Before working with heavy video files, ensure Autosave is enabled under Windows > Settings/Preferences > Preferences > Files/Projects to prevent data loss if a codec causes a crash.
Many professionals playblast to a high-quality .avi or .webm format and then use Clipchamp or Handbrake to convert it to a standard H.264 MP4 for sharing. Maya.mp4
Convert your video into an Image Sequence (e.g., JPEG or PNG). Before working with heavy video files, ensure Autosave
If you use an MP4 on an image plane, it may drastically slow down your viewport. If it does, switch the image plane's display mode to None when you aren't actively using it as a reference. codec issues - Forums, Autodesk If you use an MP4 on an image
Use a tool like FFmpeg or Shutter Encoder to export your MP4 as a series of images.
If your video won't load, it is likely a missing system-level codec rather than a Maya bug.
MP4 files use temporal compression, which makes "scrubbing" (dragging) through the timeline laggy or inaccurate as Maya tries to calculate compressed frames.