01 / GETTING STARTED
How to diagnose a media file with codecpeek.
Codecpeek is a browser-based diagnostic tool. No account, no install, no terminal.
Open the app
Go to the App page — you will see a large drop-zone in the centre of the screen.
Select your file
Drag any audio or video file onto the drop-zone, or click it to browse. The file must be under 50 MB. Supported containers include MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, OGG, WMA and M4A — but ffprobe supports hundreds more, so try your file even if it is not listed.
Wait for analysis
ffprobe reads your file on the server — typically 1–5 seconds for a normal-size file. A progress bar shows the status.
Read the report
A verdict banner at the top flags any issues immediately. Below that, stream cards show every property in labelled key-value pairs. Thumbnails extracted from the video appear at the bottom.
Export the data (optional)
Click Download as JSON to save the full analysis as a machine-readable file. Your original file is deleted from the server the moment analysis completes — it is never stored.
02 / FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The questions most people ask.
Your browser or network may be timing out. Try these steps:
- Check that the file is not corrupt (can you open it in a local media player?).
- Try a different browser — Chrome and Firefox are tested most thoroughly.
- Rename the file extension if it is unusual; ffprobe inspects the container header, not the filename, so the extension is only for the browser's file picker.
- Clear your browser cache and reload the app page.
- If the file still will not upload, run
ffprobe -v error -show_format -show_streams yourfile.mp4locally and email the output to codecpeek@agen2ic.ai.
Not through the free tier — the 50 MB limit applies to anonymous users. The Pro plan supports files up to 100 MB once implemented. For larger files now, run ffprobe locally:
ffprobe -v error -show_format -show_streams -output_format json yourfile.mp4
ffprobe is included in ffmpeg (free, cross-platform). The JSON output is the same format codecpeek's Download button produces. The Pro plan will support larger files once implemented.
Browsers only decode a small set of codecs natively. H.264 (AVC), AAC, MP3 and Opus in a compatible container usually work. H.265 (HEVC), VP9, AV1, FLAC and many others need either a dedicated player application or a conversion step. The report names exactly which codec the browser cannot handle — that is the one you need to transcode.
Codecpeek does not convert files — it tells you which codec is the problem. A tool like HandBrake or ffmpeg can do the conversion.
No. Codecpeek is a diagnostic instrument — it reads and reports. It does not transcode, repair, re-encode, or modify files in any way. If the file is structurally damaged (truncated, corrupt at the container level), ffprobe will report what it can parse, but the product cannot fix it. The output is meant to inform the next step: which tool to use, which codec to choose, what needs to change.
Your file is uploaded to the server, processed by ffprobe in memory, and deleted within the same HTTP request. It is never written to disk on the server, never indexed, never shown to another visitor, never used as an example. The analysis result exists only in your browser session. See the Privacy page for full details.
Not necessarily. A file without a video stream (e.g. a pure audio file like MP3 or WAV) will show "not present" for video properties — that is correct behaviour, not an error. Similarly, a file without metadata tags will show "not present" for those fields. Codecpeek never guesses a value from the file extension; it only reports what ffprobe finds in the actual stream headers. Missing fields are an honest reflection of the file's structure, not a bug.
03 / KNOWN LIMITATIONS
What this product does not do — and is not planned to.
This section is honest about what is not built yet, not possible in the current architecture, or deliberately out of scope.
Codecpeek reads files only. It cannot convert, repair, re-encode, or fix anything. If you need to convert a file to a different codec or container, use tools like HandBrake or ffmpeg.
Files are deleted after analysis. There is no gallery, no history, no way to revisit a previous report. Save the JSON export if you need the data later.
There is no login, no user profile, no saved preferences. Every visit is anonymous. If you clear your browser's localStorage, the theme preference resets.
Free users are limited to 50 MB uploads. The Pro tier (once implemented and live) allows files up to 100 MB. Larger files require local ffprobe.
There is no public API endpoint. The Pro plan (described on the Pricing page) is in proposal stage — Stripe checkout is not live and the Pro features are not yet functional.
Codecpeek cannot send alerts, digests, reminders, or notifications. There is no email sender in this system. If you need to save results, use the JSON download.
No legal entity has been registered yet. The operator will supply the entity name, address, and jurisdiction before any binding legal documents (terms, DPA) can be finalised. Until then, codecpeek is provided on a best-effort basis.
04 / CONTACT
Need a human? We are here.
Most questions are answered above or on the Privacy and Terms pages. If your issue is not covered, email us and we will respond.
Emails are answered by a human within 1–2 business days. Please include the file's container and codec information (if you have it) so we can diagnose faster.