QuickTime MPEG 2 Playback Component won't install on El Capitan?

Further to all of the earlier discussion, I just upgraded to Sierra and encountered the same problems: tried to open an MPEG-2 file in MPEG Streamclip, and was told the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component wasn't installed, even though it had been working fine for me in El Capitan before the upgrade to Sierra.

However, I tried using the 'Utility MPEG2 Component M. Lion.app' distributed with the MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b8 package, and this (in combination with the QuickTimeMPEG2.dmg file from when I originally purchased the MPEG-2 codec from Apple) successfully restored MPEG-2 functionality for MPEG Streamclip -- working just as it was in El Capitan.

So, in case anybody was unsure, this technique definitely still works in Sierra, provided you have retained the original QuickTimeMPEG2.dmg file.

As for the misplaced/wrongly-displayed playback controls in MPEG Streamclip generally, my experience has been that this is only a problem on Retina screens, for what it's worth. On my non-Retina display, the controls are placed and work normally.

I hope this helps somebody looking for the answers, like I was!

David

Brendan Jones wrote:

To install MPEG Streamclip on El Capitan and have it able to open MPEG-2 files, you need to install MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b8, the "Utility MPEG2 Component M.Lion" (which comes with the MPEG Streamclip installer), and have the original Quicktime MPEG2 component installer dmg from Apple.

You double-click the Quicktime MPEG2 component dmg to mount it, run the MPEG2 Component M.Lion utility, and it will access the dmg and install the QuickTime MPEG-2 playback component in the correct place. And then install MPEG Streamclip.

MPEG Streamclip (both version 1.9.3b8 and 1.9.2) will then be able to open and convert MPEG-2 files.

Being on El Capitan, I've tried what you propose. But I think my version of the "Quicktime MPEG2 component" is very old (dec 2003), so the "Utility MPEG2 Component M.Lion" doesn't find it when I open double-click the dmg and it displays the same message "Please double-click the...dmg file" without ending.

Where could I find a more recent version of this dmg file ?

JPaul

Yes the Dec 2003 version will definitely not work on El Capitan. You need the final version of MPEG2 component installer which was Version 7.6 Build 76A74. It's not available from Apple any more although I'm sure if you did a web serach using the right search terms someone would have archived it somewhere.

Having said all that, I'm finding that MPEG Streamclip is breaking more frequently on El Capitan. Some things have stopped working even though I've not done any system or other updates. Recently it stopped playing back MPEG-2 files created by Compressor, even though it used to be able to do it. It will play back older MPEG-2 files. Some MPEG-2 files from third parties only show a still frame when you manually move the playback head position, the file won't play properly in real time.

I have yet to find a modern lightweight application replacement for MPEG Streamclip in terms of its transcoding ability. VLC is hopeless (I've never successfully transcoded anything with it), and Apple Compressor for some reason does a terrible job of transcoding from MPEG-2 (you get all sorts of visual artifacts and interlaced banding - go try it). I always have to use MPEG Streamclip first to transcode MPEG-2 to another codec (such as AIC or ProRes) and then bring that file into Compressor. I really should lodge a bug with Apple.

I'm sure part of the problem is that MPEG-2 is considered so ancient now that no-one is developing new apps for it. But although MPEG-2 is on the way out, it's still used on DVDs and yes, new DVDs are still being created every day.

TThe MPEG2 component is not needed by the Mac but it is by Streamclip. You can't install it into the OS, Streamclip dies it for you. You mount the installer and point Streamclip to it.

Hey Ian.

FWIW, I ran into the same thing. What worked for me was to first copy it to the System directory, and then drag it into the QuickTime folder.

Russ

Interesting. I just tested it again. El-Capitan would let me copy, but not move the component.. Try option dragging it.

Russ

edit: that is, move to the correct folder

I sent you the .dmg. It's small. Good luck.

hi tom,

could you send me the .dmg to me? thanks!

I'm sorry I can't.

Hi Tom - I'm having the same issue on El Capitan. If I run the QuickTimeMPEG2 installer, it shows my startup disc with the "Warning" triangle on it and the message "QuickTimeMPEG2 can't be installed on this disk. This software is intended for an earlier version of Mac OS X".

If I try to bypass this using Terminal to copy the MPEG2 component (from my previous install) to the Quicktime Library folder inside the System folder, even using sudo I get this:

$ sudo mv ~/Desktop/AppleMPEG2Codec.component/ /System/Library/QuickTime/

mv: rename /Users/brendan/Desktop/AppleMPEG2Codec.component/ to /System/Library/QuickTime/AppleMPEG2Codec.component/: Operation not permitted

Am I doing something wrong? I don't understand how a Unix-level mv could fail if I sudo it! Thanks.

IF you are installing this for MPEG Streamclip you do not run the installer. You simply mount the dmg and use Streamclip to access the playback component installer.

Thanks for your reply Tom, yes I am doing this for Streamclip (v1.9.2, the final non-beta version). I mount the Quicktime MPEG2 dmg (but don't run the installer), but Streamclip still complains that the "Apple QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component is not installed". I can see no way within Streamclip (via its Preferences) to tell it to look for the component either on the dmg or somewhere other than /System/Library/QuickTime/.

As far as I can tell, Streamclip expects to find the component in /System/Library/QuickTime/, and when it's not there, it won't play MPEG2 files.

Any further clues? Thanks.

Did you look in Library > Quicktime for the AppleMPEG2Codec? It should already be there as it is a new component (dated Aug 22 2015) and I believe, part of the Yosemite/El Capitan OS.

I also have QuickTimeMPEG2.component installed in System/Library/Quicktime. This is obviously a legacy installation (I've had it for years) but if it's in there, you should be able to move a copy into that folder.

You shouldn't need Terminal to install this component. You will probably have to supply your admin password before the OS will let you move it into that folder.