MP4 files use temporal compression, which makes "scrubbing" (dragging) through the timeline laggy or inaccurate as Maya tries to calculate compressed frames.
By default, Maya often only supports .avi (Windows) or .mov (Mac) for playblasts. How to Get an MP4: Maya.mp4
In Maya, create an and check the box for Use Image Sequence . MP4 files use temporal compression, which makes "scrubbing"
Use a tool like FFmpeg or Shutter Encoder to export your MP4 as a series of images. Use a tool like FFmpeg or Shutter Encoder
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.
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
Convert your video into an Image Sequence (e.g., JPEG or PNG).