Video thumbnails scrambled, won't playback (v3.4.3)

Question

Level 1

0 points

Video thumbnails scrambled, won't playback (v3.4.3)

My video thumbnails in Aperture (version 3.4.3) are scrambled. Sometimes I can see part of a reference thumbnail frame (often in monochrome or with a single color overlay, like green), sometimes it's just all snow.

1) I just restored my mac mini from a time machine backup.

2) I also just imported an iPhoto library

If I browse to a pre-existing (before Time Machine restore) Aperture project, the correct thumbnail appears briefly before changing to the scrambled version.

When I select the video for playback all I get is a blank Viewer window (not video content, no controls, no playback).

If I browse to the source file via finder the video thumbnail displays and the video plays back correctly.

I have tried:

1) verifying and repairing disk permissions

2) repairing Aperture permissions

3) repairing the Aperture database

4) rebuilding the Aperture database

5) regenerating thumbnails (select video Photos->Regenerate Thumbnails) (thumbnail changes, still scrambled)

I don't use Aperture often so I'm not 100% sure when this started, but it seems to be after this current restore as supported by the brief correct appearance of old video thumbnails before they update to the scrambled version.

OS X 10.8.2

Aperture 3.4.3

Example of affected video:

IMG_0002.MOV

QuickTime movie

5MB

640x480

Duration: 00:11

Capture Source: iPhone 3GS

Posted on Jan 12, 2013 10:09 PM

Reply

Answer 1

RJN13 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 12, 2013 10:57 PM in response to RJN13

To follow up - I opened the iPhoto library I imported into Aperture using iPhoto and the same video thumbnails that are scrambled in Aperture display fine / video playback is fine is iPhoto (v9.4.2).

Reply

Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,735 points

Jan 13, 2013 12:13 AM in response to RJN13

I suggest to check the video codecs you have installled; if you use Perian or have a flip-camera, you may have an incompatible video codec installed, see: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4155

Why was a TimeMachine restore necessary? And did you use any helper/uninstaller/cleaner utilities, before you made the backup or after restoring? Sometimes this kind of helpers remove too much. I this case you may need to reinstall Mt. Lion to restore missing system components, that are not included in your TimeMachine backup.

Have a look at this thread Re: Import video to Aperture library on Mountain Lion,

and also at the post: Re: Import video to Aperture library on Mountain Lion in the same thread.

To reinstall from the "Recovery partition" see Linc Davis's post here: Re: Garageband doesn't open in Mac Mini mid 2011

Regards

Léonie

Reply

Answer 3

RJN13 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 13, 2013 10:06 AM in response to léonie

Thanks leonieDF, the support threads you referenced led me to the solution.

For some reason the com.apple.xpchelper.cache file was missing in my /System/Library/Caches folder. Thankfully someone had posted the file to dropbox and shared on the thread. Adding the file to my folder and rebooting solved the problem.

Others reported re-installing Mountain Lion from the recovery partition fixed the issue as well, likely re-installing this file in the process. It makes me uncomfortable to find my Time Machine recovery didn't fully recover the OS so I'm going to re-install Mountain Lion just to be safe.

For reference, here is the dropbox link to the missing file:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/57645168/com.apple.xpchelper.cache

Reply