Quicktime Pro (X) versus VLC

Forkjulle · Sep 2, 2012

I've been reading that Quicktime Pro offers more options than Quicktime. It's not expensive, so I don't mind upgrading if it's worth it.

But does Quicktime Pro allow me to watch more video formats like AVI etc? (Or do I still need to install VLC?)

And does Quicktime Pro enable more codecs (for example, in iMovie importing and exporting)?

What are the practical benefits of Quicktime Pro? And what have been your experiences?

EDIT:
The more I'm reading, the more I'm realising that Quicktime Pro should be used to convert formats into Apple-happy formats (for use in iMovie, for example). Is this correct?

Let me ask the question a different way.

Does Quicktime Pro have any codec advantages over Quicktime?

MisterMe · Sep 2, 2012

Where have you been?

Since OS X 10.7 Lion, QuickTime Pro has been free.
QuickTime Pro enables the editing features of the QuickTime 7 Player. There is no other difference.
QuickTime Pro uses the exact same codecs as the QuickTime 7 Player. To reiterate my last point, if the codec allows editing, then editing is enabled in QuickTime Pro.
Transcoding to a different format is the simplest form of editing. Exporting to QuickTime in QuickTime Pro is available for codecs that support editing.

Final points. QuickTime is OS X's frameworks for time-based media. The QuickTime Player, whether QuickTime X or QuickTime 7, is simply a QuickTime-compatible application. iTunes, iMovie, Microsoft Office, Final Cut Pro, and many, many other applications are also QuickTime-compatible applications.

Forkjulle · Sep 2, 2012

I'm a new Apple user, so thanks for the update.

I want to use QT instead of VLC (because it's native and designed better), but I'm just wondering how one can increase QT's codec library. I come from a Linux background where everything is based on the Gstreamer framework (which plays most things).

Does something like WMV or MPG play in QT?

kolax · Sep 2, 2012

Forkjulle said:
I'm a new Apple user, so thanks for the update.

I want to use QT instead of VLC (because it's native and designed better), but I'm just wondering how one can increase QT's codec library. I come from a Linux background where everything is based on the Gstreamer framework (which plays most things).

Does something like WMV or MPG play in QT?

What do you mean by QuickTime being native and VLC not?

VLC is far better than QuickTime because it'll play anything. Perian used to give you a heap of codec support for QuickTime but that's been discontinued.

talmy · Sep 2, 2012

MisterMe said:
Where have you been?

Since OS X 10.7 Lion, QuickTime Pro has been free.

Huh? It's not free. http://store.apple.com/us/product/D3380Z/A/quicktime-7-pro-for-mac-os-x

MisterMe · Sep 2, 2012

Forkjulle said:
...

I want to use QT instead of VLC (because it's native and designed better), but I'm just wondering how one can increase QT's codec library. ...

Does something like WMV or MPG play in QT?

Microsoft endorses Flip4Mac for playback of Windows Media up through non-DRMed Windows Media 9 on the Mac. The Perian codec suite will play darned near everything else. Apple lists several third-party codecs on its QuickTime and beyond webpage. You can locate others with a Google search. However, with Flip4Mac and Perian installed, you are fairly well set.

Word to the wise. Abandon the either/or mindset. There is no reason why you cannot install all available QuickTime codecs and the VLC player.

Kilamite said:
...

VLC is far better than QuickTime because it'll play anything. Perian used to give you a heap of codec support for QuickTime but that's been discontinued.

Nonsense. With Perian and Flip4Mac installed, the QuickTime Player handles everything that VLC plays. Because QuickTime is a set of system frameworks, its codecs enable media content in other QuickTime-compatible applications such as PowerPoint and iTunes. This is something that VLC cannot do.

You are correct that the Perian codec suite has been discontinued. The rest of your post is misleading. Perian still works and is still available for download about halfway down the Perian webpage. Strongly recommended.

Forkjulle · Sep 2, 2012

Out of interest, why is Perian discontinued? Is Flip4Mac the new Perian?

arjen92 · Sep 3, 2012

Forkjulle said:
Out of interest, why is Perian discontinued? Is Flip4Mac the new Perian?

Perian's developer decided to do something else with his life. So he opened it up for others to take over his job of developing (I believe).

Flip4Mac is developed by Microsoft and only to support the windows media codecs. (so video files that end with .wmv).

kolax · Sep 3, 2012

MisterMe said:
Nonsense. With Perian and Flip4Mac installed, the QuickTime Player handles everything that VLC plays. Because QuickTime is a set of system frameworks, its codecs enable media content in other QuickTime-compatible applications such as PowerPoint and iTunes. This is something that VLC cannot do.

You are correct that the Perian codec suite has been discontinued. The rest of your post is misleading. Perian still works and is still available for download about halfway down the Perian webpage. Strongly recommended.

VLC can still do more and play more. I don't even have to unarchive a .rar file for it to play in VLC. QuickTime doesn't handle .mkv files particularly well, it'll play them, but they'll buffer first and scrubbing is a nightmare.

Perian and Flip4Mac is a great combo for QuickTime and ideal for web and Quick Look, but I was trying to get the point across that you're better using VLC Player for consuming media.

You're right, my post was misleading that it seemed like Perian will no longer work. But it isn't being enhanced, where as VLC is.

For what it's worth, I have Perian and Flip4Mac installed for web and Quick Look purposes, and use VLC exclusively for all my video files.

QuickTime is good for frame by frame moving and effects though.

MisterMe · Sep 3, 2012

arjen92 said:
...

Flip4Mac is developed by Microsoft and only to support the windows media codecs. (so video files that end with .wmv).

No, Flip4Mac was not developed by Microsoft. Microsoft developed Windows Media (based on stolen QuickTime code) and the various versions of Windows Media Player to play it. Flip4Mac was developed by a company named Telestream. For a time, Flip4Mac and Windows Media Player for Mac coexisted. Then Microsoft dropped development of its Mac player. A couple of years later, Microsoft endorsed Flip4Mac and took over hosting duties for the codec. When you download the release version of Flip4Mac now, you download it from Microsoft's website. However, hosting a file for download is not the same as developing the file.

FWIW, Flip4Mac 3.0beta is downloaded directly from Telestream.

Forkjulle · Sep 3, 2012

So, if I wanted to avoid VLC (for the sake of argument) and stick to Apple's offering of Quicktime, then how would one go about playing most video formats?

Weaselboy · Sep 3, 2012

Forkjulle said:
So, if I wanted to avoid VLC (for the sake of argument) and stick to Apple's offering of Quicktime, then how would one go about playing most video formats?

Install Flip4Mac and Perian and most formats will then play in QT. As mentioned earlier though, Perian development has stopped, so who knows what will happen there. It does work for now.

kolax · Sep 3, 2012

Forkjulle said:
So, if I wanted to avoid VLC (for the sake of argument) and stick to Apple's offering of Quicktime, then how would one go about playing most video formats?

Perian - http://perian.cachefly.net/Perian_1.2.3.dmg

Flip4Mac - http://www.telestream.net/download-files/flip4mac/Flip4Mac-3.0-BETA2.dmg

Dave00 · Sep 3, 2012

The truly annoying thing is that upgrading your operating system causes Quicktime Pro to no longer work. I've paid my $30 twice. Now the Quicktime Player with Mountain Lion will allow some exports, but not near the control that Quicktime7 Pro would. Maybe Handbrake is better for exporting videos now; I've traditionally just used it to rip DVD's to something playable on the iPad.

Weaselboy · Sep 3, 2012

Dave00 said:
The truly annoying thing is that upgrading your operating system causes Quicktime Pro to no longer work. I've paid my $30 twice. Now the Quicktime Player with Mountain Lion will allow some exports, but not near the control that Quicktime7 Pro would. Maybe Handbrake is better for exporting videos now; I've traditionally just used it to rip DVD's to something playable on the iPad.

You can still use QT7 alongside the new QT. They will coexist in the utilities folder. You can get QT7 here.

My QT7 registration from three or so years ago still works all the way through SL, Lion and Mountain Lion.

MisterMe · Sep 3, 2012

Dave00 said:
The truly annoying thing is that upgrading your operating system causes Quicktime Pro to no longer work. ...

Please don't say this to other QuickTime Pro licensees who have already upgraded to Mountain Lion. You paid for the licensee twice for your own reasons. They had nothing to do with the Mountain Lion upgrade. QuickTime Pro works just fine after the upgrade.

chriscl · Sep 3, 2012

Dave00 said:
The truly annoying thing is that upgrading your operating system causes Quicktime Pro to no longer work. I've paid my $30 twice. Now the Quicktime Player with Mountain Lion will allow some exports, but not near the control that Quicktime7 Pro would. Maybe Handbrake is better for exporting videos now; I've traditionally just used it to rip DVD's to something playable on the iPad.

I upgraded through Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion and then to Mountain Lion and my QT7 Pro just worked; I didn't even need to re-enter the Registration key?

I've since bought a new Mac Book Pro, and restored from a Time Machine Backup under Mountain Lion, and Qt7 Pro still works perfectly, no additional work required.

If you've bought it once, you've got it for good, it seems.

Major.Robto · Sep 3, 2012

Vlc it plays everything out of the box. I've never had a problem with it and I use it as my media player for my home entertament setup

forget quicktime its not aged well. and only likes apple compatable formats

MisterMe · Sep 3, 2012

Major.Robto said:
...

forget quicktime its not aged well. and only likes apple compatable formats

Nonsense. If you have the codec, then the content can be played [and edited if the codec permits it].

Major.Robto · Sep 3, 2012

....you have to install something that is doggey and has not been activly worked on yes, thats so smart

vlc works out of the box!

MisterMe · Sep 3, 2012

Major.Robto said:
....you have to install something that is doggey and has not been activly worked on yes, thats so smart

vlc works out of the box!

Stop the FUD. QuickTime was designed as a set of extensible frameworks. There is nothing dodgey [not doggey] about Perian or Flip4Mac. They work as intended.

Forkjulle · Sep 3, 2012

I find it worrying that one sole individual is responsible for Quicktime's extended codecs (Perian) on Apple. And that he's retired from it.

I can understand Linux having poor support (but, ironically, seems to have better native codec support for video formats - see Gstreamer), but Apple is a multibillion dollar operation, and users are left with a native multimedia client that is so limited, that users are expected to install another client (VLC) in order to play more videos (or even mainstream ones like WMV or MPG).

Why doesn't Apple simply install VLC by default, then? (I'll bet even Apple employees run VLC.)

yoak · Sep 3, 2012

I would add Movist to this group. It's far more stable than vlc in my experience. Especially with camera codecs. If I try to play native files from my Sony XDCam EX camera, vlc almost always crash. Movist plays like a dream (and QuickTime doesn't play them at all withhout a re-wrap.

Have a look at it, I also thinks video looks better played in Movist than vlc

MisterMe · Sep 4, 2012

Forkjulle said:
I find it worrying that one sole individual is responsible for Quicktime's extended codecs (Perian) on Apple. And that he's retired from it.

Not true. Perian is the one-stop shop of codecs. However, it is not the non-Apple codec. The formats handled by Perian are handled by individual codecs available elsewhere.

Forkjulle said:
Why doesn't Apple simply install VLC by default, then? (I'll bet even Apple employees run VLC.)

VLC is not a codec, it is a player. Because VLC clones third-party formats, Apple might run into serious licensing issues if it endorsed the player. I am aware of nothing to stop VLC from releasing its player in codec form. The Linux player, ffmpeg is the source of several QuickTime codecs.

monokakata · Sep 4, 2012

There seem to be a lot of QT pro people here, so I'll ask an OT question.

Let's say I have a 40 minute clip wrapped in .mov, that started life as AVCHD and was imported (and transcoded) via FCP X.

I don't want to edit it per se -- I don't want to set up a project. I just want to cut off about half of it and write it out as a new file with a new name, so that I can put it somewhere and start an entirely new project with the new file as the base clip, with the old file remaining unaltered.

Cut, save with new name, with no or minimal overhead.

It seems like a simple task to me, but I confess I can't figure out how to get it done simply with FCP X or anything else I have.

I have a bunch of HD and SD clips that I only want to truncate and save elsewhere.

Can QT Pro do that for me?

Quicktime Pro (X) versus VLC

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