Mpeg-2 component for Quicktime 7 not working

The movie looks like it plays, but no sound and black screen. I'm on Mac OSX 10.6.7. Any suggestions?

Check to see what codecs where used to create the content in the QT player "Inspector" or "Finder Info" window. The QT MPEG-2 Playback Component is a video only codec component. If the file is not actually encoded with MPEG-2 compressed video data, it won't be able to play the video content. (E.g., an MPEG or MPG file container may also contain MPEG-4/AVC encoded video which this component cannot handle.) As to the audio, if the audio is in an unsupported compression format (e.g., "muxed" PCM or AC3), the you will not get any audio playback.

I am having the same issue in 10.5.8..suddenly, my mpeg-2 component has stopped working..in addition, so has VLC when it comes to mpeg2....I just tried a clean install on a separate partition and let software update do it's thing, then installed the mpeg2 codec and my eyetv mpg files are still not playing...so I am thinking it is something in a recent update which is preventing QT from recognizing mpeg2 as a video...because QT player tells me it cannot be played because the file is not a movie. However, they will play in eyetv, and they will play in mpeg streamclip with perian installed. Go figure!

I am going to reinstall again, but this time, manually update to QT 7.6.4 and and the mpeg2 codec and see if it works. I am off to see if I can find manual update files for the software. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the last security update that did it!

I am having the same issue in 10.5.8..suddenly, my mpeg-2 component has stopped working..in addition, so has VLC when it comes to mpeg2.

VLC does not rely on the Apple QT MPEG-2 Playback component for playback. It contains its own, built-in codec. I, therefore, have no idea why it is not working correctly and perhaps it is this application you need to reinstall.

I just tried a clean install on a separate partition and let software update do it's thing, then installed the mpeg2 codec and my eyetv mpg files are still not playing...so I am thinking it is something in a recent update which is preventing QT from recognizing mpeg2 as a video...because QT player tells me it cannot be played because the file is not a movie.

The QT MPEG-2 Playback component is a video only component which only handles PS (Program Streams)—not TS (Transport Streams). On the other hand, MPEG Streamclip can play both PS and TS content. In addition, MPEG Streamclip does require the Apple QT MPEG-2 Playback Component to play/transcode MPEG-2 content. So if the files play in MPEG-Streamclip on an Mac platform but do not play using the QT Player, then 1) the MPEG-2 component is working correctly and 2) if the MPG files were encoded using EyeTV, then they are transport stream (TS) data files which QT does not handle. This implies your system is working correctly as far as QT, MPEG Streamclip, and the QT MPEG-2 Playback Component are concerned.

I am going to reinstall again, but this time, manually update to QT 7.6.4 and and the mpeg2 codec and see if it works. I am off to see if I can find manual update files for the software. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the last security update that did it!

There are three versions of the QT MPEG-2 Playback Component that I know of: one for QT v.6.3 and earlier, one for QT v6.4 thru v7.5, and the current version for QT v7.6 and later. Since your say MPEG Streamclip is working correctly, it would appear that you have the proper one installed for whatever QT version is /was installed.

Well John, the mpeg-2 files produced by eyetv, as I understand it, are not transport streams.....you can use mpeg streamclip to resave it as a TS file to burn it as a dvd etc. I have, in fact, been able to play eyetv mpegs until recently using the QT mpeg2 component, and yes, I installed the correct version for 7.6+. I also know that VLC is not dependent on QT, which is why I mentioned it because it should have worked and has worked and I have reinstalled it etc. It opens the file but is totally garbled.

Now, I've been trying to try slightly older versions of the plug in as well as removing it from the system/Library/QT folder..and interestingly enough, it stopped telling me it wasn't a movie and tried to open it, although did not play it.

the mpeg-2 files produced by eyetv, as I understand it, are not transport streams.

Strange! The ones captured by my eyeTV software (from Hauppauge DVR or tuner) are transport streams in either MPG or M2TS file containers depending on my specific work flow. AVCHD/H.264 content plays in VLC and MPEG-2 play in both VLC and MPEG Streamclip but will not open in the QT Player ("Not a movie"). On the other hand, MPEG, MPG, and VOB program stream data open in all three applications but may not have audio in the QT Player. I just re-checked this on my old PPC G5 under OS 10.5.8 with latest QT and system updates to see if anything had changed and it hadn't. I suggest you take an MPEG-2 file that does play in QT (assuming you still have any), convert it to a TS file, and see if you get the same message. The only other instance I know of that produces the same result would the premature termination of files during capture. In this case, the file is not properly closed for QT player purposes and is treated the same as a TS file. (I.e., if the QT player cannot find the end of the file, it won't load it in the player.)

you can use mpeg streamclip to resave it as a TS file to burn it as a dvd etc.

If you are "authoring" DVD content for playback on commercial DVD players, your TS files are "repackaged" like any other source compression format after conversion by the authoring application.

I have, in fact, been able to play eyetv mpegs until recently using the QT mpeg2 component

Not knowing your specific work flow, this could be possible. I normally use a transcoding work flow using the Turbo.264 HD for speed or HandBrake for quality.

In any case, both the QT Player and MPEG Streamclip access the same QT routines embedded in OS and the same components with the exception of the "muxed" AC3 and PCM audio support and the differences in the way TS and PS file data is handled. The fact that everything still works correctly on my system would seem to contradict your hypothesis that the problem is the QT Player GUI, the QT component, or the system/security software per se. This leaves the possibility that problem is TS vs. PS or software conflict related as being the most likely problem source assuming you have already gone through the normal list of problem solving measures.

I found the VLC issue..it's the newest version, 1.1.10.1 which won't play MPEG2 for some reason and I will file a bug report with them...as to QT...I may have found a clue, though I don't know why it is saying this..when I get info for the mpg file in the eyetv (eyetv 200 generated)folder, it tells me it's an mpeg audio file!? why it would tell me it is audio when it is audio/video, I don't know. Whatever it is, it's doing that in the clean install partition as well.