Open a video file

On Mac, Watchpost opens local videos in a separate Video File window. You can review an archive export without reconnecting to the recorder.

Open one or several files

Choose File → Open… or press ⌘O, then select the files. The picker starts in the configured recordings folder when that folder exists. Cancel closes the picker without opening a player.

MP4, M4V and MOV files go directly to the system player. For other selected files, Watchpost tries its Xiongmai recorder-stream reader, including recorder files with extensions such as .h264 or .h265. An extension alone does not identify a compatible recording: an arbitrary H.264 stream or another manufacturer’s proprietary file may fail to open.

If you select several files, Watchpost sorts them by filename in natural order and plays them back to back on one timeline. For example, clip2.mp4 comes before clip10.mp4. Selection order does not set playback order. Gaps in the original recording times do not become gaps in this viewing timeline.

This joins files for viewing only. It does not save a combined file or modify the originals. To create one MP4 from an archive interval, use the export form.

Wait for preparation

Recorder files may show Preparing for playback… with progress. Watchpost repackages their supported video and audio into an MP4 cache; it leaves the source file in place. A later opening can reuse the prepared copy if the source path, size and modification time still match.

Cache files use space on the Mac. During preparation, Watchpost removes cache entries older than a week; this is not a weekly background cleanup. Keep the original files if you need them again.

When the reader finds a recording timestamp, the window shows Recorded with the device’s time. Treat it as the recorder’s clock reading, rather than a converted local time. Ordinary MP4 files do not gain that label from their filenames. If several files contain timestamps, the subtitle uses the first timestamp found and does not list each file’s time.

Playback controls

Playback starts after preparation. Use the player’s floating controls to pause, move along the timeline and step through frames. The native player also offers playback-speed controls and Picture in Picture. Available playback depends on the Mac’s codec support and the contents of the file.

Closing the window stops its player. This window has no camera connection or device settings to save.

If a file does not play

File not found means a selected source is no longer at that path. Locate the original and open it again. A message that the app cannot play the video can mean an unsupported recorder format or a stream with no readable video. Preparation can also fail when a file is damaged or the Mac cannot write the cache.

MP4, M4V and MOV use the native player without a separate compatibility check first. A window that has finished preparation does not prove the file will decode correctly. Check picture and sound before handing it over; for recorder files, retain the original alongside any export.

iPhone, iPad and Android

The multi-file Video File window is a Mac feature. On iPhone and iPad, share the completed export from Downloads and open it in a compatible app. Android offers Open for one successfully published export, which launches an external app, and Share for published files. See Export recordings for destinations and publication limits.