# VOD - Playback of files without extension

**URL:** <https://community.wowza.com/t/vod-playback-of-files-without-extension/45635>\
**Category:** Wowza Streaming Engine\
**Created:** [July 15, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/vod-playback-of-files-without-extension/45635 "2015-07-15T12:44:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Adam\_Beck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Adam\_Beck](https://community.wowza.com/u/Adam_Beck)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/vod-playback-of-files-without-extension/45635/1 "2015-07-15T12:44:14Z")

</div>

Hey Im looking into using WOWZA as a VOD system. Currently have live streams being ingested through a separate process and this process stores the files as a single MPEG2/AAC file but does not define a “container” or extension on the files. I can play these files back through VLC but WOWZA seems unable to playback the file. Is the software incapable of doing what im looking for?

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**Author:** ![sal\_jefferson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sal\_jefferson](https://community.wowza.com/u/sal_jefferson)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/vod-playback-of-files-without-extension/45635/2 "2015-07-15T15:28:46Z")

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Hello there.

Have you tried added the prefix _ **mp4:** _ and suffix **_.mp4_** to the stream name in the playback URL? For example:

```auto
rtmp://[ip-address]/vod/_definst_/mp4:some-file.mp4

```

This may play the files. If not you can follow this guide to encode them:

[How to encode video on demand content](https://www.wowza.com/docs/how-to-encode-video-on-demand-content)

Regards,

Salvadore

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sal\_jefferson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sal\_jefferson](https://community.wowza.com/u/sal_jefferson)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/vod-playback-of-files-without-extension/45635/3 "2015-07-15T18:44:13Z")

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Here are the [Wowza specifications](https://www.wowza.com/products/streaming-engine/specifications)

Beyond that I am not sure what else to suggest.

Regards,

Salvadore

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Adam\_Beck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Adam\_Beck](https://community.wowza.com/u/Adam_Beck)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/vod-playback-of-files-without-extension/45635/4 "2015-07-15T15:54:53Z")

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> Hello there.
> 
> Have you tried added the prefix _ **mp4:** _ and suffix **_.mp4_** to the stream name in the playback URL? For example:
> 
> ```auto
> rtmp://[ip-address]/vod/_defisnt_/mp4:some-file.mp4
> 
> ```
> 
> This may play the files. If not you can follow this guide to encode them:
> 
> [How to encode video on demand content](https://www.wowza.com/docs/how-to-encode-video-on-demand-content)
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Salvadore

Unfortunately encoding is not going to be possible as the amount being ingested is too much (think terabytes an hour). I have tried previously what you listed above and tried naming the files as such but to no avail. If i did reencode the files they would play back but thats not an option.