MIME Video

What is MIME Video?

The MIME Video media type is used to indicate the presence of a video file. By defining content as a video file using the appropriate MIME Video media type, computers are able to understand what the file contains and which plugin or application to use in order to play the video file. For example, if the MIME Video type is video/quicktime, the Web browser or email client understands that the file is a video in the QuickTime format. As such, the QuickTime plugin or QuickTime player should be used to play the video.

Dozens of MIME Video subtypes exist, each with its own specifications. Below are some of the more common MIME Video subtypes:

1d-interleaved-parityfec
3gpp
3gpp2
3gpp-tt
BMPEG
BT656
CelB
DV
H261
H263
H263-1998
H263-2000
H264
H264-RCDO
H264-SVC
JPEG
jpeg2000
MJ2
MP1S
MP2P
MP2T
mp4
MP4V-ES
MPV
mpeg
mpeg4-generic
nv
ogg
parityfec
pointer
quicktime
raptorfec
raw
rtp-enc-aescm128
rtx
SMPTE292M
ulpfec
vc1
vnd.CCTV
vnd.dece.hd
vnd.dece.mobile
vnd.dece.mp4
vnd.dece.pd
vnd.dece.sd
vnd.dece.video
vnd.directv.mpeg
vnd.directv.mpeg-tts
vnd.dlna.mpeg-tts
vnd.dvb.file
vnd.fvt
vnd.hns.video
vnd.iptvforum.1dparityfec-1010
vnd.iptvforum.1dparityfec-2005
vnd.iptvforum.2dparityfec-1010
vnd.iptvforum.2dparityfec-2005
vnd.iptvforum.ttsavc
vnd.iptvforum.ttsmpeg2
vnd.motorola.video
vnd.motorola.videop
vnd.mpegurl
vnd.ms-playready.media.pyv
vnd.nokia.interleaved-multimedia
vnd.nokia.videovoip
vnd.objectvideo
vnd.sealed.mpeg1
vnd.sealed.mpeg4
vnd.sealed.swf
vnd.sealedmedia.softseal.mov
vnd.uvvu.mp4
vnd.vivo

How to Open MIME Video

In order to open a MIME Video, your computer must have an application capable of playing that particular MIME Video type. Alternately, if you encounter a MIME Video file on the Internet, your Web browser will need an appropriate plugin to play the video. Because there are dozens of video formats, each with its own specifications and requirements, you may need to have several different players or plugins on your computer.

One of the more common video files is an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) file. Most video players can open this file type because it is so commonly used. If you have a file on your computer with the .mpeg file extension, you'll need a media player to open it. Windows Media Player comes preinstalled on Windows computer. By default, your computer should recognize the MPEG file as a MIME video/mpeg file and launch Windows Media Player automatically when you double-click it. Other MIME Video types may require an alternative player or plugin.

MIME Video Associated Applications

In order to play any type of MIME Video file, you will need either a video player application on your computer or a browser plugin compatible with the hosted video file.

Below are some of the most common media players and plugins used for opening MIME Video files:

Windows Media Player - Preinstalled on Windows computers, this media player is capable of playing a variety of video formats.
Adobe Flash Plugin - The Adobe Flash plugin is a browser add-on that allows you to view Flash videos in your Web browser.
VLC Media Player - An open source media player capable of playing most video formats.
Apple QuickTime - Available as a standalone player that you install on your computer as well as a plugin, QuickTime is one of the best known media players.
RealPlayer - A free media player from Real Networks, RealPlayer supports virtually all audio and video formats.

MIME Video: How to Fix it Quick

Problems with the MIME Video media type often occur when your computer loses its file association for a given video file extension or when you run your Web browser without the required plugin.

To reset a missing file association, go to the Control Panel and find Default Programs. Click on "Associate a file type with a program." Find the video file extension you need to reset such as .avi or .mpeg. Highlight it and click Change Program. Select your desired media player (such as Windows Media Player or RealPlayer) and check the box next to "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file."

If your browser can't play a file, it will usually prompt you to enable the appropriate plugin. Follow the prompts to install the required video plugin.

Below are a few more resources for solving MIME Video errors:
MIME Type Settings for Windows Media Services - Microsoft Knowledge Base article discussing the configuration of servers and browsers for Windows Media files and live broadcasts to stream properly.

The Difference Between ASF and WMV/WMA Files - Microsoft Knowledge Base article explaining the difference between ASF and WMV/WMA files.

Error message when you try to open an ActiveX control-based MIME handler in Windows Internet Explorer 7: "Invalid character" - Microsoft Support discusses a workaround for an issue involving script error messages when trying to open a Flash or .avi file.