AVIs encoded with msvideo1 CRAM codec no longer supported in Quicktime

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Level 1

16 points

AVIs encoded with msvideo1 CRAM codec no longer supported in Quicktime

I have noticed the latest version of quicktime (7.4.1) has lost some of its backwards compatability - i have a load of old tutorial videos that were AVIs using the msvideo1 CRAM codec - they opened fine in quicktime under Tiger (still do in fact on our Tiger machine) - but now on Leopard quicktime can no longer decode the video so you get a big white screen.

Yet another reason to avoid Leopard? - there are so many things that USED to work fine and no longer do...... smb access, quicktime, exchange access via safari.......

Sad really - as I said in posts elsewhere - can it be long before we no longer have "software updates" and switch to be truly microsoft and call them "service packs"!

Robert

P.S. In the end i managed to get my video working by using ffmpeg (great app if you have a little knowledge of what you're doing to re-encode the video - nothing else I could find anywhere would play it!)

PowerBook G4 17inch, Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Feb 15, 2008 5:06 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 15, 2008 5:49 AM in response to rw5373

Try this component:

http://perian.org/#download

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Answer 2

Feb 15, 2008 5:56 AM in response to rw5373

If that ancient codec is installed on the G4 then the 7.4 install may have simply "disabled" it.
Open the QuickTime System Preferences / Advanced tab and check the box for "legacy encoders".
Quit and relaunch QuickTime and try the file again.

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Answer 3

rw5373 Author

Level 1

16 points

Feb 15, 2008 7:09 AM in response to QuickTimeKirk

Thanks for those 2 suggestions:

1. Perian already installed and up-to-date - but didn't help. (and the other mac still running Tiger hasn't got Perian installed but opens the msvideo1 cram encoded file absolutely fine.

2. Legacy codecs - sadly when I installed Leopard it absolutely TRASHED my mac including the hard disk strucutre- had to do a wipe and reinstall (wouldn't even work after an archive and install!). Therefore lost any legacy codecs lurking around. If I looked on another machine where would they be? harddisk/library/quicktime and/or username/library/quicktime I presume? And visible or invisible?

Thanks

Robert

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Answer 4

Feb 15, 2008 7:22 AM in response to rw5373

Three locations codecs or components would be installed.
HD/System/Library/Quicktime
HD/Library/Quicktime
User/Library/Quicktime
All visible files.

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Answer 5

rw5373 Author

Level 1

16 points

Feb 15, 2008 4:41 PM in response to QuickTimeKirk

OK - so I went to each of those libraries on a Tiger Mac that can play the video - and copied the files in each location.

Then on my Leopard mac - i replaced the files in each library with those copied from the Tiger mac....

.... restarted....

but still big white box instead of video.

Also of note: on the Leopard Mac the video format (in Quicktime's Movie Inspector) is given as "msvideo1 CRAM" - but on the Tiger mac it comes up as "Apple Microsoft Video".

So basically - have tried the visible legacy codecs in that location but with no joy.

Any other ideas?

Robert

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Answer 6

Feb 16, 2008 4:33 AM in response to rw5373

http://perian.org

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Answer 7

rw5373 Author

Level 1

16 points

Feb 16, 2008 9:37 AM in response to QuickTimeKirk

Perian a good suggestion - but it doesn't work either with perian installed or without!

AND - still works fine on out Tiger mac that DOESN'T (and never has) have perian installed.

Thanks for trying though.

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Answer 8

Mar 24, 2008 7:18 PM in response to rw5373

I'm having the same problem and I have tried all of the above solutions. Has anyone solved this?

Thanks

T

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