.m4v Files showing as Protected

I have the same issue. Every home movie I produce and convert to an m4v or mp4 movie gets a lable that says "protected" movie. Seems to work on all of my devices, but it is still worrysome, in that I am afraid it will lock me out of some application in the future. I have to convert all my .mov file to something that my Media player can open- and mp4 or m4v seems to be the smallest files size and runs well. Just concerned that they get labled "protected" and I don't know what they are "protected from????

Change the file extension manually from .mpv to .mp4.

Plays exactly the same, and you should then notice the Get Info (cmd+I) removes the "protected" part from the kind. Simples.

(Note: this works for me on Handbrake made files, though AFAICT should work on *any* .m4v's.)

...dunno what the "protected" tag on the file Kind means in this context either though — anyone know?

To clarify more precisely what I said above...

This works for me on Handbrake made files and AFAICT should work on any .m4v's *except* those bought files (like iTunes bought videos) which have further copy-protection measures.

This means that even after changing those iTunes bought files' extensions from .m4v to .mp4, the only programmes that can play the files are iTunes software itself and Quicktime; not even Quick Look will work on them.

...I think the "protected" tag is inserted as "Kind" on *all* .m4v extension files rather than .mp4 extension ones where it is omitted. But not 100% sure.

And if so, why is thet tag added if self-created video files are actually NOT protected in any way and therefore (should) work on any device/media player?

Questions questions questions! :-)

Alexandra:

I noticed the same issue just now when I accidently opened an m4v file with iTunes instead of one of my two favored video players, movist or VLC. Simply opening such a file with iTunes will cause it to be labeled as a protected file, no doubt because that is what iTunes assumes all m4v files must be.

The solution really is to set such files to open with a different program. I hit command-i, changed the "Open with" field to Movist (in my case -- QT works just as well) and the file kind was back to normal.

You're not changing the file itself or its extension. You're only changing what happens if you click on the file. An unprotected file isn't magically "protected" just because iTunes suddenly sees it that way. You're changing the app designated to open the file automatically, i.e., when you click on the file itself. The kind only seems to change because the system interprets that iTunes file designation as if it were inherently DRM'd.

Choosing any other media player in "Open with" will return the kind to an "MPEG-4 Movie."

This is preferable to me anyway, because I prefer to automatically open HD files with a lighter-weight and more flexible media player. If, for example, I have a separate subtitles file in the form of an srt, and even Quicktime with Perian doesn't recognize it, Movist and VLC undoubtedly will; so, I'm told, will Plex.

If I choose to edit or arrange my video library in iTunes, I can still see the m4v file along with the rest. If I choose to open it within iTunes, that happens as well.

Changing the file type simply avoids starting up all that iTunes machinery and automation -- which can be especially clunky if you have a huge media library to begin with and all you want to do is have a look at one file. QT's better for one-file playback than iTunes anyway.

Changing the file extension worked beautifully. In my case I changed m4v to mp4. Let me share protected movie downloads between my wife and I on same machine.

I think they found a way around this with the release of Yosemite, bc changing the extension doesn't work anymore. 😟