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iTunes video playback is scrambled since update to iTunes 12.7.3

Today I downloaded the latest Mac OS 10.13.3 update which included the update to iTunes 12.7.3.


Since doing so, none of the downloaded movies and TV programmes in iTunes will play properly - the soundtrack is okay but the picture is all nonsense like it's been scrambled.


Videos ripped to my iMac and stored in iTunes play fine - it's just the downloaded videos that won't play properly.


Tried resetting NVRAM but no luck.


Any ideas??

iMac with Retina 5K display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3), iMac Retina 5k Late 2015 27-inch

Posted on Jan 24, 2018 9:02 AM

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Posted on Feb 16, 2018 8:36 PM

I had the same issues, and had Apple engineers go through my iMac with no luck. I eventually solved it myself by doing a full reload of the OS from App Store -> macOS High Sierra -> download. The original download was a partial, updating from 10.13.2 to 10.13.3 and resulted in garbled video (audio fine) in both iTunes and QuickTime Player. My sense is that iTunes and QTP could not decode .m4v files, but .mp4 files played with no issues. I reloaded iTunes, but with no luck, getting the following when playing a .m4v movie...

User uploaded file


After full download (4.8GB - sigh) and re-installation of the OS, everything worked fine in both iTunes and QTP. Perhaps there was an issue with the incremental update that the full download was able to rectify. I can't guarantee this will work for everyone (I know of someone else with the same issue on another thread/question that did this with no luck), but it worked for me. I was watching a video in iTunes when I received notification of your post...

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Feb 16, 2018 8:36 PM in response to David Guevara

I had the same issues, and had Apple engineers go through my iMac with no luck. I eventually solved it myself by doing a full reload of the OS from App Store -> macOS High Sierra -> download. The original download was a partial, updating from 10.13.2 to 10.13.3 and resulted in garbled video (audio fine) in both iTunes and QuickTime Player. My sense is that iTunes and QTP could not decode .m4v files, but .mp4 files played with no issues. I reloaded iTunes, but with no luck, getting the following when playing a .m4v movie...

User uploaded file


After full download (4.8GB - sigh) and re-installation of the OS, everything worked fine in both iTunes and QTP. Perhaps there was an issue with the incremental update that the full download was able to rectify. I can't guarantee this will work for everyone (I know of someone else with the same issue on another thread/question that did this with no luck), but it worked for me. I was watching a video in iTunes when I received notification of your post...

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Jan 25, 2018 8:21 AM in response to Andy Worby

I have the same issue - video scrambled, audio fine - also the very same iMac, same OS, same version of iTunes (12.7.3.46).


I rebooted, reloaded iTunes, to no effect. I can play DVDs through a linked DVD player, and can also play trailers from the iTunes Store, but no downloaded movie or TV show from iTunes will play with unscrambled video.

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Jan 26, 2018 2:23 PM in response to Andy Worby

It sounds like you can still play .mp4 videos? iTunes videos are .m4v, which are basically .mp4 with DRM-encryption. In my case (same issue, same iMac, same OS and iTunes versions as you) I think the updated iTunes and QuickTimePlayer are unable to decrypt iTunes videos, as both can still play .mp4 videos correctly. It sounds like you have the same issue?

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Feb 16, 2018 8:22 PM in response to Andy Worby

Same problems after update on my iMac. Tried safe mode and resetting NVRAM. No luck.

Any video downloaded from iTunes store plays back pixelated/garbled. Audio fine. iTunes

purchased videos downloaded to my iPad or iPhone via iMac iTunes seem to be fine so file

integrity seems to be OK. Playback of any non-DRM files on my iMac work fine.

Anyone else have success?

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Feb 17, 2018 9:07 AM in response to DadToTheBear

OK, thanks for the update/tip. I was hoping to avoid having to do a complete reload/restore of my system but I guess that's the only alternative at this point. I think you are correct that the incremental update on my iMac messed things up. I tried downloading the older 12.6.3 version of iTunes and it displayed the same behavior.

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iTunes video playback is scrambled since update to iTunes 12.7.3

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