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Quicktime freezes randomly for about ten seconds, then resumes playback

Hi,

Let me explain a little bit the background of my issue. I recently bought a new MBP (mid-2009, 15", double graphics card) and transferred my old system (white MB, late 2007) using the migration assistant. So, might this be a configuration problem, I don't know.

Well, the issue is as follows: randomly, Quicktime freezes for about ten seconds while playing a video. Any video, but usually long movies or tv shows. In fact, the whole system completely freezes (the Dock and other apps, too), I get the beach ball, and about these ten seconds everything gets back to normal. Quicktime resumes playing the movie at a point ten seconds further from the freezing point (as if it were actually playing the movie internally) and the systems gets back to normal.

These are totally random. Not at the start or end of a movie, not when I do anything, not at a fixed time. It just happens, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes twice when playing the same movie. The CPU usage is normal (not 100% as I would expect) but the system is unresponsive.

A last clue: after transferring the old system into the new laptop, Quicktime does not automatically play movies when they are opened, even though the checkbox for that preference is active. If it is a preferences problem, I don't understand why, because they have the same Leopard version, up to date with the latest upgrades.

Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Carlos

Macbook Pro (Mid 2009), Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Jul 17, 2009 1:56 AM

Reply
313 replies

Jul 18, 2009 7:15 PM in response to Topopardo

Hi,

let me bump this.
I've got exactly the same problem. MBP 13", mid-2009.
I did not transfer an old system to this laptop, and it came with 10.5.7 preinstalled.
All available updates are installed, and permissions have been repaired via Disk Utility.
Quicktime opens with the file here, but I have exactly the same freezes.

Stephan

Jul 19, 2009 2:45 PM in response to Topopardo

Yea, Disk Utility keeps finding permission problems related to QuickTime.
I do think those might be responsible, however, it looks like Disk Utility cannot fix them.
This is very annoying.
I tried everything, even disabled Time Machine and all other background processes, but the issue persists.
Guess I'll be using VLC in the meantime and I too am hoping that SL or another QuickTime update will fix this.
It is slightly consoling that I am not the only one having this problem though... 😉

Jul 21, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Topopardo

I just want to chime in on this as well. I am having the exact same issue.
While watching tv shows/movies, occasionally quicktime will freeze, the color spin wheel will show, and the whole system becomes unresponsive.

Actually, the problem goes beyond just quicktime for me. my Firefox does the samething as well. Firefox will have this issue maybe 1~3 times a day.

After about 10 seconds, everything is back normal.

During the freeze, my CPU is fine (about 5% or less), memory is about 73% full, typically not running any load intensive programs.

I wish i know what the issue is.

Jul 21, 2009 6:18 PM in response to Topopardo

So far, what we all seem to have in common, is that we all have mid-2009 MBP's.
I really would love to find out what's causing this, since it's rather annoying.
I haven't much software installed here, it really is just the base Leopard system, 10.5.7, with iLife 2009, and Perian codecs. I think we can rule out stuff like Open Office, Google Earth and so on, since those won't run in the background unless we start them.

Jul 22, 2009 12:09 PM in response to Tozzi

Same over here - mid-2009 MBP running 10.5.7.

iStat Menus shows no processor or memory issues while the freezing takes place (10-20 secs on mine). As everyone else who's posted the trigger is Quicktime/Perian on a pre-installed OS. I've re-installed from scratch and that hasn't made any difference.

In the meantime, I'm using VLC with no repeat of these issues.

Jul 22, 2009 12:12 PM in response to paulbrl

Here's a dump of my prefs repair, in case it means anything to anyone. It looks like its mostly pref pane stuff, but I do see some core video in there as well.

Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/CoreVideo.framework/Versions/A/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Components/AudioCodecs.component/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Components/CoreMediaAuthoringPrivateComponents.component/Conten ts/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreMediaAuthoringPrivate.framework/Versions/ A/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreMediaPrivate.framework/Versions/A/CodeRes ources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/QuickTime/AppleProResDecoder.component/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAdvance d.prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAdvance d.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTMediaKeys.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAdvance d.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTMime.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAdvance d.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTTransport.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTPlugIn. prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTRegiste r.prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTRegiste r.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAbout.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTStreami ng.prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTUpdate. prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r--

Jul 22, 2009 3:29 PM in response to Yuval Kordov

Similar story here...

Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/CoreVideo.framework/Versions/A/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Components/AudioCodecs.component/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Components/CoreMediaAuthoringPrivateComponents.component/Conten ts/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreMediaAuthoringPrivate.framework/Versions/ A/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreMediaPrivate.framework/Versions/A/CodeRes ources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/QuickTime/AppleProResDecoder.component/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAdvance d.prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAdvance d.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTMediaKeys.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAdvance d.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTMime.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAdvance d.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTTransport.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTPlugIn. prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTRegiste r.prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTRegiste r.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTAbout.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTStreami ng.prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PreferencePanes/QuickTime.prefPane/Contents/Resources/QTUpdate. prefPane/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .

Quicktime freezes randomly for about ten seconds, then resumes playback

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