How to stop QuickTime from converting FCPX & iMovie .mov files?

OH I can see I'm going to be cutting and pasting this answer all over the place;

Here's the skinny and what you can do about it.

There is a slow change for the QuickTime platform coming. Right now the new OS has a built-in library which tries to re-encode your older videos. They are no longer being actively supported by Apple, since the switch is on, with the 64-bit architecture and of course the mobile platforms (all the "iThings" out there..) to make all of the supported file codecs and formats work as efficient as possible for the newer hardware.

There's also a host of security issues with these third-party developers and that only looks to be getting more stringent as the migration to the whole 'cloud' computing falderall moves into high gear.

The QuickTimePlayer X that comes with your system is trying to reformat - there is NO way to get around it as the instructions are nested down in the libraries for the application - in the QTKit.framework. It's an instruction-set that you can't get out unless you know how to program code. (I think it's in Objective C)

With that as a given, what is left to do is download and use the last available version of QuickTime Player 7 and get the codec packs you need - all of this is the 32-bit code and it's days ARE numbered so fair warning. Here is the quick list I've built as a workaround to keep your files unsullied.

Start with QT 7.6.6. - http://support.apple.com/kb/DL923

Get Perian, and install it. - http://perian.org

then VLC, - http://videolan.org

DivX - http://divx.com - and the

Flip4Mac package from Telestream - http://www.telestream.net/flip4mac/

A52/AC3 downloader: https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/21875/a52codec - In this installer package there is an audio A52Codec.component. DO NOT USE IT! Throw it out and use the one that is linked below.

This is what I've put into my system and so far I've gotten every file to run fine, even my oldest videos.

These are codecs you should see.

In System/Library/QuickTime

AppleIntermediateCodec.component

AppleMPEG2Codec.component* (*optional if you've bought it)

DivX Decoder.component

Flip4Mac WMV Advanced.component

Flip4Mac WMV Export.component

Flip4Mac WMV Import.component

In your Home/Library/QuickTime/

AC3MovieImport.component (you may or may not want this component, in some instances it causes conflicts. In my system, it doesn't. Who knows why? I don't.)

Perian.component

For AC3 sound that is in most .mkv files, you need the A52Codec.component, this is the one you want, here:https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/34821905/A52Codec.component.zip - unzip the file and put the component into the System/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/Components

Go back to your Perian settings and in the Audio Output button, set it to 'Multi Channel Sound' - Ignore the message Perian puts up and select it.

By doing a 'Get Info' on your files and where it says 'Open With' - default them to the QuickTime 7 program. Perian no longer will work with QuickTime Player so you must have QT 7.6.6 and set it so it is the default for all the filetypes you use.

It works perfectly with QT7. So far I've gotten ALL my old videos to play.

.avi, .mov (with the AC3 sound), .wmv, .flv, .mp4 and .m4v. all run fine as do all the older formats.

Good luck!

Deb.