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Can't play downloaded MOV files

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Terry Pinnell

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Jan 13, 2005, 1:31:22 PM1/13/05
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I downloaded a few MOV movie files. D-clicking one runs Quick Time
Movie Player - but the screen is blank and nothing plays.

What am I missing here please?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Zarax

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Jan 13, 2005, 1:52:05 PM1/13/05
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You might have to update your quicktime player.

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypi...@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message
news:lffdu09t8bgj4ae46...@4ax.com...

Terry Pinnell

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Jan 14, 2005, 4:27:42 AM1/14/05
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"Zarax" <zara...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>You might have to update your quicktime player.

Thanks. I've just installed the latest version, 6.5.2, but the MOV
files I tried still failed. I got message
"QuickTime is missing software required to display this movie file.
Unfortunately, it is not available on the QuickTime server."

And on trying another from same series I got
"You may experience problems playing a video track in
"London14.mov" because the required compressor could
not be found."

The files were amongst the first I tried downloading from a source I'd
been recommended, 'Prelinger Internet Archive of Moving Images' at
http://www.archive.org/movies/movies.php

They had names like London1.mov, London10.mov, etc.

Any more ideas please?

Mike Williams [MVP]

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Jan 14, 2005, 7:57:17 AM1/14/05
to Terry Pinnell
Terry Pinnell wrote:

> Any more ideas please?

Suggest trying an Apple Quicktime forum as being more appropriate than a
WMP forum.

Terry Pinnell

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Jan 20, 2005, 9:07:35 AM1/20/05
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Thanks. Subsequently found that I could play several other MOV files,
so conclude that these downloaded files had a problem of some kind.

(BTW, I'd assumed 'windowsmedia' loosely meant 'media on Windows', not
'Windows-exclusive media subjects'.)

Zarax

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Jan 20, 2005, 10:47:20 AM1/20/05
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Well, it's not windows-exclusive media as subject, but obviously we cannot
effectively help you on issues with Non Microsoft software, especially with
closed apps like QT.

"Terry Pinnell" <terrypi...@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote in message

news:ajevu0h0abml55h7j...@4ax.com...

Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media]

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Jan 20, 2005, 1:15:04 PM1/20/05
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<cough> I can ;-))

The mvp award recognises expertise in a field rather than a specific
technology, I asked when I was first awarded, since I pointed out that
I generally work with real player and quicktime rather than windows
media player ;-)

Terry - your questions and comparisons are welcome in here <g>

Cheers - Neil

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 16:47:20 +0100, "Zarax" <zara...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

Mike Williams [MVP]

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Jan 20, 2005, 6:01:20 PM1/20/05
to Terry Pinnell
Terry Pinnell wrote:
> "Mike Williams [MVP]" <mi...@Nospam.mvps.org> wrote:
>
>
>>Terry Pinnell wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Any more ideas please?
>>
>>Suggest trying an Apple Quicktime forum as being more appropriate than a
>>WMP forum.
>
>
> Thanks. Subsequently found that I could play several other MOV files,
> so conclude that these downloaded files had a problem of some kind.

WMP can handle *some* early-codec MOV files. Later files require the QT
player. See http://www.zachd.com/pss/quicktimesupport.txt

Terry Pinnell

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Jan 21, 2005, 4:12:17 AM1/21/05
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Thanks. I think my version of QT, 6.5.2, is current, so it should
handle any MOV? If anyone is interested, here's an example of one of
the reluctant files, about 1.4MB:
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/London10.mov

I hadn't tried WMP9, but on using Open With to do so, I got this:
"Windows Media Player cannot play the file. The file is either corrupt
or the Player does not support the format you are trying to play."

Mike Williams [MVP]

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Jan 21, 2005, 6:44:53 AM1/21/05
to Terry Pinnell
Terry Pinnell wrote:

> Thanks. I think my version of QT, 6.5.2, is current, so it should
> handle any MOV? If anyone is interested, here's an example of one of
> the reluctant files, about 1.4MB:
> http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/London10.mov

One would hope so: MOV and QT are both Apple productions. But then again
most of Microsoft's imaging software has trouble with FPX/MIX format
which is a Microsoft joint format.

Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media]

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Jan 21, 2005, 6:52:40 AM1/21/05
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On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 09:12:17 +0000, Terry Pinnell
<terrypi...@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote:


>Thanks. I think my version of QT, 6.5.2, is current, so it should
>handle any MOV? If anyone is interested, here's an example of one of
>the reluctant files, about 1.4MB:
>http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/London10.mov

Well, that's odd. The web player (that is, the player which opens in a
web page when you open the URL) says it needs to download software
from the Apple site, and then finds the software (codec) isn't
available for update.

But the stand-alone player can load the file (though it can't play it)
enough to get the movie properties reported. In this case it's saying
320x240, 1.2MB per sec data rate and 1.4MB total file size, duration
1.06 seconds. 15 fps frame rate

Does that correspond to the measurements of your file?

So, exactly what compressor did you use on this, cause it's not one
which is built in to even the newest Quicktime player (which I have
here) ?

Cheers - Neil


Terry Pinnell

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Jan 21, 2005, 7:57:16 AM1/21/05
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"Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media]" <ne...@nospam.com> wrote:

>On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 09:12:17 +0000, Terry Pinnell
><terrypi...@THESEdial.pipex.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Thanks. I think my version of QT, 6.5.2, is current, so it should
>>handle any MOV? If anyone is interested, here's an example of one of
>>the reluctant files, about 1.4MB:
>>http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Misc/London10.mov
>
>Well, that's odd. The web player (that is, the player which opens in a
>web page when you open the URL) says it needs to download software
>from the Apple site, and then finds the software (codec) isn't
>available for update.
>
>But the stand-alone player can load the file (though it can't play it)
>enough to get the movie properties reported. In this case it's saying
>320x240, 1.2MB per sec data rate and 1.4MB total file size, duration
>1.06 seconds. 15 fps frame rate
>
>Does that correspond to the measurements of your file?

Never looked at QT Properties before. Seem to be two routes, unless
'Properties' and 'Info' have different meanings?

Movie>Get Movie Properties
--------------------------
Fiddling with that, all I could get was
Normal: 320 x 240 pixels
Current: 320 x 240 pixels (Normal)

Window>Show Movie Info
----------------------
More lnfo:
Source: D:\Docs\My Pictures\Movies\London10.mov
Format: Sheer RGB 8b p, 320 x 240, Millions
Data Size: 1.4 MB
Data Rate: 1.4 MB/sec
Current Time: 00:00:00.00
Duration: 00:00:01.06
Normal Size: 320 x 240 pixels
Current Size: 320 x 240 pixels (Normal)

BTW, I don't see a frame rate?

This is QT Player 6.5.2. Same as yours?

>So, exactly what compressor did you use on this, cause it's not one
>which is built in to even the newest Quicktime player (which I have
>here) ?

I didn't use anything on it! I just downloaded it.
("The files were amongst the first I tried downloading from a source


I'd been recommended, 'Prelinger Internet Archive of Moving Images' at

http://www.archive.org/movies/movies.php ")

Haven't got time to re-locate precise links right now. But when I do
I'm going to try a few more, carefully, and see if I get same problem.
Maybe I chose the wrong format or something...

Terry Pinnell

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Jan 21, 2005, 12:05:37 PM1/21/05
to
Am now in touch with the downloader of the files, who is going to look
into it and re-upload if necessary. He says:
"I'm on a Mac running OS X and Quicktime version 6.5.2. I right-click
on each clip and go to "Save link as..." The window pops up and the
movie name (with a .mov extension appears). I save them and they seem
to play fine on my system..."

Corentin Cras-Méneur

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Jan 21, 2005, 1:57:15 PM1/21/05
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Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media] <ne...@nospam.com> wrote:

> Well, that's odd. The web player (that is, the player which opens in a
> web page when you open the URL) says it needs to download software
> from the Apple site, and then finds the software (codec) isn't
> available for update.


FYI I tried on my Mac and I can't play it either. I downloaded the file
and found out it has been encoded with Sheer RGB 8b p.

A little Google search led me to their site:
http://www.bitjazz.com/sheervideo/
where they offer a free reader.


I guess they must have a QT plugin you can install as well (I didn't
look any further).

Corentin


--
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Corentin Cras-Méneur

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Jan 21, 2005, 2:00:57 PM1/21/05
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Corentin Cras-Méneur <korve...@NoSpam.mvps.org> wrote:

> A little Google search led me to their site:
> http://www.bitjazz.com/sheervideo/
> where they offer a free reader.
>
>
> I guess they must have a QT plugin you can install as well (I didn't
> look any further).


I just tried it on my Mac (and I suposed it's going to be more or less
the same under Windows).
The Free Reader is actually an installer that installs the proper QT
codec. I relaunched T Player and I then had no problem reading the file.
It's the first file I ever see in this format...

Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media]

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Jan 21, 2005, 3:13:46 PM1/21/05
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On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 12:57:15 -0600, korve...@NoSpam.mvps.org
(Corentin Cras-Méneur) wrote:

>FYI I tried on my Mac and I can't play it either. I downloaded the file
>and found out it has been encoded with Sheer RGB 8b p.

Yeah I saw that - had no idea what it meant though, never heard of it.
Certainly if it's so little used that it was a total novelty, and
there's no way to derive contact info from the codec name, I'd just
pass it over ! 10/10 for perseverance ;-)

>I guess they must have a QT plugin you can install as well (I didn't
>look any further).

Cheers - Neil

Corentin Cras-Méneur

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Jan 21, 2005, 3:34:54 PM1/21/05
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Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media] <ne...@nospam.com> wrote:

> Yeah I saw that - had no idea what it meant though, never heard of it.
> Certainly if it's so little used that it was a total novelty, and
> there's no way to derive contact info from the codec name, I'd just
> pass it over ! 10/10 for perseverance ;-)

As I was saying in the other post, it's the first time ever I see a file
encoded with this codec. Let's say it triggered my curiosity ;-))

Terry Pinnell

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Jan 22, 2005, 6:35:01 AM1/22/05
to
Second prompt email from author/organiser advised that all info at
http://www.dvjtj.com
now updated and 'things should work once you dl the proper codec'.

That proved correct, as Neil & Corentin have already discovered.

I only had a couple of 'test' clips on my HD, and haven't time right
this minute to download more. But both now do play OK. However, they
are only seconds long (and silent) so I need to investigate further.

-------
I see from the alternative source at
http://www.dvjtj.com/repository.php
that these are described as 'clips'. So maybe I misunderstood when I
downloaded originally.

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