Cannot preview MOV files encoded with AIC

Question

Level 1

8 points

Cannot preview MOV files encoded with AIC

In the past, while using Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Express, I exported final versions of my projects as MOV files. At the time, I didn't really know what I was doing and honestly can't say I know what I'm doing to this day.

In summary, I just bought a new Macbook Pro and was planning on simply using Adobe Premiere going forward because I have to subscribe to their Creative Cloud service in order to use other applications.

I just realized that none of those final MOV files will preview in the Finder window or play in the standard Quicktime Player (v. 10.3) without converting first, which would require me to save another version to avoid having to do this each time.

When I get info on these files, I see:

• Codecs: Apple Intermediate Codec, Linear PCM, Timecode

• Color profile: HD (1-1-1)

My question is: What's the most inexpensive way to be able to preview and view these files again in Quicktime Player.

I'm guessing I'd have to buy Compressor, but would like to try to get a definitive answer before I do that.

NOTE: I can view these files in Quicktime Player 7 and Media Streamclip just fine. So this is almost just a matter of a convenience to me, but that's what I'm looking for.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014), OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Mar 9, 2015 6:10 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 9, 2015 6:25 AM in response to 0degreesK

QuickTime version 10 has dropped support for many legacy codecs so the Quicklook Finder feature no longer works for them.

AIC is an editing codec not intended for final delivery so you should let QuickTime 10 convert them and then delete to older versions. You'll save gobs of hard drive space to boot.

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Answer 2

0degreesK Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 9, 2015 7:27 AM in response to QuickTimeKirk

Thanks for the reply, Kirk.

FYI , to test this out, I let Quicktime 10 convert a file and the new file was over 150% as large as the original file. It also took quite a bit of time for the conversion process. Doesn't look like I'll be saving any space or time if I have to go through with this.

====================

Original

====================

2.13 GB

Apple Intermediate Codec

====================

Converted

====================

3.59 GB

Apple ProRes 422

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Answer 3

Mar 9, 2015 7:30 AM in response to 0degreesK

ProRes is also not a delivery codec and I have no idea why QuickTime 10 would use it. Maybe because of Final Cut on your machine.

You want to use H.264 video codec and AAC audio.

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Answer 4

0degreesK Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 9, 2015 8:32 AM in response to QuickTimeKirk

I'm sorry, I don't think I've been clear about what I'm trying to do.

When I mentioned "exporting final versions" in my original post, my intention was to export final uncompressed versions of those movies so that I could easily export actual "deliverable" files as needed (i.e. add tails, export different sizes, etc.) A lot of this took place when I kept final edits on tape (miniDV, miniHDV) to save space. Eventually, external drives became cheap enough that I re-captured them all and saved the raw MOV files for easy access.

I don't want to save these out as compressed H.264 MP4 movies with AAC sound. I actually want to retain the raw files.

Regarding my Quicktime 10 app converting to ProRes... I have no idea. As far as I can tell, there are no preferences or anything like that to set in Quicktime, so it must default to that somehow.

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Answer 5

Jon Walker

Level 6

19,489 points

Mar 9, 2015 8:48 AM in response to 0degreesK

FYI , to test this out, I let Quicktime 10 convert a file and the new file was over 150% as large as the original file. It also took quite a bit of time for the conversion process. Doesn't look like I'll be saving any space or time if I have to go through with this.

Apple ProRes 4-2-2 support is now is built into the basic Mac OS X basic codec configuration under Mavericks and Yosemite replacing Apple AIC as the default "poor man's" editing codec. Further, QT X v10.3 and v10.4 now normally default to the ProRes 4-2-2 codec for the transcoding of "edit" specific codecs. If you wish to create an "smaller" H.264/AAC version of either the AIC/LPCM or ProRes/LPCM files, simple select the files in the "Finder" window and access the "context" menu "Encode Selected Video Files" or "Services>Encode Selected Video Files" option (depending on system configuration) and use the "Greater Compatibility" option to convert to a "Low" quality H.264/AAC at a specific QL "Preview" resolution of your choice. Of course, the best option here would be to import/Capture your editing projects directly as Apple ProRes files (or export your editing projects directly to Apple PRoRes) since they are now supported by QL "Preview" under both Mavericks and Yosemite.

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Answer 6

Mar 9, 2015 8:55 AM in response to 0degreesK

If your original files were from a "DV" camera they shouldn't have been using AIC (Apple intermediate codec usually on used on MPEG-2 formats). They should have been .dv (DV Stream) files and that's what you should have kept. They are huge in file size but contain all the data of the source file.

If you had a camera that recorded to a DVD or, sometimes, an SD card then it may have used the AIC option at import.

You'll lose very little in the H.264 / AAC conversion and since your source is SD format I don't think you'll miss the dropped info when editing agin, if needed.

Open the files in MPEG Streamclip (free) and export one as a .mov file as a test and then you can see that nothing much is gone except the file size.

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Answer 7

Mar 9, 2015 8:57 AM in response to Jon Walker

Thanks, Jon.

We kinda cross posted but you've confirmed my position.

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