Protected MPEG-4 movie

I have a catalog of personal M4V/H.264 files and have "set all" these types of files to open in Quicktime X because I find the default iTunes extremely annoying... Alternatively if one sets M4V files to open in iTunes, they are not seen as protected file types.

Just want to understand things clearly... When you say "personal M4V/H.264," are you saying "created" by you personally or do you mean "purchased" from iTunes for your personal use?

In the first case, I'm not sure why QT X would be identifying the files as DRM content. Do they, for instance, contain AC3 audio? What application did you use to create them? Do you get the same results if the audio/video data is is place in MOV or MP4 file containers and/or simply change the file extension to MOV or MP4?

In the latter case, if the files were purchased from iTunes, then they are DRM'd and that does require playback in iTunes on a platform "authorized" for your account.

Something is not right. An M4V should not be assumed to be protected content.

Correct. However, problem seems to limited to your system. I have no problems playing files generated using the same work flow in both QT 7 and QT X on Snow Leopard platform or QT 7 on older PPC G5 under Leopard. Both are running under latest respective versions of the OS.

If you have a spare external drive, I would recommend creating a "pristine" minimal start-up system and try the same files while booted from that drive. If they work properly, then the problem is likely a corrupted main system or embedded QT structure in the main OS. If files are still bad, I would install HandBrake on the external start-up drive and make a few test files to eliminate the possibility that the files themselves were somehow corrupted during creation but this seems less likely here since the files "can" play correctly with modified extension.

Using the "Save As... Movie" (QT X) or "Save As..." (QT 7 Pro) option will copy the M4V file data to a "real" MOV file container (i.e. internals will match extension) or the "Save As..." option in MPEG Streamclip can copy the M4V data to a "real" MP4 file container. This would be a temporary workaround if you want your original data in properly headed containers that avoid your current problem (based on what you said about changing the file extension), but does not really address the real problem here. (Am assuming the files do not contain extraneous data tracks that MPEG Streamclip would filter out during the copy and that you have not mismatched the Snow Leopard embedded QT structure with the wrong QT X Player app.)

In any case, once the problem is isolated, I expect you should be able to fix it.

I never said the files won't play! Only that the kind is being changed... I expect just about any video file changed to a M4V type will act the same. I just didn't have any videos on that box so recorded the screen capture one. And it's not that program either - other files read from HDs over the network also show the same.

When I said "play fine" I meant the files play in the players WITHOUT any "change in kind" or "Protected MPEG-4 movie" indicator. Of course, I don't change the default player either. That is, since my files are destined for iTunes/TV playback and they contain an extra AC3 audio track, I leave them set for iTunes and simply drop the files on the docked player in which I want to display them (i.e., QT X or QT 7 or G5 Automator desktop sequencer app).

In fact, the only way I can get any reference to "protected" content is to open an iTunes "AVCO media" file (Apple iTunes DRM protected download file). All of my HandBrake generated TV M4V files are "Format: JVT/AVC Coding... AAC..." ("Kind: MPEG-4 Video File"). Makes me wonder if your problem is self-inflicted as a result of custom HandBrake settings or a corruption which results in a problem durning the "muxing" phase. I repeat, my "home brewed" files do not display the symptoms you describe. I cannot duplicate your problem nor can I remember anyone else reporting a similar problem here.

If followed exactly and the above doesn't give you the exact same results I'm having, then I don't know what to say. Repeatable on two completely different boxes for me.

Okay, that I can duplicate. However, it only appears to refer to the M4V file extension and not to the data/headers contained within the file (which was what I was previously looking at/for). I suspect that M4V extension is "hardwired" to iTunes and that the Snow Leopard "QT Player Launcher" is generating an exception it doesn't know how to handle/trap. Probably worth reporting to Apple but, as you indicated, it only seems to create an improper Finder notation rather than a playback problem.