Separate the package from its tracks
A container holds media tracks and related information. A video codec describes how one picture stream is encoded; audio and subtitle tracks have their own representations. Android's official format table separates these concepts.
An MP4 or MKV extension therefore cannot establish the whole decoding requirement. Two files with the same extension can exercise different capabilities. A player opening the container is an earlier success than decoding every track correctly.
Record the configuration that matters
For the video, collect codec, profile, dimensions, frame rate and bit-depth information where a reliable inspection exposes it. For audio, record codec, channel layout and selected language or description. For subtitles, identify text or image format and the intended language.
Do not invent missing fields from a subscription tier or a logo. If a diagnostic does not expose the property, record it as unknown and ask the legitimate source or player developer.
Include the actual playback path
Record the app version, operating system, hardware and output destination. A built-in platform decoder and a player-supplied decoder may have different scope. An HDMI receiver adds output requirements after decoding.
A framework support table is useful primary evidence, but it is not a completed certification of every third-party app on every model. Its profile and device qualifications remain part of the claim.
Make the comparison small
Use one authorised known reference and the failing item without changing the entire setup. State which stage succeeds: container opens, video plays, audio plays, selected subtitle appears, seeking works. A partial success helps avoid a vague unsupported-format diagnosis.
If another player works, record its version and output route. That demonstrates a different playback path, not automatically a defect in the first application.
Keep the resulting statement conditional
A useful note says the specific file configuration worked on a stated app and device. It does not say all MKV files work or every programme is native4K. Keep source specifications separate from the display's output mode.
This guide defines a documentation-based compatibility record. No media sample, decoder benchmark or IPTV Canada account was tested here, and no unknown binary or external codec package is certified.
Keep unknowns visible
If the source changes adaptively or the app does not expose a property, mark the field unknown rather than copying another programme's values. The requirement record is useful because it states its limits. It should be updated when the selected source, track or output route changes, rather than becoming a permanent claim about the whole subscription.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- Android supported media formats — Official current documentation excerpts: container/codec and profile qualifications. No device-wide or IPTV player guarantee inferred from a framework table.
- FFmpeg ffprobe documentation — Official current tool documentation excerpt: stream selection and structured inspection. Example command is proposed for an authorised local file, not executed here.
- Android codec capabilities — Official current API documentation excerpt: profile/level and format capability queries; developer mechanism, not a consumer menu or completed device test.
