Perian 1.1.1 released
Perian, the free QuickTime codec pack, was just updated to v1.1.1. It allows you to play back more obscure media in QuickTime such as Flash FLV, DivX, 3ivx and MKV.
Changes:
* H.264 in AVI fixed
* Some anamorphic AVI files are now supported
* Performance problems due to PIC fixed with Xcode 3.1
* Incorrect frame skipping on H.264 intra frames fixed
* Better character set detection
* The update checker is now much more polite
* Several parsing and rendering bugs with subtitles fixed
* Player freezing while loading subtitles with embedded fonts fixed
* Audio fixed for some older MKV files with AAC/FLAC
* Strange values in MKV chapters or video sizes are handled better
* Initial support for SAMI subtitles added
* Worked around a QuickTime bug (#5770288) causing frames to be lost during export
* New codecs: DosBox ZMBV, VP6+Alpha, Nellymoser ASAO
* FFmpeg: Crashing on PPC G3 fixed
* Fraps decoding artifacts fixed
Perian can be downloaded for free from
Perian.org.
[via
TUAW]
Posted by Jon Chappell on Sep 30 2008 to
QuickTime,
Utilities,
SoftwarePermalinkQuickTime 7.5.5 released
Apple today released QuickTime 7.5.5 to coincide with
iTunes 8,
FrontRow and various other patches released today. The update is required for the latest iTunes update and also fixes vulnerabilities from maliciously-crafted movies and images. If you just use your machine for editing, this patch is not necessary. If you are likely to be using iTunes 8 or doing a lot of web surfing on your FCP machine (it's ideally best to avoid using your FCP machine for other purposes) I would advise waiting around for at least a week for any issues to surface.
As always, only update if it is absolutely necessary, NEVER update in the middle of a project unless there is a serious problem preventing you from completing the project, and always
clone your disk before updating so that you have an exact copy of your original configuration to revert back to.
QuickTime 7.5.5 for LeopardQuickTime 7.5.5 for TigerPosted by Jon Chappell on Sep 10 2008 to
QuickTime,
Apple,
Final Cut StudioPermalinkApple releases ProRes codecs for non-FCP machines
A couple of days ago, Apple released
Apple ProRes QuickTime Decoder 1.0 for Mac and
Apple ProRes QuickTime Decoder 1.0 for Windows. This allows Windows users and Mac users without Final Cut Pro 6 installed on their machines to view ProRes-encoded files. This is great because in my experience, there are very few options when it comes to sending high-quality files to Windows machines and it should aid adoption of the ProRes format.
It should be noted, however, that you still need Final Cut Pro 6 in order to write ProRes files.
P.S. Sorry for the lack of updates but I haven't had internet access in about a month, which sucks big time.
Posted by Jon Chappell on Aug 30 2008 to
QuickTime,
Video Editing,
ApplePermalinkQuickTime 7.5 released
"
QuickTime 7.5 improves application compatibility and addresses security issues."
The timing suggests it is related to the recent iPhone announcements so I doubt this patch does much for ProApp users.
I have heard
reports of crashes, choppiness and missing audio although of course your mileage may vary. It is always better to sit on updates for a while to check for problems before installing. I would not advise installing this one though because it probably won't offer ProApp users anything new.
And remember the Golden Rules - never update in the middle of a project and always have a
clone.
Edit: This update points directly to the QuickTime site rather than a specific file on the server. This makes me think that Apple will no longer be
keeping old versions around so make sure to back this up.
Posted by Jon Chappell on Jun 10 2008 to
Apple,
Software,
QuickTimePermalinkWhy does QuickTime report a different resolution?
Ever wondered why QuickTime reports a completely different resolution to the one you exported at?
Welcome to the world of non-square pixels. NTSC and PAL use rectangular pixels to fill up space on the screen and save transmission bandwidth, which was more of an issue when the standards were invented. Computer monitors use square pixels and so QuickTime has to squeeze one side of the image in order to prevent it looking stretched. This is purely for display and the file is not modified.
The pixel aspect ratio of NTSC footage is 0.889 meaning 720 x 0.889 = 640 so it is displayed at 640x480. For PAL it is 1.067 so 720 x 1.067 = 768 and it is displayed at 768x576.
QuickTime also has some options for controlling how the movie is displayed. Open up your movie, go to
Window > Show Movie Properties and click on the Presentation tab.
You will see an option marked "Conform aperture to:" with the following options:
Classic - Classic is identical to having the conform aperture setting switched off.
Clean - Scales the image to compensate for the pixel aspect ratio and crops it to mimic the overscan on a broadcast monitor.
Production - Scales the image to compensate for the pixel aspect ratio but does not crop the image.
Encoded Pixels - No modification is made to the footage. Note the stretching caused by non-square pixels.
This is one of the many reasons why a broadcast monitor is essential.
Posted by Jon Chappell on Apr 13 2008 to
Video Editing,
Analysis,
QuickTimePermalinkQuickTime 7.4.5 released
Apple just released QuickTime 7.4.5 to coincide with the release of iTunes 7.6.2 and Front Row 2.1.3. The coincidence of these releases suggests that the QT update specifically affects those applications and offers no specific benefits to Final Cut Studio. If you have a working system, DON'T install it!
On the other hand, if your system is not working, you have nothing to lose. I'd advise cloning your system beforehand though, as a non-working system could potentially be made even worse by this update.
Here are the links... use at your peril!
QuickTime 7.4.5 for PantherQuickTime 7.4.5 for TigerQuickTime 7.4.5 for LeopardI have also updated our
list of QuickTime downloads.
Posted by Jon Chappell on Apr 3 2008 to
Apple,
Video Editing,
QuickTimePermalinkUsing Pacifist to downgrade QuickTime
Since I often need to use this information for reference, I am posting a guide here. As you may already be aware, certain versions of QuickTime can cause havoc with Final Cut Pro and other professional applications like After Effects. For example, many users of FCP 4.5 HD have been unable to capture long clips after installing QuickTime 7.3 and up.
Apple does not offer a means of uninstalling a rogue version of QuickTime so the solution is rather "hacky". It will solve the problem but for best results, you are recommended to perform a full Erase and Install to reinstall Mac OS X.
Also, don't perform this process unless it is absolutely necessary.
1.
Download Pacifist.
2.
Check which version of QuickTime works best with your software.
3.
Download the version of QuickTime you wish to downgrade to.
4. Start up Pacifist and drag the
QuickTime package onto the Pacifist logo in the main window.
5. A new window will pop up. Use the disclosure triangles to select the following two directories:
System/Library/Components
System/Library/QuickTime
It might be worth backing up the existing
/System/Library/Components and
/System/Library/QuickTime directories on your hard disk before performing this.
6. Now click
Install up the top.
7. You will get this message, click
Install and then type in your admin password:
8. It will spend a minute or so extracting and verifying files then this message will appear:
Click
"Don't ask again for this installation" and then hit
Replace.
9. When it finishes, restart your machine. If you go to QuickTime Player, it will still say the version number of the old version but if you open Final Cut Pro, it will now work as it did previously.
Full credit for this tip goes to
Fred Turner.
Edit 2/17/08: Fixed a couple of errors.
Update 11/16/08: Erik Smith sent me another
solution to the issue, although I would definitely say try it at your own risk.
Posted by Jon Chappell on Feb 15 2008 to
Apple,
QuickTime,
Final Cut StudioPermalinkQuickTime 7.4.1
Apple today released an update to QuickTime, to bring it up to version 7.4.1. This update "addresses security issues and improves compatibility with third-party applications".
The big question everyone is asking is: does it fix the dreaded
After Effects 10 minute rendering bug?
Initial testing would indicate yes.
As always, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And definitely don't install it if you have a Final Cut Pro version lower than 6.0.2.
QuickTime 7.4.1 for LeopardQuickTime 7.4.1 for TigerQuickTime 7.4.1 for PantherUpdate: Macworld
claims that an Apple spokesperson confirmed to them that this fixes the After Effects issue.
Update 2/7/08: Adobe
confirms this.
Posted by Jon Chappell on Feb 6 2008 to
Apple,
QuickTime,
Video EditingPermalinkRecommended QuickTime and Mac OS configurations for Final Cut Pro
As the recent
QuickTime 7.3 and
7.4 updates show, it is important to choose your Mac OS and QuickTime configurations carefully to match your Final Cut Pro version.
I have been developing this list of optimal configurations for a while now. It is based on my own experiences and the recommendations of others. As such, it is somewhat subjective. If your own experiences differ, feel free to let me know and I will update the page.
Note: This page is designed to give the most compatible configurations for
old versions of Final Cut Pro. If you have the latest version of FCP, you should simply use the latest OS X and QuickTime versions. But don't upgrade in the middle of a project.
| Final Cut Pro Version | Mac OS Version | QuickTime Version | | 6.0.6 | 10.5.8 | 7.6.6 |
| 6.0.5 | 10.5.6 | 7.5.5 |
| 6.0.4 | 10.5.5 | 7.5.5 |
| 6.0.3 | 10.4.11 / 10.5.2 | 7.4.5 |
| 6.0.2 | 10.4.11 / 10.5.1 | 7.3.1 |
| 5.1.4 | 10.4.11 | 7.1.6 |
| 5.0.4 | 10.4.11 | 7.1.6 |
| 4.5 | 10.3.9 | 6.5 |
| 3.0.4 | 10.2.8 Update 2 | 6.2 |
| 3.0 | 10.2.8 Update 2 | 5.0.6 |
| 2.0.2 | 9.2.2 | 5.0.1 |
| 1.2.5 | 9.2.2 | 4.1.3 |
| 1.2.1 | 8.6 | 4.1.1 |
| 1.0.1 | 8.6 | 4.0.3 |
| 1.0 | 8.6 | 4b16 |
Posted by Jon Chappell on Jan 25 2008 to
Apple,
Final Cut Studio,
QuickTimePermalink
Cut Notes
CinePlay
Aspect Ratio Matte Generator
Video Space Calculator
KollaborateCloud platform for pro video
Pro Maintenance ToolsMaintain, optimize and troubleshoot your editing system
Pro Media ToolsMedia and workflow management for video pros
CinePlayProfessional video player
Post HasteCreate projects from customizable templates
Preference ManagerTrash, backup, lock and restore preferences for your video apps
FCS RemoverUninstall Final Cut Studio and FCPX