Slow Quicktime

[sledgehammer]

I installed Panther and now Quicktime plays the avi files slow. The audio plays right but the video is out of sync and it's like slow motion. I installed all the latest divx, ac3 and 3ivx codecs. Nothing helps...
Before Panther the avi files were played correctly.

[galactica]

quicktime doenst handle raw .avi's very well
solution is to "doctor them" using divx doctor
or use Video Lan Client to view them

[deadsierra]

Hit command-I and see what sort of difference there is between the intended FPS is, and the actual speed. You must check this while a file is playing.

[sledgehammer]

VLC plays some avi files just fine but in some cases it displays an error that computer is too slow. My mac is G4, 400Mhz, 512Mb, Os 10.3.5.
What's the thing with some avi files playing correctly?

To Galactica:
Before Panther installation the avi files were played correctly in Quicktime.

To deadsierra:
The first FPS displays 23,98 and the second FPS changes between 0 and 3. What does it mean? Thanks!

[galactica]

bitrate can be one thing making some slower than others. Are you comparing SAME movie before and after updating the OS?

Divx playback requires at the minimum 400 mhz so you are pushing the limits

10.3.5 is more processor intesive than 10.2 so that is why you are experienceing these problems.

Are your files 'doctored' even still i dont think that will help
you could also try MplayerOSX as it is another player that will handle those giles

[SERBIAN]

I think that video card in Your G4 makes the trouble...If Im correct You have 16Mb version...Thats not enough for Panther...

[sledgehammer]

The moviefile that I'm trying to watch is the same before and after the installation. Tried the Divx doctor, no good.

My videocard is ATI Rage Orion 128, still it doesn't make sense why some movies are played good by VLC and some aren't...

Same problem in iBook G3 450MHZ... Installed also Panther (Along with the new Quicktime) and now can't watch avis...

Tried the MplayerosX, it plays all my avis perfectly but the audio is out of sync and it scratches. Loosing my mind...

[sledgehammer]

Being just more spesific here: The audiotrack is played correctly in quicktime but the video is like slowed down: it is not stuttering (I don't know the right word) and this makes the audio and video go out of sync.

There is no problem with the mpg files in quicktime and once more: avi's where played just fine before the panther and the new quicktime.

I don't think the CPU speed (and the videocard) matters here because the Mplayerosx plays the video fine but the audio stutters. And VLC plays some avis PERFECTLY (at least some), but not all...

[galactica]

odd indeed.........
where did you get 10.3 from? perhaps using a powerbook install cd on a desktop?

[deadsierra]

My videocard is ATI Rage Orion 128

A Radeon 7000 is like five bucks and will kick the crap out of your card. Assuming your computer is an AGP style one, go and buy a new card. something like a 9000 should be amazingly cheap, and will help ever so much.

[sledgehammer]

The Panther is a legal copy bought from store, shouldn't be anything wrong there...

Mplayerosx plays the videos all right (but not he audio) so I don't think it's the card.

By the way, VLC crashes every time when trying to play the subtitles. Nice program indeed...

[terryj]

Sledge, the problem is a two fold problem you are experiencing...
First, Panther is only compatible with
machines of the following specs G4 with AGP graphics,
450mhz or better, with a min of 32mb on your video card.
Now some might dispute this, but to run EFFECTIVELY,
( ie smooth) you should [at least] beef up your video card
as Deadsierra and Seriban pointed out.

Case in Point: My most recent G4 customer job came into the shop
with a problem similar to yours: A genetleman
had a G4 400, Rage 128 Orion Card, running Jag 10.2.3,
and a 17" Flat Panel, where everyhting he was using worked fine,
until he upgraded using factory discs to OS X 10.3.3,
and he found out that his 17" monitor crapped out and
would not redraw video properly, and it caused Quicktime
to stutter playback, as well as VLC. I hooked his 17"
to a G4 466 running 10.3.5 here at the shop
( with a Geforce 32mb Card) and his 17" flat worked beautifully.
Verified then with Apple that Panther doesn't have
current drivers for the Rage 128 cards, and installed
a PCI Card ( a Raedon 9000) and re-connected his
17" monitor played fine. Video played fine , VLC
and Quicktime worked great. Panther's Quartz
Extreme Coding changed, and the 128 Rage Orion's
aren't compatible or weren't tested by Apple.

VLC plays fine on this 466 G4 with a Geforce Card.
i'm playing my Tai Seng copy of Hero, which has subtitles,
and it handles it fine, no crashes.

[sledgehammer]

Quess the only thing to do is to buy a new videocard. Ati Radeon 9200 seems the only choice I can afford. It's a PCI card, not AGP, will it make a difference? Or is the Radeon 7000 (64Mb) enough?

Very disappointed to panther, Apple has been promising that even the older machines will speed up...
Thanks to everyone for help!!!

[deadsierra]

An AGP card would be better. An R9000 should be about the price of a 9200, so I'd go with the AGP one if you can.

[terryj]

well what i've found is that apple seems to "raise the bar"
on "older machines" every so often. As in this case,
when they said it would work on a G4, they meant G4 450,
since that was the first AGP machine and, also the first
NVIDIA geforce vid card machine.

plus, as with all manufacturers, they have to "nudge"
their customers forward somehow to be able to
turn a profit on new machines.
Just think if they could engineer the OS
to be leaner and faster to run with as far back as
first gen power PC 601 chips! think of what that would do
to apple...chaper desktops, but the price of the OS would
probably increase to that of say Adobe Photoshop, jsut
so they can make their profit margins!!

As long as you have an available PCI slo for the Raedon,
you should be fine to use it to drive your video needs.
A Raedon 7000 should be good, a 9200 of course
will be better...the newer the card, the longer your
longevity with the OS, don't forget Tiger is coming soon!

also, make sure you get a MAC version of the card,
so that you get a card with appropriate FIRMWARE.
Just because you see one on ebay that is like $6
doesn't mean it has been properly flashed, and it is
hard as @#$% to flash AFTER the fact.