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Level 1

0 points

Quicktime won't play HDV .mov

I upgraded to Lion, and noticed that Final Cut Pro was not playing my HDV .mov clips off of an external drive in the timeline.

Upon closer inspection, Quicktime also couldn't play these HDV clips either. Quicktime X said "The document ... could not be opened. This media may be damaged." Quicktime Player 7 (Pro) says "The movie could not be opened. An invalid public movie atom was found in the movie."

I then take this same external drive to a Snow Leopard installation, with FCP on it, and all clips work fine, and can be opened in both Quicktime X and Quicktime Player 7 (Pro).

I can also open these files in VLC in Lion without an issue, so it seems that maybe it's a Quicktime codec issue. I look in /Library/Quicktime/ and the AppleHDVCodec.component is there.

Posted on Jul 26, 2011 8:12 PM

29 replies

Derek K

Level 1

8 points

Aug 5, 2011 5:10 PM in response to markclea

I am having this same problem after updating to QuickTime 7.7. I use a Focus Enhancements FS-C with my canon xha1 and before the update all the .mov files worked fine. Now I cant open them to view them or import them into Final Cut.

Aug 5, 2011 6:52 PM in response to Derek K

There is something about Lion/QT that is barfing on the files from FS-C and the metadata it adds. Until that's fixed, you have to use something like Xilisoft converter or perhaps even VNC to "flatten" the file and then it can be used in Lion. What a pain eh?

markclea Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 5, 2011 7:16 PM in response to Derek K

Ok, note to self, if there are any sort of updates (security or otherwise) to Snow Leopard's QuickTime, do not apply them. I can't afford to be without my DTE files at this time of year.

Quicktime 7.7 is a Leopard (10.5) security update only, and since I don't have any Leopard machines running FCP, I was wondering about this update when I read about it this past week. I thought to myself, "I wonder if this update is an update to the framework that won't allow these Focus Enhancements DTEs to be played or imported". Unfortunately, it sounds like it is.

I'd suggest sending an email to the Focus Enhancements support team. I know they are aware of the Lion and FCPX issues, but maybe they are not aware of the Quicktime 7.7 Leopard update issues.

Chad N.

Level 1

0 points

Aug 10, 2011 4:01 PM in response to markclea

Same problem here too. None of my HDV .mov files will open after the QT 7.7 update. I get an error message reading: "The file is not a movie file" or "An invalid public movie atom was found in the movie." Final Cut Pro will NOT import the movie files either - returns an error message. Everything was working perfectly (2 days ago) before the QuickTime 7.7 update.

Here's a snapshot of my system:

MBP 15", OSX 10.5.8

Final Cut Pro 6.0.6 (Final Cut Studio 2)

Canon XH-A1 HD Camera

DTE Technology FS-C DTE Recorder

LaCie Big Disk Extreme U2

Aug 28, 2011 5:49 AM in response to markclea

Same issue here. I let iTunes and Quicktime update on my 10.5.8 and BAM! None of my DTE captured files play any longer. I can craw on my computer from another older mac (mac mini 1st generation) and read the files, and rexport them (flattened?) and then they work in my Mac pro. So the files are all okay. So I thought well, it's an update conflict between Quicktime and 10.5.8. Just installed. Lion. Nope. not the issue. in fact now i have Quicktime 10 and no pro anymore. ????!!!!! haven't figured out yet Quicktime 10 to enter in my pro listing even if it accepts it. Also what irritates me, no longer does my photoshop and likely plug ins etc work since they are not 64 bit (CS2) Grrrrrrrrr. If I had remembered I had a Time Machine of my main drive I would have reinstalled from a week ago... but in my rush to FIX everything I wiped that drive and installed Lion since I couldn't install or upgrade 10.5.8 ..... hmmmm some new updates for Lion and qucktikme... might as well try the updates. can't get any worse.... probably will continue booting from my os x 10.5.8 for work stuff. Not sure what Lion is good for at the moment unless you have all the latest software. $74 down the toilet till i upgrade all my pro software and STILL have to undo the quicktime update so I can actually DO WORK! Getting behind Apple. thanks for nothing.

Oct 25, 2011 2:08 PM in response to markclea

I have the same problem operating on snow leopard. Something changed during some software upgrade during the last few months. Any ideas?

markclea Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 27, 2011 10:05 AM in response to Tom from Smith Inlet

I've kept my system frozen that I use these DTE files on. No updates, no nothing.

I contacted Focus Enhancements about the fact that now Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Lion are all incompatible with the MOVs coming off this DTE.

They replied:

Currently, there is an issue with Final Cut Pro X, Mac OS X Lion 10.7,

the latest version of the Quicktime player (7.7 or any 10.0 version and

up) and our Quicktime HDV files. We have been working with Apple on a

fix for this issue, however, I do not know when the fix will be

available. The only workaround we know of at this time is to record in

the .m2t file format and convert the footage to .mov (Quicktime).

If you are not running Lion and you have Final Cut Pro 6 or 7, you may

be able to downgrade your Quicktime player so your files will work. Some

of our customers have had success with downgrading their Quicktime

player by following the steps listed here:

http://www.digitalrebellion.com/blog/posts/using_pacifist_to_downgrade_q

uicktime.html

If you cannot downgrade using Pacifist, you may need to contact Apple

for further assistance.

I'm not willing to upgrade my system then downgrade my Quicktime, so I've decided to keep my system as-is, with a working clone, until I get the thousands of MOV files from my DTE re-saved in Quicktime so they work with newer systems moving forward.

Then, once that's complete, I'm going to take their suggestion and use the M2T mode on the DTE and either directly edit M2T files in Premiere Pro, or use ClipWrap to save M2T files to MOVs that'll work with any Final Cut Pro/Quicktime.

Nov 11, 2011 6:51 PM in response to markclea

There is a work around. You need to be able to access a machine that has not been updated with the latest quicktime update. (I installed Snow leopard on a spare drive so I could use this process) In the updated system folder/library delete the components and quicktime folders. Empty the trash. Then in the non-updated System/Library copy the components folder and the quicktime folder and paste them into the updated system/library folder. (make sure you have already deleted and emptied the trash of the offending folders or this won't work). Restart the computer. It should see all files as it did before. Worked fine for me.

Hope this helps!

Dec 2, 2011 4:26 PM in response to markclea

I had problem and was able to find a fix.

I was on Snow Leopard 10.6.8, with QT 7.6.6. After iTunes update 10.5.1 (42) I couldn't play HDV files from my firestore.

I used pacifist to extract and re-install /system/library/components/ and /system/library/QuickTime from a Snow Leopard install DVD.

That may fix it for most people, I had another problem though.

After the install I could open the files again, but could only hear audio. I assumed this was because I was missing the MPEG-2 component. I had also messed with /library/quicktime/ when I was trying to figure out the problem. I restored by original /library/quicktime/ folder and I was able to play the HDV files again.

Dec 2, 2011 5:03 PM in response to markclea

I may have a partial solution. Contact support@focusinfo.com Subject: RE: QT issue and ask them for the converter. They have a beta version available that you can click and drag individual unaltered QT files from your focus device and it will quickly convert them to be compatible again with all QT and FCP uses except for QT player 10.1 (Lion). I haven't tried it yet because of other things on my plate right now. It will also work on file that you have copied from your Focus device to a hard drive. Though somewhat tedious and you loose the original date on your file info, it seems much easier that messing around with the software on your mac.

I hope this helps.

Dec 23, 2011 6:55 PM in response to Tom from Smith Inlet

After upgrading to Lion, all of my Focus Enhancement FS-C drive would show up as white in the Canvas and Viewer windows in Final Cut. To top it off, Quicktime no longer played the files as well.

Found these posts very helpful as a lot of my footage was saved from my Focus Enhancement Drive. I used the following work around to save my FCP 7 projects in Lion.

Using Wondershare's Video Converter Ultimate (http://www.wondershare.com/pro/video-converter-ultimate.html) I converted the original MOV files from the drive and them copied them into the folder holding the FCP files. Then I relinked them in FCP.

The Wondershare Software can read the original files as it doesn't use QT.

I thought I would post this and maybe it could help someone experiencing the same difficulties.

stu aul

Level 1

0 points

Nov 27, 2013 9:38 AM in response to markclea

Some great help here - thanks for all taking the time.

What fixed my "sudden" HDV-format-not-seen-or-playing" issue was in my 10.6.8OS I did a "software update" in prep for Mtn Lion (as recommended) when this happened. So. What changed? Another Forum discussion provided my answer....

The Library>Quicktime folder>Codecs. The HDV Codec was updated to a new verison. The Trick: dump it and use your PREVIOUS (ie Pre-Updated) Codec. In my case it was v2.0. I had a cloned OS on another drive so for me this was a snap. Just drag it over. If you don't have a copy of your OS, then it has been suggested you pull the Codec off your original install disc.

Fixed....

Nov 28, 2013 5:58 AM in response to stu aul

can't play mov files after update for MAC OS 10.6.8. Can't edit in Final cut anymore!

can't play mov files after update for MAC OS 10.6.8. Can't edit in Final cut anymore!. SHould i by a registration code for QT 7 Pro? I can't play mov files at all.. they were okay in my final cut time line. Now i can't see them!!! I can't import movies from my camera!!!

Help from Brazil!!!

Jan 27, 2014 1:25 PM in response to markclea

Had this problem, lucky I had a backup of my old system on an ext drive. The problem I found was the quicktime codec, (Apple HDVcodec.component) located in the Library folder, Quictime folder,) I believe the codec is corrupted. I replaced it with the one in my old hard drive backup, (even though it had the same name and date, May 2 2009, 5:07am) as the defective one on my current system, I replace it with the old back up and now I can play and export in HDV.

Quicktime won't play HDV .mov