QuickTime Pro 7 on Yosemite not opening anything?

QuickTime Player 7 for Mac OS X v10.6.3 or later

QuickTime Player 7 Pro works just fine for me and OS X 10.10.

Has anybody gotten QT7Pro to run, if so how?

Like QTKirk, I have no problem using QT 7 Pro under Yosemite to handle content supported by my system. The key here is to ensure that the files you want to edit or convert are, in fact, supported by your system. This means:

1. The data you wish to edit or convert must be in a file type (container) that is supported by your system. (I.e., the system must know how the data is stored within the container.)
2. The file data must be in compression formats that are supported by your system configuration. (I.e., the proper codecs must be installed on your system to permit the media application to read and/or write data in a particular format.)
3. The application must be programmed to recognize the file type and compression format combination in order to properly process the data. (I.e., the media application must know what to do with the data once it is recognized and accessed.)
4. The data must actually be in a playback, edit, and/or conversion compatible format.

The first step in solving the problem you describe is to determine the file type (container) and compression formats contained in the file you wish to process. The former is fairly simple since all you need to do is look at the file extension. Unfortunately, some file containers are compression format specific while others are not. For instance, an MP4 extension file would normally be expected to contain MPEG-4 or H.264 video and/or AAC audio. On the other hand, an MOV file container could contain anything from H.264/AAC to MPEG-2/AC3 to WMV9/WMA9 encoded data. Thus, the determination of compression codec requirements are often more difficult. While there are many ways to determine the compression formats used to create a file (e.g., the Finder "Info" window, QT "Inspector" windows, VLC "Codec Info" window, "Properties" windows, etc.), probably the best method is to use a dedicated utility like MediaInfo. Once you know what codecs were used to create the file, it is a relatively simple matter to determine whether or not codecs are available for installation on your system to enable QT 7 Pro to edit and/or convert your problem files. (However, you should remember that many older codecs have never been converted for use on Mac systems and of those that have, many have never been updated for use by any OS X system or Intel-based platforms.) Without knowing the specifics of your files, it is impossible to really go into more detail here.

VLC will open some of the files in question but not all of them, maybe 25% can be read by VLC, but VLC is rubbish for exporting.

VLC uses the FFmpeg codec support structure. Therefore, conversion apps using this structure should be able to convert any file you can play in VLC to a compression format that is natively supported by the QT X, QT 7, and QL structures embedded in the Mac OS and IOS devices. I personally like the free HandBrake app for such conversions since it includes simply to use presets, as well as, advanced manual options and features. Files that are not playback compatible with VLC are likely to be in proprietary compression formats or DRM encrypted.

Now any ideas out there that don't explain the way files work rather than why they don"t?

Reduced to the simplest possibilities, either all of the systems/software you are using are bad or all of the files that won't play are bad. Without more specific information, it is impossible to tell which or in what way they are corrupted or conflicted.

Like it says "I've used QT7Pro to convert "other formats" to ".mov" format... I use QT7Pro to convert anything QT7Pro can read to "mov" I have several Gigabytes of ".mov" files... OS It a clean Apple standard setup with no third party utilities to weigh it down this is the case on all my Macs... Now QT will not open any format, not flv, mkv, avi, mpg4, mpg3. mpg nothing. I've never had any problem opening these and saving them to QT ".mov" format when using the previous OS.

What does "convert to 'mov' format" and "saving them to QT '.mov' format" mean to you? Are you talking about the copying of data from a non-MOV file container to an "MOV" file container or the conversion of the data compression formats within one container to another compression format and placing the result in an "MOV" file container? Did you create "standalone" files or "reference" files? How old was the "previous OS" used to create these files and did you have additional codec support installed which is absent on your current systems? FLV and MKV file containers are not natively supported by either QT X or QT 7 and require installation of a third-party codec package like Perian. And, while the AVI file container is still natively supported by QT, the only compression formats supported by QT X and QL under Mavericks or Yosemite are properly compressed MJPEG/LPCM files. The only MP4 files supported are those encoded using non-proprietary JVT codec standard settings and may be subject to blocking by certain Apple security updates which may trap on older file format aberrations or track content. Files containing MP3 audio may require third-party codecs (e.g., DivX/MP3 MOV files). MPG files are only supported by QT 7 if they are Program Stream (PS) files—i.e., not Transport Stream (TS) files—and then only fully playback compatible if the audio compression format is natively compatible or if third-party codec support is installed. Frankly, without actually seeing examples of your non-playing content it is difficult to tell if your problems are the result of system, software, configuration, workflow, file storage, or something entirely different.

I realize this may be an exercise in futility, but please allow me to point out the fact that you have not provided any sample of non-playing files for independent examination by others and steadfastly refuse to provide any information regarding the actual compression formats used in your MOV files. Therefore, let me address your points one by one:

Once again forgive for putting the fact that these have opened on any Mac I've used since the G4. I've never had any trouble with them. In the middle of my last post you will see just a few of the file formats I've received through out the years and converted to .mov format. The drives they are on check out fine, I can open them on the afore mentioned Mini running OSX7 with ease, double click and the screen is filled with moving images combined with sound. The same for data backed up to DVD as I do with all data on the 2 external backup drives are transferred to DVD when the folder they are in on gets topped off to the 4 gigs.

If, by the term "OSX7" your are referring to Mac OS X v7 (Lion), then I would point out the following... Snow Leopard, Lion, and Mountain Lion all have a dual 32-/64-bit QT structure imbedded in the operating system. On these systems, the media content is passed by the various QT X/QT 7 based apps to a routine that decides whether to handle the content using legacy 32-bit QT support structure or the evolving 64-bit QT support structure—selecting the appropriate structure that could properly handle the media. On the other hand, Mavericks and Yosemite have independent QT support structures that are essentially "hardwired" directly to the the apps. Therefore it is essential to know the media file type (in this case your MOV file container), the compression format contained within the file container (which you have not provided), as well as, which application you are trying to open the file in (which you have not provided on a compression format by compression format basis) and the operating system under which you are working (in this case Lion and Yosemite which operate differently) in order to know if and/or how any particular file container/compression format/application/system OS combination will be supported.

1: I've converted all not native format data files to QT through the process of Menu pull down to Save As and QT does the rest. No problems opening those with any OS prior to Yosemite only since upgrading to OS10 have these problems arisen.

The QT 7 Pro "Save As..." File menu option is not a conversion option, Indeed, it merely copies the unchanged original data in its original compression format and encode settings from the original file container to a new MOV file container. It is the the original compression format to will determine if, how, or to what extent a particular file can/will be supported under Yosemite by a particular application. Since little has changed with regard to the QT support structures embedded in Mac OS X v10.9 and v120.10, your statement here regarding "any OS prior to Yosemite" is suspect or implies you never installed Mavericks on any of your platforms.

2: Occasionally I've used the Menu pull down to Export, there I chose .mov. No problems opening those with any OS prior to Yosemite only since upgrading to OS10 have these problems arisen.

This File menu option actually does perform a conversion of the compression formats. Unfortunately, as you did not indicate what compression formats you opted to use for the conversions, there is no way to guarantee your files would be compatible with the various QT apps under Mavericks or Yosemite. As previously stated, only MPEG-4 (part 2 or part 10) video with AAC audio which is encoded at dimensions compatible with target QT OS/IOS software/devices can be expected to be compatible with all Apple products since the introduction of QT 7 and which has become a "virtual" default compression format for the current playback and distribution of Apple video media content along with ProRes 4-2-2 replacing Ainimation, AIC, Motion PNG, Motion JPEG, and other legacy compression formats. as a default "intermediate" editing codec.

3: After 25 year on Macs I do know the difference between saving to standalone or referenced, the dialog box even tells one the difference if one takes the time to read it.

While you may know the difference between a standalone file and a reference file, it is evident from your postings that you are not familiar with the proper use of the various QT X "Save"; QT 7 "Save", "Save As...", and "Export"; or the "Save as QT" video editing File menu options. And, while I would normally consider the trading of credentials as crass and in poor taste (i.e., coming under the heading of "snide" remarks as you put it), I also have 25 years experience on the Mac (starting in 1985 Mac 128K), 37 years using Apple // and Franklin clones (starting with the 1978 Apple //), and 39 years experience if we include non-Apple products like the Polymorphic 88 System 16, Altair, "Trash-80", Commodore 64, Atari, and TI product lines. Further, while my current level of QT interest is relatively new (transcoding of iTunes content for streaming to Apple devices over both home networks and the internet), my QT specific experience dates back to my 1996 Mac PowerPC 604e 8500AV/180 (currently sitting on the floor upstairs in my DVD media library room).

4: Again, the Macs all have clean non enhanced OS's, with the exception for Silverlight and Flash plugins for Safari the only enhances are those that the help page that QT links to with the popup error message that additional software is needed. From there I have gone the linked sites to retrieve and install the afore mentioned software nothing else.

And once again you are ignoring the essence of the modal messages you are given. Your computer is telling you that you current codec configuration does not support the file compression formats you are trying to play. The sites to which you are being directed are only a fraction of the dozens of possible audio and dozens of video codecs that can be used with QT 7's "Open Codec Architecture" in hundreds of combinations and employing thousands of settings and features. If you would merely determine which codecs are missing, then you would know which codecs you need to install—assuming that are still available—without guessing or playing "trail and error" codec installation games. With the proper codecs installed QT 7 apps should be able to read/play additional compression formats and QT X may be able to automatically convert them to H.264/ACC files which are compatible with QT X, QL, and QT 7 apps and/or QT X or QL might ask you if would prefer to open the file in the QT 7 when the content is recognized by QT X or QL routines but not supported natively.

5: To sum up all files opened with prior OS'S and all those same files continue to open on my older Mini running 10X7. All files have been converted to full standalone versions of Apples QT .mov format through "save as" or "export" dialogue for the past 15 odd years. PPC OS's QT generated full data conversions to the QT .mov format opened with out trouble on all Macs since PPC OS''s and Intel OS's

And as I have repeatedly explained, QT X on pre-Mavericks operating systems can still access and use third-party and proprietary codecs installed on those systems but Mavericks and Yosemite can only access such codecs using the legacy QT 7 routines and then only if the required codecs are installed on those systems. This specifically applies to to all of your "Save As..." MOV files that contain third-party/proprietary compression formats which appear to be the basic source of your problems here.

6: I have occasionally received a file that QT can not open and there are no codex compatable for QT that would facilitate there being opened in QT, those are sent back to the client with a request that they generate the data in one of the standard formats that QT can open (QT opens about 98% of formats out there) The incompatible files have been in the minority throughout the years, when returned from client in comparable form there are opened and saved in Apple native mov format. Apples.mov has been around for decades now and that is the kennel for still used for QTX, so that legacy files will still open even in the castrated version of QT player called QTX.

Once again your information is non-specific. You mention the receipt of file content that is incompatible with QT but will not provide and details regarding the codecs involved. While some codecs are not available for use with QT under the latest operating systems, their number is quite small when you consider all of the third-party transcoding options available for use on the Mac. However, even they may have limitations. For instance, neither VLC nor QT will support "Pro" editing codecs not installed on your system even if the compressed data is in an MOV file container. You also need to do a bit of research regarding QT X, its shared "kernel", and how it is expected to "evolve" of over its first decade of existence. Data stream, file, and compression formats not previously supported by QT 7 are now supported by QT X. In a similar manner, legacy compression formats supported by QT 7's "open architecture" are no longer supported by QT X's "closed architecture" and you ignore the fact that your "legacy" support is likely to evaporate when QT 7 is finally abandoned by Apple in favor of its "castrated" successor..

7: It's been floated around the place that we put our old Macs back into service, they have not been put up for sale yet) there is a very good chance they are correct in that assessment.

I still have my Poly-88, 8500AV, G4 Tower, G4 MBP, G5 PowerPC Tower (can't remember when I last booted any of them) but normally stick to my Core Duo MBP (Snow Leopard) for secondary video work, an iMac i7 (Yosemite) for primary video editing/serving with a MacMini (Lion) as a dedicated web server. I do not, however seen any reason to fall back on these older units or operating systems since the iMac under Yosemite still handles all of the video content I use including third-party, proprietary, as well as, legacy codecs which I have turned back on for active encoding—i.e., I simply use the proper software for the files I wish to manipulate.

8:Remember when Mac's "Just Worked", OSX gets heaver and heaver with each version (over 1 full min to open a .jpg in Photoshop.Please some remember when files didn't invoke a beach ball opening any and all files or finder windows).

I find Macs still "just work" if you are willing to adapt your workflow to the constant changes induced by the evolution of hardware and software.

9: OSX has gotten more and more like Windows with all it's associated errors and troubles since OSX6.

I couldn't say since I went almost directly from CP/M to AppleDOS to the various Mac operating systems without ever really becoming a Microsoft DOS or Windows user. I would however agree that QT X media handling has become more "Windows-like" in Apple's rush to speed up media handling decision making.

10: An outside IT service was never needed in the earlier OSX's

"Outside IT services?"

11: My bad I had forgotten that these dissuasion groups rarely provide any solutions due to posts not being read in full with full attention. The tag and first few words seem to be what the supposed answers are formulated form.

Solutions are of little value when they are ignored by the people asking for help. Based on your latest information I have indicated what your primary problem is and how you can either solve it yourself or get additional assistance from other forum users. What you choose to do with that information is up to you. If this didn't help you, then I suggest you contact a Video SIG representative for your local Apple User Group or Mac User Group for one-on-one assistance or check the solutions as explained in other discussions which may or may not be more understandable to you. These symptoms have been covered many times and in many ways in this forum since the initial release of Mavericks in October of 2013.

We can see that this is frustrating to you, but you don't seem to be helping the situation (spare us points 8-11). We all know that these files used to work & now they do not work on a new OS.

It is because OS X dropped support for older codecs.

You keep telling us these are just 'movs', but that is just a fuzzy definition of a file format. MOV can hold flv, wmv, mpg & countless other codecs. The latest Quicktime X will not support them - it has no ability to add extra codec support. The current OS has moved to 64bit support. The actual software that used to manage these codecs was not made by Apple & is not 64bit.

To be blunt you have 2 options…

Convert these files to a format supported by Quicktime X to use on 10.10 & later

Leave these files forever on Macs that can read them.

Yes it is frustrating, yes you can be angry about it, but things move on. Stay on 10.6.8 or whatever version that works best for you.

If you want some help in finding an appropriate codec to convert for use on 10.10 then please give us an indication of your source formats…

mediainfo can read detail on the codecs, view the HTML report for detail.

handbrake may be able to make a compatible format for you.

https://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo

http://handbrake.fr/

Other apps can automate the conversion process if you want a way to 'set & forget' batch of files for conversion.

Apologies if I have missed something, but it is difficult to actually work out what you want or expect from us. We can't help you re-acquire Quicktime Pro & we can't force Apple to reinstate older codec support in OS X, we are just other users like you.

Apple have these sample files if you need to test Yosemite's video support - some of them convert on a clean 10.10 install, but all of them play for me.

QuickTime: Sample files - Apple Support

That is impressive. So many words ignoring the questions you have been asked.

It's no wonder you can't get anything done when you ignore the advice and questions that have been posted to you. We are trying to help. You are ranting like we caused all your woes - it wasn't us.

Good luck solving your problems, I'm off to play Bioshock where the people are more sane than you.

You folks were ignoring just as much information as you accuse me of, to make it clear a file in .mov is a ,mov,

Yes—in the same way a glass is a glass and cup is a cup. What you overlook is the fact that a glass of water is not the same as a glass of milk just as a cup of tea is not the same as a cup of coffee.

outside of the many formats 7Pro export there are no “compression ratios” to consider when saving to that native .mov format, it’s all the same and has been so since 1991.

As previously explained, the QT 7 Pro "Save As..." File menu option does not export the data, It only copies the data stored in the source file to a newly created MOV file container.. Since the original data is not changed, there is not need for QT 7 Pro to require target codecs or settings. This does not mean that all MOV files end up with data in the same compression formats stored within them. Lets take a concrete example...

I have two raw flash (FLV) files downloaded from the Internet. One contains True Motion VP6 (VP6F) video with MPEG-1, Layer 3 (MP3) audio. The other contains Sorenson H.263 (FLV1) video with MPEG-1, Layer 3 (MP3) audio as seen below:

Once opened in the QT 7 Pro app, the file data can then be copied from the FLV file container to an MOV file container using the "Save As..." File menu option you describe with results as displayed below:

In the case of the newly created MOV files, you can readily see that each individual file still retains its own original audio and video compression formats. Since these can vary depending in the compression formats used in the source content sent you, it is necessary to determine what unsupported codecs are in use any time one of your "converted" MOV (or source client supplied) files will not open and play correctly on the Yosemite system. (I.e., if you want all files to open and play the same in QT 7 Pro on both your Lion and Yosemite systems (or any 2 QT 7 Pro equipped systems), then you must use the same codec configuration on both. Otherwise, when you transfer your "converted" MOV files to to your Yosemite system with its "basic" codec configuration, you will end with inconsistent results—some won't open at all, others will open and play fine, and some will open but only play audio or video and/or state that you may need to install some additional but unspecified codec support as demonstrated below:

In each of the above cases, when the required codec support package is absent, the MOV files will open because both the file MOV file container and the MP3 audio content are natively compatible with Yosemite's "basic" codec configuration. Unfortunately, neither the VP6F nor the FLV1 video codec is supported by the "basic" codec configuration and so the file will only play the audio correctly while the player window remains black and QT issues a modal message indicated additional codec support is needed. And, as you yourself pointed out earlier, when/if you go the the Apple web page containing the current list of sponsored codecs, you don't see Perian (or similar FLV codec support) even mentioned.

And what's an 'IT"? That had to be a joke.

Not a joke—just satire. ("Outside IT services?" = "Who would play for outside IT services to fix such a simple problem the solution for which has been in the public domain for more than a year?") At that time, of course, it was assumed that you were operating a small, personal business from your home and really wanted to solve the problem.

You've also ignored the fact that I may be well acquainted with the concept differing formats some of which QT does not have the ability to decode. With those exceptions incoming data is opened in QT and saved as a full not referenced.mov file nothing fancier than that. I do have a grasp of encoding, compression ratios and compatibility. My concern was not with the myriad media extensions out there in the wild. I'm very sure when this is cleared up a .mkv, .flv, .avi, . wmf or any of a host of others will be decoded by QT as masterfully as in the past. All of you bright boys also ignored the main point that being our ability to open every single QT. .mov extension bearing media file on any MacPro, MBP, iMac, or mini in the house running any MAC OS prior to Yosemite. How did none of you understand that, it's not flipping rocket science.

Either English is not your first language and is the source of our miscommunications or your grasp of the concepts you just mentioned is not as good as you seem to think. What we are saying here is that anything you can do (or have done) in QT 7 Pro on pre-Yosemite operating systems, we can do under Yosemite. The fact that you repeatedly state that you primarily use the QT 7 "Save As..." option to create MOV files which preserve, not only the quality of your client's original file data, but also the compression formats used by those clients and then loudly complain that these files will not open in QT 7 on a system that is, by your own admission, not configured to handle this unchanged data clearly demonstrates a singular lack of the very knowledge you so proudly claim that you possess. Your actions, or inactions in this case, speak louder than your words.

I was not aware of the requirement of entering my engineering masters papers here prior to posting. Stanford is a lovely campus, don't you think.

And I'm a graduate of Rutgers-Camden. Now that we've exchanged almae matres, can we get back to the main question as to why you are unable or unwilling to configure your Yosemite system to handle your MOV files?

We've have hired on a permanent basis an Apple Pro, with............wait for it............a masters from MIT, he comes quite highly recommend, do you.

Based on the "people skills" you've demonstrated here, I hope he's well paid. You couldn't afford my services, so don't bother asking.

Not getting any work done? ummmm last quarter my company had a clear profit of more than most people will earn in 20 years. This while providing the team with a generous living wage along with full benefits of health, life insurance, profit sharing, matching monies deposited in any retirement account, vacations, sick days, personal days, maternity leave be it for a father or mother, bereavement leave and more to anyone full time, part time, or intern.

Well, let's just hope the company can earn enough this year to keep the team together and happy—despite your laments regarding all the business you're currently loosing due to this failure to solve these current pesky little problems.

Our clients have been very patient during this time because they place great trust in the quality of our work, we will always strive to deserve that trust.

Let's hope their trust continues—even if you can't deliver.

I reserve the right of my view that all OS's outside of Unix are sliding into rubbish.

Views and opinions are like... Oh, well, I guess everyone's familiar with that old saying.

Now bugger off!!!!!!!!!!!!

You gotta love this guy's consistency.

Okay kiddies, if you tuned in here for some quick entertainment in leu of watching your favorite situation comedy, I hope you enjoyed the show. For those of you who actually came here seeking some answers, let's be serious for a moment review the salient points of this discussion for other QT 7 Pro users:

1. The compressed data contained in any non-copy protected file that can be open and played by QT 7 Pro under any Mac OS X operating system can be copied to a newly created MOV file container using the "Save As..." File menu option.
2. This process does not change the format of the compressed data contained in either file.
3. The newly created MOV file will be compatible with the QT 7 player on any Mac OS X operating system having the same codec configuration.
4. If an uncorrupted MOV file will not open in QT 7 on any Mac OS X operating system, determine the compression formats involved to ensure that the compressed data is compatible with QT 7 or can be made compatible with QT 7 by the installation of additional codecs if available.
5. This process is usually easier and quicker than the re-compression of files to make them universally QT X, QT 7, and QL compatible across OS and IOS devices and does not degrade data quality but is not considered a long-term solution should QT 7 eventually be replaced entirely QT X as forecasted by video pundits.