Why is vehicle playback not working?

Issue Title

Playback not working

Issue Summary

Vehicle playback may not work when historical location data is unavailable, incomplete, delayed, or not processed correctly by the system. For video telematics vehicles, playback may also be affected when the required video recording, event data, or media file is not available or cannot be retrieved from the device.

Symptoms / How to Identify

Normal Telematics

Playback does not start.
Vehicle movement is not displayed for the selected period.
Playback shows incomplete movement.
Vehicle remains stationary during playback.
Selected date/time shows no available data.
Playback does not match the actual historical journey.

Video Telematics

Vehicle route playback is unavailable.
Video playback does not start or shows a loading/error message.
Video is missing for a specific time period.
Video is available for some events but not others.
Video and vehicle location/timestamp do not match.
Event footage cannot be downloaded or retrieved.
Location playback works, but the associated video is unavailable.

Information Required Before Troubleshooting

Collect the following information:

Common Information
Vehicle/Object name or ID
Device IMEI/Serial Number
Device model and protocol
Selected date and time range
Expected trip/event time
Screenshot or error message
Last available historical data
Relevant Status/Raw Data
Whether the issue affects one vehicle or multiple vehicles

Additional Information for Video Telematics

Camera/MDVR/DVR device details
Channel/camera number
Event type, if applicable
Exact video/event timestamp
Whether the video was expected to be recorded locally or uploaded
Video availability on the device, if accessible
Screenshot of the video playback error

Troubleshooting Steps

Check on Device

Normal Telematics

Verify that the tracking device was powered ON during the selected period.
Check whether the device generated GPS/location data.
Verify GPS and network connectivity.
Check whether the device stored historical data during any network interruption.
Verify whether stored data was retransmitted after connectivity was restored.
Check the device's data transmission configuration.

Video Telematics

Verify that the video telematics device/MDVR was powered ON during the selected period.
Check whether the required camera/channel was connected and functioning.
Verify that the device was recording during the selected period.
Check available storage/SD card/HDD status.
Verify whether the required video file exists on the device.
Check network connectivity if video is expected to be uploaded or retrieved remotely.
Verify camera configuration and recording settings.
Check whether the device generated the relevant event/video metadata.

Check in System

Normal Telematics

Verify that historical location data exists for the selected date/time.
Open Status/Raw Data and check the same period.
Check whether location records are available before and after the selected period.
Verify the selected playback date and time range.
Check whether history or reports contain data for the same period.
Try playback for another date or vehicle to determine whether the issue is vehicle-specific.

Video Telematics

Verify that the vehicle has location data for the selected period.
Check whether the corresponding video/event record exists.
Verify the selected camera/channel.
Check whether the video file is available in the system.
Compare the video timestamp with the vehicle GPS timestamp.
Check whether the video can be retrieved/downloaded.
Try another event, channel, or time period to determine whether the issue is specific to a particular recording.
Verify whether the issue affects only video playback or both location and video playback.

C. Compare and Identify

No historical GPS data on the device: Investigate device, power, GPS, or data transmission.
GPS data exists but is not available in the system: Investigate communication or system data processing.
GPS data exists but playback does not work: Investigate the playback/system module.
Video file does not exist on the device: Investigate recording, storage, camera, or device configuration.
Video exists on the device but cannot be retrieved in the system: Investigate network, communication, or video retrieval services.
Video exists in the system but does not play: Investigate video format, storage, media service, or playback functionality.
Location playback works but video does not: Focus troubleshooting on the video telematics device, recording, storage, or video service.

Possible Causes

Normal Telematics

No historical GPS data available.
Device was offline.
Device was powered OFF.
GPS/network connectivity issue.
Historical data was not transmitted.
Missing or incomplete historical records.
Incorrect date/time selection.
System data processing issue.
Playback service/module issue.

Video Telematics

Camera not connected or malfunctioning.
MDVR/DVR powered OFF.
Recording was disabled or incorrectly configured.
Storage/SD card/HDD issue.
Storage capacity exceeded.
Video file was overwritten or unavailable.
Network connectivity issue.
Video was not uploaded/retrieved.
Incorrect camera/channel selection.
Device firmware or protocol issue.
Video processing/storage service issue.
Playback compatibility or media-service issue.

Resolution / Action

First confirm whether the required GPS and/or video data exists on the device and whether it has been received and stored in the system.

For normal telematics, verify historical GPS data, device connectivity, and system playback availability.

For video telematics, additionally verify the camera, recording status, storage, video file availability, event metadata, and video retrieval.

If the required data exists in the system but playback is not working, escalate to the technical/system team. Provide the vehicle ID, IMEI, selected date/time, device model, camera/channel details where applicable, screenshots, error messages, and relevant raw/video data information.