

I just checked the white papers for Xperia V and T, and they also have the same partition layout as XS. These phones are designed with ICS in mind and Sony still uses an old Android partition design.

Not enough they have a 2GB data partion and a SD-card partion, there is also a ext-card partion if you use an external memeory.

This must get very confusing for unexpericned users to get a logic on how they shall store their files in an optimal way.

Why not integrate /data and /sd-card?. Then you can rid of the "move app to sd-card", like on nexus 7.

Does anyone know if you can mount the ext-card on Xperia V and T as MSF?

Edit: Comment: Samsung G S 3, is using shared space between mountpoint /data and /sd-card.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Thommo — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:35:43 GMT

Any chance of getting a propper answer on this and not one from a Xperia Support member that I and we are to accept because they carry the title Xperia Support,

Further more I have carried out more tests on other machines or the computer kind 1 been linux and the other FAT32 and both played my video files which are 2.2GB in size so saying FAT32 and exFAT can't play these files is rubbish,

Just because on a UK cigarette packet it has pictures of for example The human lungs saying Smoking Kills does not make me a Doctor or an expert in this field and the same goes for the Xperia Support members on here the title you carry does not make you all knowing and what you say is not always the correct answer - So can we please get the correct answer and remove the Assumed answered title as this is far from answered

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Johan — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:56:11 GMT

I would like to say that I do not have any definitive answer on this (yet). I will have to escalate this issue for investigation.

Right now I'm running some tests myself to get a better understanding of this.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

AliWiseman — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:53:38 GMT

While this is not a solution to the issue, you could probably circumvent the problem by changing the file to a divX format. I'd be surprised if that would exceed 2 gig.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Thommo — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:04:53 GMT

I have been able to shrink the files larger than 2GB to slightly less than 2GB and keep the mp4 HD format however doing so I have lost picture quality on some scenes for example the New Avengers movie

Converting to divx or xvid would mean I loose the HD quality I even tried flv to keep the HD quality but still certain films are telling me that the best size to keep everything intact is 2.2GB

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

Johan — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:02:04 GMT

I have done some tests and checked with some colleagues.

This problem is not related to file system. It's seems to be related to Android multimedia framework.

In Android GB the multimedia framework is limited to 2GB and enhanced to 4GB in ICS.

But app's that run their own framework/parses can also use code without this limitation.

Re: Video File Size Larger Than 2GB

stigge — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 07:13:35 GMT

I use a PC to transfer a 3GB video file ( mp4 ) for later play on a mini player connected to my TV. The 3 GB file is transfered to an SD card. Then I play from the mini player to my TV , I can only watch 2GB and the video will freeze. I have tried to format my SD card with FAT32 and later NTFS, but only 2GB will be played. I have read all the comments but don"t see any solution.