Sonoma freezes / crashes when playbacking videos in Quicktime

Did you just restore user data, or did you migrate everything? If the latter, you just negated the purpose of the clean install, and just got back to where you started.

mma165

"This is a total disaster and I don't understand how something this basic is going unaddressed. "

Because it's Apple and the developers don't get any more time to deal with bugs. There are a number of other bugs that seem to have been ignored by Apple for months.

I have migrated everything from a Time Machine backup after a clean install. I know that this should not solve anything if there is some corrupted file in my user library, but (1) this was quickly done and who knows? (2) Doing the same on my MacBook Air M1 seems to have solved the problem. On my MacMini M1, no way. Don’t ask me why, especially because the contents of both Mac are very similar, since I migrated from the MacBook to the Mini when I bought it some time ago.  

Then I completely erased and recreated my user on the Mini, and the bug was still happening! After disconnecting the HDMI to my Samsung TV (second monitor), the problem disappeared. This sounds crazy, but I already had a lot of software and connection problems with this TV… I have no explanation for this, but since then I played hours and hours of mp4 with Quicktime. So I think that anyone should try disconnecting every connected equipment. I still have to reconnect this TV and see what happens. 

This has gotten insane to be honest, probably is the worse issue in APPL history, I see it’s more than just QuickTime, I did get relief in some cases by relaunching Finder.

OPERA BROWSER CAUSES FREEZING: I use the last Opera Browser version before it went to version 100 with the new ugly look. I noticed consistent freezing when videos go into POP OUT mode, of course I have disabled the pop out function but thought it was worth mentioning here. My Opera never updates since I have removed the update modules, versions over 100 have too many bugs for now.

@mirave This is it! Where you said you have a Samsung TV... I have two 4K Samsung TV's connected to my 120hz LG monitor. One TV is connected to the HDMI out and the second is via a Type-C to HDMI adapter. They are both in clone mode of the main LG monitor.

Now I've just disconnected one of the TV's (HDMI output).. opened a quicktime video. It hangs, same issue. Then while it's hanging! .. then, before the system resets completely, I disconnect the second TV (connected the HDMI adapter). Then it comes back! System now responsive and I can play any video I like in any player I like.... just with only one screen connected.

Well at least I know what's causing it. But it would be nice to connect more than one screen to this Studio! It might be because I'm using clone.. or using a type-c adapter. So it's clearly a 100% Apple issue, GPU driver probably. No need to completely re-install your entire systems.

The problem exists regardless of which monitor or TV you have connected.

The problem exists on MacBooks without external monitors as well as on MacStudios with connected monitors from Eizo or other manufacturers.

What I hate is that we cannot even go back to previous OS because Sonoma has so many bugs if you try to make a boot disc of off Ventura through terminal you can’t because terminal claims it cannot find stuff inside the Ventura in order to make the bootable disc, is a total disaster.

Testing further.. if I set each display to the same refresh rate (60hz), the crashes/lockup still occurs, but it takes several minutes of playback before it happens. When the main monitor was at 120hz (1440p), it was taking 20-30 seconds before the system locked. Then, the 60hz main monitor test, still released when pulling the HDMI cable out for the secondary cloned display.

Please try the following: play a video via QT and do nothing else! Then move the mouse after a few minutes.

In my case, the videos start and play without any problems, but the computer freezes the moment the mouse is moved. Strange, but that's how it is.

With no second monitor/tv connected, only my main 1440p120hz display.... and other apps closed. I started a video in QT and left it to play, after 5 minutes moved the mouse, no freezing or crashes.

Having the same problem too.

Mac does not freeze when using VLC in Desktop mode rather than in Fullscreen mode.

But I updated VLC first.

I'm plagued by a similar problem.

No matter what a video format I'm watching with QuickTime oder VLC, as soon as I use my external monitor the system freezes after a few seconds.

With the notebook screen only I have no problems and I can watch videos for many hours.

I assume with Sonoma 14.1.2 folk are STILL getting freezing 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Yes I sent feedback on this to several channels on the feedback page (macOS, QuickTime, Keynote). The iWorks/Keynote group got back to me with instructions on installing some logging software while I recreated the bug, which I did, and sent a few days ago. I'm still waiting to hear back.