VLC or Quicktime w/ Perian?

[squirrelking101]

I've been peaking around and found a cool plug-in for Quicktime that expands the formats to be read by leaps and bounds. VLC is a program that does pretty much any format and has multiple builds for different OS's. So this inquires a short question.

Do you opt for VLC? Or do you stick with QuickTime and give it a boost with Perian?

 

[matteusclement]

VLC +1
plays everything under the sun.

 

[tamasvarga67]

+1 for VLC. I also have Perian for Quicktime but not using it.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Both. Why not?

 

[ZenErik]

I use VLC and Movist. I have had some issues with VLC. Including it playing some videos for about 2 minutes and restarting the video. Also has the MKV hang bug still.

 

[MisterMe]

I've been peaking around and found a cool plug-in for Quicktime that expands the formats to be read by leaps and bounds. VLC is a program that does pretty much any format and has multiple builds for different OS's. So this inquires a short question.

Do you opt for VLC? Or do you stick with QuickTime and give it a boost with Perian?

This question has been asked and answered too many times to count. However, it is borne of a lack of understanding of QuickTime and VLC. VLC is a player that includes cloned codecs for numerous media types. It is, however, not extensible. QuickTime is the MacOS X frameworks for time-based media. The application that many call "QuickTime," is the QuickTime Player. It is a simple, albeit the most famous, QuickTime-based application. Virtually every other Macintosh application is also QuickTime-compatible. QuickTime is extensible with user-installable and manufacturer-supplied codecs. There are notable exceptions, but nearly all QuickTime-compatible applications gain functionality by the installation of each new codec. iMovie and iDVD are two free Quicktime-based applications that ship with every new Mac. MPEG Streamclip is a popular downloadable QuickTime application. Microsoft Office and Apple's suite of prosumer and professional media editors are QuickTime-based. The new Movist player is a combination of FFMpeg- and QuickTime-based. The commercial Elmedia Player is a combination of QuickTime-, Shockwave/Flash-, Real Video-, and Silverlight-based. There are other hybrid media players.

Seen in this light, the either/or nature of the OP is misplaced. If you use a Mac, then you use QuickTime. VLC is an option if you want to play downloaded or streaming video. However, it cannot replace QuickTime.

 

[dhd]

Movist and VLC in that order. I see Quicktime useful only to watch a clip without subs or to transcode. I prefer Movist over the other two because its simplicity, I don't want to install extra codecs or fiddle with the system to just watch a movie with proper subs, and if necessary adjust the soundtrack/subs timing with ease. In that regard I find Qt the least Mac-like of the three (In usability terms, not the UI)

 

[MisterMe]

Movist and VLC in that order. I see Quicktime useful only to watch a clip without subs or to transcode. I prefer Movist over the other two because its simplicity, I don't want to install extra codecs or fiddle with the system to just watch a movie with proper subs, and if necessary adjust the soundtrack/subs timing with ease. In that regard I find Qt the least Mac-like of the three (In usability terms, not the UI)

Two things:

• Qt is a set of Nokia-owned cross-platform application and UI frameworks. By compiling to the Qt-frameworks, the developer may deploy to Embedded Linux, MacOS X, Windows, Linux/X11, Windows CE/Mobile, Symbian, and MeeGo.
• What is the source of the fear of adding codecs to a system?

 

[matteusclement]

this question has been asked and answered too many times to count. However, it is borne of a lack of understanding of quicktime and vlc. vlc is a player that includes cloned codecs for numerous media types. It is, however, not extensible. Quicktime is the macos x frameworks for time-based media. The application that many call "quicktime," is the quicktime player. It is a simple, albeit the most famous, quicktime-based application. Virtually every other macintosh application is also quicktime-compatible. Quicktime is extensible with user-installable and manufacturer-supplied codecs. There are notable exceptions, but nearly all quicktime-compatible applications gain functionality by the installation of each new codec. imovie and idvd are two free quicktime-based applications that ship with every new mac. mpeg streamclip is a popular downloadable quicktime application. Microsoft office and apple's suite of prosumer and professional media editors are quicktime-based. The new movist player is a combination of ffmpeg- and quicktime-based. The commercial elmedia player is a combination of quicktime-, shockwave/flash-, real video-, and silverlight-based. There are other hybrid media players.

Seen in this light, the either/or nature of the op is misplaced. If you use a mac, then you use quicktime. vlc is an option if you want to play downloaded or streaming video. However, it cannot replace quicktime.

sticky this!!!!!

 

[dhd]

Two things:

• Qt is a set of Nokia-owned cross-platform application and UI frameworks. By compiling to the Qt-frameworks, the developer may deploy to Embedded Linux, MacOS X, Windows, Linux/X11, Windows CE/Mobile, Symbian, and MeeGo.
• What is the source of the fear of adding codecs to a system?

No fear to add codecs at all, I just want it to work/enjoy my computer without much hassle (I can handle my way into hacks, terminal stuff and so on but the older I grow the simpler I want my hobby(work)flow, I tend to think how my mom will take that kind of research to watch a subbed movie).

Congrats to Nokia on that Qt thingy. I was talking about Quicktime, sometimes abbreviated Qt around this site.

 

[NakamuraDT]

The differences between quicktime and vlc were covered by previous posts so there's no need to go into this topic any further.

My preference to playback video however is the Quicktime X - Player, which is implemented in Snow Leopard.
Perian is a must have for people who want to use the QT X - Player with different codecs.
However, it doesn't hurt to also have vlc installed. Just in case.

 

[Winni]

I've been peaking around and found a cool plug-in for Quicktime that expands the formats to be read by leaps and bounds. VLC is a program that does pretty much any format and has multiple builds for different OS's. So this inquires a short question.

Do you opt for VLC? Or do you stick with QuickTime and give it a boost with Perian?

And why is this an either/or question? Both VLC and Perian are FREE - both as in Speech AND in Beer - so there is zero reason not to install both.

Anyway, my default application for video playback is VLC. I like multi-platform, open source software. And since I also spend a lot of time in Windows AND Linux, VLC is -THE- natural choice for me.