Numerous studies compared the effectiveness of various formats of video-based teaching, yet their focus has primarily been on relatively straightforward content, such as concepts and basic procedures. Research on the effectiveness of teaching complex content through different formats of videos remains limited. This study addresses this gap by conducting a well-controlled comparison between recorded video and narrated animation in the context of teaching physics problem-solving, a challenging content area with easily measurable difficulty levels. The study employed a controlled experimental design with a sample of 361 upper secondary school students who had been randomly assigned to seven classes within a selected secondary school by the school administrator. Data were collected using pre- and post-test assessments that measured students' problem-solving performance after video-based teaching. The results indicated that the effectiveness of recorded videos featuring the teacher's face was not significantly different from that of narrated animations that did not include the teacher's face, irrespective of the content's difficulty level. These findings provide valuable insights for educators in selecting appropriate teaching formats for teaching challenging content through video-based education. They contribute to our understanding of teaching strategies and have practical implications for educators seeking to optimise teaching approaches in similar contexts.