.MOV works in Finder and iPhoto, but not Quicktime Player 10.2

[satkin2]

Hi,

I've got some .MOV files imported from a digital camera (Kodak Easyshare M575 Digital Camera). I've imported the files into iPhoto '11 and I've put them into a folder on my desktop to check too. They play fine in both iPhoto and in the preview icons and quick look in Finder. However, when I open them in Quicktime Player 10.2 the timer shows the correct time and moves, however the screen remains black and there is no audio.

I came across this issue as the videos are actually my sisters who has a PC and they weren't working on the PC, but were working on my Mac. Trying to find a reason I tried opening them in Quicktime Player 10.2 and saw that they don't work here for me. So I'm guessing there's something wrong with them, but I'm very confused as I can get them to work just fine in Finder and iPhoto.

Does anyone here recognise this issue or a know a way to fix it? Any help would be really appreciated.

Many thanks

 

[simsaladimbamba]

In order to find out, what may be wrong with your video, you can use the following three applications to analyse a sample video file.

• VideoSpec (free)
• MediaInfo (free)
• Media Inspector (2.99 USD € in the Mac App Store (MAS))

When done, you can use the "Report" (VideoSpec) and "Export" (Media Inspector) button to export a report,
attachable to your next post via the

button.
In MediaInfo you have to go to the Menu Bar, select View > Text and copy the text via CMD+A > CMD+C and paste it via CMD+V into your next post.​

 

[satkin2]

Hi thanks for such a quick response. I've run a report in VideoSpec which I've attached.

Many thanks

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Hi thanks for such a quick response. I've run a report in VideoSpec which I've attached.

Many thanks

***** Analyzed File Results *****

*** General Parameters ***
- Name:  100_7106.MOV 
- Container:  MOV - QuickTime 
[B]- Size:  38.5 KB 
- Duration:  1mn 19s[/B] 
- Bitrate:  3 855 bps 

*** Video Track Parameters ***
- Format:  H.264/MPEG-4 AVC 
- Bitrate:  Max.: 2 621 Kbps / Average: 2 577 Kbps / Min.: Undefined 
- Frame rate (fps):  Max.: --- / Average: 29.483 / Min.: --- 
- Encoding profile:  Baseline@L3.0 
- Image size:  640*480 
- Pixel Aspect Ratio:  Undefined 
- Display Aspect Ratio:  4:3 
- Interlacing:  Progressive 

*** First Audio Track Parameters ***
- Format:  AAC - MPEG-4 audio 
- Bitrate:  19328 
- Resolution:  Undefined 
- Rate:  11.025 KHz 
- Channel(s):  mono 
- Position:  - 

*** Miscellaneous ***
- Subtitle(s): No Subtitle
- Album: Undefined
- Performer: Undefined
- Genre: Undefined
- Encoded date: UTC 2013-06-22 02:46:48
- Album artist: Undefined

As you can see from the bolded part on top of the report, the MOV file is only 38.5 KB in size and has a duration of 1 min and 19 sec, which indicates, that there is not much information inside anyway. Even for 1 min and 19 sec of pure audio, 38.5 KB is not much, normally 1 minute of audio, when compressed, takes around 1 MB of storage capacity.

As that file is not big, maybe COMPRESS it via Finder and attach it to your next post and I can test it myself.

I have Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard by the way.

 

[satkin2]

Hi,

I've uploaded the compressed video.

Many thanks

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Hi,

I've uploaded the compressed video.

Many thanks

Sorry, but there is nothing in there, there cannot even be anything worth of 1 minute of video in a file that small.

If the file plays back in Finder or iPhoto, then they are probably reference files and accessing a much bigger file.

I can offer to take a look at your computer via remote viewing and may be able to help you that way, if you want, other than that, I am a bit lost how to help.

Maybe tell us exactly what you do with the camera's video, step by step, once you finished recording the clip, for example how you copy it to your Mac and how you get it into iPhoto and so on.

 

[satkin2]

Sorry, but there is nothing in there, there cannot even be anything worth of 1 minute of video in a file that small.

If the file plays back in Finder or iPhoto, then they are probably reference files and accessing a much bigger file.

I can offer to take a look at your computer via remote viewing and may be able to help you that way, if you want, other than that, I am a bit lost how to help.

Maybe tell us exactly what you do with the camera's video, step by step, once you finished recording the clip, for example how you copy it to your Mac and how you get it into iPhoto and so on.

Ah, that makes total sense, I think it must be a reference file (whatever that is), I think I kind of understand what's happening now.

So, I took the memory card from the camera and inserted it into the memory card slot in my Macbook Air. I then imported the photos and videos into iPhoto.

In order to then transfer copy files to my sisters PC I selected all of the files in the event and exported them as Kind = Current to my desktop. I then connected to the PC over a local network and copied the folder on my desktop onto the PC.

Since seeing your post above I've viewed in iPhoto then revealed it in the finder. As you say, it's a much bigger file, 26MB. This file works in Quicktime too.

So with your mentioning of a reference file I guess what is happening is that the exported file is referencing the correct one and that's why it will play for me in Finder, likewise the attached file, which when I download works in Finder also, I guess the reference is still embedded somewhere. When I transfer it to the PC the reference is obviously not found and so the file doesn't work.

That all makes sense to me now. I didn't know such a thing happened, I thought that if I exported the file it effectively put a copy where I asked it to go.

So, it looks like my videos are all working fine and its the way I'm moving them that is the issue. To be honest, I was being lazy, there were pictures and videos from two cameras and two iPhones for the event, so rather than syncing each device with each computer I thought it would be easier to just sync them to one and then copy the files, I guess I was wrong on that front.

Should I be using a different method to move the files, or should I just put them on to each computer separately to avoid such issues in future?

Many thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.