I see the same thing across several *.m4v files that have previously worked fine. Verbose execution of mplayer follows (username and file name redacted): Ubuntu 14.04 3.13.0-33-generic #58-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jul 29 16:47:17 UTC 2014 i686 athlon i686 GNU/Linux _mplayer -v [filename].m4v_ MPlayer 1.1-4.8 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team CPU vendor name: AuthenticAMD max cpuid level: 1 CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4200+ (Family: 15, Model: 75, Stepping: 2) extended cpuid-level: 24 extended cache-info: 33587520 Detected cache-line size is 64 bytes Testing OS support for SSE... yes. Tests of OS support for SSE passed. CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 1 3DNowExt: 1 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1 SSSE3: 0 Compiled with runtime CPU detection. get_path('codecs.conf') -> '/home/[myUsername]/.mplayer/codecs.conf' Reading optional codecs config file /home/[myUsername]/.mplayer/codecs.conf: No such file or directory Reading optional codecs config file /etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: No such file or directory Using built-in default codecs.conf. init_freetype Using MMX (with tiny bit MMX2) Optimized OnScreenDisplay get_path('fonts') -> '/home/[myUsername]/.mplayer/fonts' Configuration: --prefix=/usr --confdir=/etc/mplayer --enable-xvmc --enable-menu --enable-radio --enable-radio-capture --disable-arts --language=all --disable-dvdread-internal --disable-libdvdcss-internal --disable-libmpeg2-internal --disable-ffmpeg_a --target=i586-linux --enable-runtime-cpudetection --enable-debug --enable-joystick --disable-gui CommandLine: '-v' '[filename].m4v' Using nanosleep() timing get_path('input.conf') -> '/home/[myUsername]/.mplayer/input.conf' Reading optional input config file /home/[myUsername]/.mplayer/input.conf: No such file or directory Parsing input config file /etc/mplayer/input.conf Input config file /etc/mplayer/input.conf parsed: 92 binds Setting up LIRC support... mplayer: could not connect to socket mplayer: No such file or directory Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control. get_path('[filename].m4v.conf') -> '/home/[myUsername]/.mplayer/[filename].m4v.conf' Playing [filename].m4v. get_path('sub/') -> '/home/[myUsername]/.mplayer/sub/' [file] File size is 839610047 bytes STREAM: [file] [filename].m4v STREAM: Description: File STREAM: Author: Albeu STREAM: Comment: based on the code from ??? (probably Arpi) libavformat version 54.20.4 (external) Mismatching header version 54.20.3 Configuration: --arch=i386 --enable-pthreads --enable-runtime-cpudetect --extra-version='6:9.16-0ubuntu0.14.04.1' --libdir=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu --prefix=/usr --enable-bzlib --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-libgsm --enable-libmp3lame --enable-librtmp --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-vaapi --enable-vdpau --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-zlib --enable-gpl --enable-swscale --enable-libcdio --enable-x11grab --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --shlibdir=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/i686/cmov --cpu=i686 --enable-shared --disable-static LAVF_check: QuickTime / MOV libavformat file format detected. [mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0xb71ef2e0]ISO: File Type Major Brand: mp42 [h264 @ 0xb6a58d00]no picture [mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0xb71ef2e0]All info found ==> Found video stream: 0 ======= VIDEO Format ====== biSize 88 biWidth 720 biHeight 480 biPlanes 0 biBitCount 24 biCompression 875967048='H264' biSizeImage 1036800 Unknown extra header dump: [1] [64] [0] [1e] [ff] [e1] [0] [20] [67] [64] [0] [1e] [ac] [34] [e4] [2] [d0] [f6] [ff] [c0] [1a] [c0] [16] [9a] [83] [0] [83] [20] [0] [4e] [8d] [60] [e] [b5] [37] [51] [e2] [c5] [a2] [40] [1] [0] [5] [68] [ef] [b2] [c8] [b0] =========================== [lavf] stream 0: video (h264), -vid 0 ==> Found audio stream: 1 ======= WAVE Format ======= Format Tag: 8192 (0x2000) Channels: 6 Samplerate: 48000 avg byte/sec: 56000 Block align: 1 bits/sample: 16 cbSize: 0 ========================================================================== [lavf] stream 1: audio (ac3), -aid 0, -alang eng [lavf] stream 2: subtitle (movtext), -sid 0, -slang und LAVF: 1 audio and 1 video streams found LAVF: build 3544067 VIDEO: [H264] 720x480 24bpp -nan fps 1561.0 kbps (190.6 kbyte/s) [V] filefmt:44 fourcc:0x34363248 size:720x480 fps: -nan ftime:= -nan Clip info: major_brand: mp42 minor_version: 0 compatible_brands: mp42isomavc1 creation_time: 2010-03-23 02:21:21 encoder: HandBrake 0.9.4 2009112300 Load subtitles in ./ get_path('sub/') -> '/home/[myUsername]/.mplayer/sub/' X11 opening display: :0.0 vo: X11 color mask: FFFFFF (R:FF0000 G:FF00 B:FF) vo: X11 running at 1440x900 with depth 24 and 32 bpp (":0.0" => local display) [x11] Detected wm supports NetWM. [x11] Detected wm supports FULLSCREEN state. [x11] Detected wm supports ABOVE state. [x11] Detected wm supports BELOW state. [x11] Current fstype setting honours FULLSCREEN ABOVE BELOW X atoms Disabling DPMS DPMSDisable stat: 1 [vdpau] Error when calling vdp_device_create_x11: 1 [VO_XV] Using Xv Adapter #0 (NV17 Video Texture) [xv common] Drawing no colorkey. [xv common] Maximum source image dimensions: 4096x4096 ========================================================================== Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family libavcodec version 54.35.0 (external) Configuration: --arch=i386 --enable-pthreads --enable-runtime-cpudetect --extra-version='6:9.16-0ubuntu0.14.04.1' --libdir=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu --prefix=/usr --enable-bzlib --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-libgsm --enable-libmp3lame --enable-librtmp --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-vaapi --enable-vdpau --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-zlib --enable-gpl --enable-swscale --enable-libcdio --enable-x11grab --enable-libx264 --enable-libxvid --shlibdir=/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/i686/cmov --cpu=i686 --enable-shared --disable-static INFO: libavcodec init OK! Selected video codec: [ffh264] vfm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg H.264) ========================================================================== ========================================================================== Opening audio decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders dec_audio: Allocating 1536000 + 131072 = 1667072 bytes for output buffer. FFmpeg's libavcodec audio codec INFO: libavcodec "ac3" init OK! AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, floatle, 448.0 kbit/14.58% (ratio: 56000->384000) Selected audio codec: [ffac3] afm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg AC-3) ========================================================================== Building audio filter chain for 48000Hz/2ch/floatle -> 0Hz/0ch/??... [libaf] Adding filter dummy [dummy] Was reinitialized: 48000Hz/2ch/floatle [dummy] Was reinitialized: 48000Hz/2ch/floatle Trying preferred audio driver 'pulse', options '[none]' AO: [pulse] 48000Hz 2ch floatle (4 bytes per sample) AO: Description: PulseAudio audio output AO: Author: Lennart Poettering Building audio filter chain for 48000Hz/2ch/floatle -> 48000Hz/2ch/floatle... [dummy] Was reinitialized: 48000Hz/2ch/floatle [dummy] Was reinitialized: 48000Hz/2ch/floatle Starting playback... Increasing filtered audio buffer size from 0 to 100096 Unsupported AVPixelFormat 53 [h264 @ 0xb6a58d00]no picture [ffmpeg] aspect_ratio: 1.783333 VDec: vo config request - 720 x 480 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12) Trying filter chain: vo VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0) Movie-Aspect is 1.78:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect. VO Config (720x480->856x480,flags=0,'MPlayer',0x32315659) VO: [xv] 720x480 => 856x480 Planar YV12 VO: Description: X11/Xv VO: Author: Gerd Knorr