In this guide
Capture the code and the surrounding eventAdd one layer of concrete evidencePrepare a minimal reproducible account“Video error 3” is more useful than no detail, but it is still not a complete diagnosis. A browser MediaError code describes a broad failure category. Support needs the selected media, the point of failure and relevant request or decoder evidence to investigate further.
Collect the smallest useful record from the affected session. Reinstalling or clearing all data before recording the event can remove the context that distinguishes a source problem from a local transition.
Capture the code and the surrounding event
Record the numeric code, any message, player/browser version and observation time. Note whether failure occurred before the first frame, after a seek, at a programme boundary or during steady playback. If your own code changed the source or called load, include that action in the sequence.
In an original hypothetical session, a user selects channel B while channel A is still loading. The old request is aborted, then B plays successfully. Logging the abort without its source identity could make a successful transition look like a current outage. Event ordering prevents that misinterpretation.
Add one layer of concrete evidence
For a network category, identify the earliest relevant failed request and whether it produced an HTTP response. For a decode category, record the selected codec configuration and the media position. For a source-unsuitable category, compare the requested type with the actual response, including the possibility of an HTML error page delivered with 200.
Do not assume code 3 proves a hardware decoder defect or code 4 proves an account problem. The category is a starting point. Likewise, do not translate a server’s 403 into packet loss; it is an application response with a different meaning.
Prepare a minimal reproducible account
State the permitted item, action, result and whether the behavior repeats. Include the last working state and first failing dependency when known. Redact account tokens, authorization headers and signed query values; keep the role and relative path sufficient for an operator to locate the event.
A report can say: “After a seek to 12:30, MediaError code 3 occurred; the selected format was X; the preceding media request completed; playback had worked before the seek.” That report remains useful without declaring an unproven cause. If the next attempt succeeds, include that too, because intermittent and deterministic failures need different follow-up evidence.
- Capture exact error and playback stage.
- Preserve source identity and action order.
- Add request evidence or selected format as appropriate.
- Report repetition and redact secrets.