.avi in quicktime
my quicktime won't play .avi files, it just shows a white screen. what do i need to download/do to fix that?
macbook pro, Mac OS X (10.4.6)
Issues with this thread:
The original poster has probably found the codec required and has moved on.
The .avi "container" should just die like Microsoft hoped when they discontinued support for it years ago.
In order to view most video your computer needs to Decompress the file format. This is what we know as codec ( Compressor Decompressor).
Since these "helpers" are platform and OS specific there are many versions and those used (and work) on a Windows machine may not work on a Mac.
So. Until users that create these .avi file extension "videos" stop using the .avi "bucket" to distribute them viewers will have trouble with playback.
QuickTime tries to follow (and sometimes leads) the implementation of new "standards". Its implementation of the "new" MPEG-4 standards are much better then those found at Microsoft. They have tried a "proprietary" approach to these new formats (file extensions) that will lead to more confusion in years to come.
Thomas's comment ring very true.
It's the job of the codec to "help" you view a compressed file. And they sometimes "argue" as to which should have the control.
Me?
I keep it simple by "previewing" the file as it downloads. I open the URL using the QuickTime Player (Open URL in the File menu) and use the Movie Info window to decide whether to continue the download.
I also believe that Microsoft will try and tell us which formats they decide we should view.
There is no "magic bullet" codec and, with the advance of HD content, viewers will continue posting a question like "how do I view this file"?
My 2¢.
The original poster has probably found the codec required and has moved on.
The .avi "container" should just die like Microsoft hoped when they discontinued support for it years ago.
In order to view most video your computer needs to Decompress the file format. This is what we know as codec ( Compressor Decompressor).
Since these "helpers" are platform and OS specific there are many versions and those used (and work) on a Windows machine may not work on a Mac.
So. Until users that create these .avi file extension "videos" stop using the .avi "bucket" to distribute them viewers will have trouble with playback.
QuickTime tries to follow (and sometimes leads) the implementation of new "standards". Its implementation of the "new" MPEG-4 standards are much better then those found at Microsoft. They have tried a "proprietary" approach to these new formats (file extensions) that will lead to more confusion in years to come.
Thomas's comment ring very true.
It's the job of the codec to "help" you view a compressed file. And they sometimes "argue" as to which should have the control.
Me?
I keep it simple by "previewing" the file as it downloads. I open the URL using the QuickTime Player (Open URL in the File menu) and use the Movie Info window to decide whether to continue the download.
I also believe that Microsoft will try and tell us which formats they decide we should view.
There is no "magic bullet" codec and, with the advance of HD content, viewers will continue posting a question like "how do I view this file"?
My 2¢.
