Quicktime needed for viewing MOVs?

Microsoft Windows specific usage questions
Forum rules
Please post only Windows specific questions in this forum category. If you don't know where to post, please read the different forums' rules. Thanks.
Flexman
Blank Cone
Blank Cone
Posts: 32
Joined: 11 Oct 2004 11:59
Location: Graz, Austria
Contact:

Quicktime needed for viewing MOVs?

Postby Flexman » 21 Apr 2006 20:22

When installing Windows new I noticed that VLC won't play MOV files. Seems this is because I did not install Quicktime yet. The same Codec (MJPEG) in an AVI Container works fine.

I heared that MOV is now an open well documented container. So is that true? Why is QuickTime still needed to view it?

DJ
Cone Master
Cone Master
Posts: 8206
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 04:30
Location: Koloa, Hawaii USA

Postby DJ » 21 Apr 2006 20:37

VLC supports MP4v or H.264 with MP4a (ACC) audio in an MP4 or MOV container. This is the same thing that QuickTime currently supports and I for one have experienced no problems even with the newer HD video clips assuming your machine is fast enough to handle these.

Flexman
Blank Cone
Blank Cone
Posts: 32
Joined: 11 Oct 2004 11:59
Location: Graz, Austria
Contact:

Postby Flexman » 21 Apr 2006 20:43

Yes my machine is fast enough but the Codec is MJPEG as used in Konica Minolta digital cameras.

DJ
Cone Master
Cone Master
Posts: 8206
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 04:30
Location: Koloa, Hawaii USA

Postby DJ » 21 Apr 2006 23:12

It seems you are missing the point, so I will try to be more direct.

You say: "The same Codec (MJPEG) in an AVI Container works fine. "

1. VLC is not a Direct Show player so it does not use codecs as such. It uses its own libraries to decode media files.

2. This is not part of the QuickTime MOV or MP4 container format specification and I would tend to believe that even if you install QuickTime you will also need to install some third party package in order to gain support.

3. While I believe that any format should be compatible with any container and all containers should be capable of streaming, that's not how it is in the real world.

Flexman
Blank Cone
Blank Cone
Posts: 32
Joined: 11 Oct 2004 11:59
Location: Graz, Austria
Contact:

Postby Flexman » 24 Apr 2006 10:37

I tried it again now: Same Codec in an AVI works. Same Codec in MOV worked in VLC when Quicktime was installed.

The reason why I was asking is because someone explained to me that MOV is a very good container format and some kind of open format and you can put anything into a MOV. But I dislike MOV. And VLC is always a good reference for me if something is good or not. :-)

But I still do not understand why one says you can put anything into a MOV and the next one says MJPG for MOV is not specified or if MOV now is open or not.

DJ
Cone Master
Cone Master
Posts: 8206
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 04:30
Location: Koloa, Hawaii USA

Postby DJ » 25 Apr 2006 01:46

MP4 and MOV were developed by Apple Computer for their format types. It is a container. Yes! I agree that all containers should be compatible with all formats. But that is not the way it is in the real world.

VLC is NOT a Direct Show player it uses its own libraries to decode media files. What this means is that other players codecs will not effect VLC's operation. Nor will VLC effect another player. So the presents or absence of Quicktime will make no difference to the file types or formats that VLC will support. The only exception I am aware of is WMV where WMP 10 is required for VLC to use this format and only under Windows.

VLC is not as dependent on container or file types as other players are and will attempt to play more combinations of formats and containers than any other player out there. However when it comes to transcoding you must know your native combinations for other players to have some kind of compatibility. While VLC may play these, other players may not be able to.

The MOV container is not as versatile in this regard as some others like MPEG-PS or MPEG-TS or even Matroska (MKA & MKV). Now I'm not saying there is something wrong with the MOV container, however the MJPEG format in this container is rather unusual and I doubt that QuickTime supports this natively. However the MJPEG in an AVI container is more what I would expect. But again I do not believe QT will support this natively, but WMP will. WMP and QT will support either MOV or AVI and MJPEG but this will require some third party support for both players.

I truly hope that it is clearer this time. :P

Teetrinker
Cone that earned his stripes
Cone that earned his stripes
Posts: 174
Joined: 16 Aug 2004 16:12

Postby Teetrinker » 25 Apr 2006 09:38

MP4 and MOV were developed by Apple Computer for their format types. .
Not true, MP4 isn't only developed bye Apple. MP4 is developed bye MPEG ( http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/ ). The MOV container was only taken as a starting point to develop MP4.

The MOV container is not as versatile in this regard as some others like MPEG-PS or MPEG-TS or even Matroska (MKA & MKV). Now I'm not saying there is something wrong with the MOV container, however the MJPEG format in this container is rather unusual and I doubt that QuickTime supports this natively. However the MJPEG in an AVI container is more what I would expect. But again I do not believe QT will support this natively, but WMP will. WMP and QT will support either MOV or AVI and MJPEG but this will require some third party support for both players.

I truly hope that it is clearer this time. :P
Here is a list of official registered media types. http://www.mp4ra.org/ for mp4, mov and other ISO base media based file format like 3gp.

Flexman
Blank Cone
Blank Cone
Posts: 32
Joined: 11 Oct 2004 11:59
Location: Graz, Austria
Contact:

Postby Flexman » 25 Apr 2006 09:39

Now I figured out what the problem was.

0.8.4 can do MOVs, while 0.8.5-test3 and 0.8.4-test1 can't. And of course I had the test versions running on exactly the computers where Quicktime wasn't installed - so I thought Quicktime was the reason.

DJ
Cone Master
Cone Master
Posts: 8206
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 04:30
Location: Koloa, Hawaii USA

Postby DJ » 25 Apr 2006 23:38

MP4 and MOV were developed by Apple Computer for their format types. .
Not true, MP4 isn't only developed bye Apple. MP4 is developed bye MPEG ( http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/ ). The MOV container was only taken as a starting point to develop MP4.

The MOV container is not as versatile in this regard as some others like MPEG-PS or MPEG-TS or even Matroska (MKA & MKV). Now I'm not saying there is something wrong with the MOV container, however the MJPEG format in this container is rather unusual and I doubt that QuickTime supports this natively. However the MJPEG in an AVI container is more what I would expect. But again I do not believe QT will support this natively, but WMP will. WMP and QT will support either MOV or AVI and MJPEG but this will require some third party support for both players.

I truly hope that it is clearer this time. :P
Here is a list of official registered media types. http://www.mp4ra.org/ for mp4, mov and other ISO base media based file format like 3gp.
I had a feeling when I wrote this that someone was going to come back with a similar answer. Apple Computer was the original developer for the MP4 & MOV containers and yes! It has since been registered. Just in case you don't remember, Microsoft was the original developer of the MPEG4 format and since, this has also been registered. I truly hope this clarifies things a bit! :P

Also be aware that MPEG.ORG (MPEG Committee) does not develop or specifically add changes. But instead reviews and approves changes submitted to be included in the specification. Most of the changes submitted are still from the leading corporations in this world. :lol:

Perhaps this is an example of why the developers give such short quick answers to such things.


Return to “VLC media player for Windows Troubleshooting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests