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QuickTime won't play the format my camcorder records in.

Camcorder:Sony DCR SR 68

it saves recordings as .mpg files

I thought the latest quicktime was able to read these files, but it seems not.

Using VLC player at the moment, but would like to be able to use native applications (not to mention iMovie)


User uploaded file

I have searched for this addition software, but to no avail.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Nov 21, 2011 4:25 AM

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Posted on Nov 21, 2011 5:08 AM

As far as I can tell the Sony DCR SR 68 uses an MPEG2 format. Mac OS X Lion has a limited support for this format.


You have three main choices.


  1. Forget QuickTime Player, apparently iMovie 9.0.4 or later and Mac OS X Lion allow iMovie to import these videos directly with nothing else required. Once in iMovie you can edit it or export it to a more Mac friendly format.
  2. You can buy the full Apple MPEG2 QuickTime Component and use it in conjunction with MPEG Streamclip, and then convert it to a more QuickTime friendly type of MPEG2 file. MPEG Streamclip does not work with the Lion version of MPEG2 support and needs the full version originally intended for Snow Leopard, MPEG Streamclip includes a script to install this version on Lion.
  3. There are some commercial utilities specifically for converting this Sony format, I regard them as rather disreputable but they do exist.
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Question marked as Best reply

Nov 21, 2011 5:08 AM in response to EvanfromIreland

As far as I can tell the Sony DCR SR 68 uses an MPEG2 format. Mac OS X Lion has a limited support for this format.


You have three main choices.


  1. Forget QuickTime Player, apparently iMovie 9.0.4 or later and Mac OS X Lion allow iMovie to import these videos directly with nothing else required. Once in iMovie you can edit it or export it to a more Mac friendly format.
  2. You can buy the full Apple MPEG2 QuickTime Component and use it in conjunction with MPEG Streamclip, and then convert it to a more QuickTime friendly type of MPEG2 file. MPEG Streamclip does not work with the Lion version of MPEG2 support and needs the full version originally intended for Snow Leopard, MPEG Streamclip includes a script to install this version on Lion.
  3. There are some commercial utilities specifically for converting this Sony format, I regard them as rather disreputable but they do exist.

Nov 21, 2011 11:18 AM in response to EvanfromIreland

I took your advice, and attemped to use iMovie with the files, but it fails to do anything.

Files must be imported into iMovie directly from the camcorder for iMovie to call the proper "Import from Camera" conversions/capture routines. Files already on your hard drive will be copied/moved to iMovie using "Import" Finder-level routines which do not convert the content to an edit compatibile compression format. So, if the files are not already edit compatible with iMovie, the import option will abort and fail when it determines the content is not edit compatible.



I will try the Quicktime component with the MPEG Streamclip.

As already mentioned by John, use of the free MPEG Streamclip app requires the $19.99 QT MPEG-2 Playback component also be installed. The advantage of this work flow is that you have the option to convert "muxed" MPEG-2/AAC fils into any QT edit compatibile compression format combination. (I would normally prefer AIC video with Uncompressed audio here, but you could also use DV/DV, DV/AIFF, Photo-JPEG/AAC, or other equally compatible combination of AV codecs.) Another free third-party option for converting "muxed" MPEG-2/AC3 content would be the free HandBrake app. The disadvantage here is that, like Lion's QT X Player, you are limited with regard to your output options—primarily H.264 video with AAC. Also be advised that QT 7 Pro, even with the QT MPEG-2 Playback component installed, will not handle AC3 audio natively.


User uploaded file

QuickTime won't play the format my camcorder records in.

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