Playing avi files

[acoolromeo]

Just wondering why Quicktime says I need different softwars to play avi on my 20" iMac?

Anyone want to point me in the right direction.

Thanks, ACR

[justadam74]

(I copy and pasted this from the divx readme file.)

Due to limitations in the QuickTime Architecture, AVI video files containing MP3, WMA or AC3 audio tracks will not play directly in QuickTime based applications. You may experience stuttering, loss of sound, no sound or an error message.

You can download DivX Doctor II from http://doctor.3ivx.com/.

Most AVIs will need to be 'doctored' with DivX Doctor II. The DivX Doctor II ReadMe contains more detailed instructions.


You basically just drag and drop your .avi file into the DivX Doctor and hit the button and it processes the file into a quicktime compatable file...


hope this helps,
ab

[WiseWeasel]

Just use VLC (www.videolan.org) to play your AVI files, no muss, no fuss, and perfect playback. Alternatively, MplayerX works as well.

[thomasbbb]

hi...

try this: install divx.com and 3ivx.com codecs (as suggested in ffmegx manual)
http://www.divx.com/
http://www.3ivx.com/

this will allow you to play most avi movies with quicktime player... the VLC player is fine, but the controls jusy don't respond as solidly as those of quicktime player...

hope this helps.

[sdm]

I agree with thomasbbb.

quicktime player is a better environment to play movies so it is desirable to install those codecs.

I can play most avis, in qt. when I cant, I try vlc.

[WiseWeasel]

QT is NOT a better environment for AVIs. You'll get much better playback performance and quality using VLC or MplayerX. If you need to convert the AVIs to other formats using QT Pro, or one of the QT-based apps, then you should use the QT codecs mentioned. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and use VLC or MplayerX (preferably VLC) for divx AVI playback.

[born bad]

I'm in the "install DivX, XviD or 3ivX codec, then use QT Player" camp. While MPlayer and VLC are awesome, they just don't offer much control over playback, and the timecodes are seldom correct.

VLC and MPlayer are fine if you're going to watch a movie from beginning to end with no pauses, rewinds or fast-forwards.

I advise against "DivX Doctor-ing" your AVIs. If you ever want to play the resulting MOVs on a PC or a DivX-capable DVD player, you'll have to go through several steps to isolate the video and audio tracks and remux them into AVIs. AVI muxing takes foreeeeeeeever on a Mac.

[live4ever]

Is there any Mac program like AVIcodec which tells you the exact codec?

In QT any mpeg4 file is the codec you install last (ie. 3ivx and DivX compete).
While VLC usually just says mp4 video with mp3 audio.

[tgpo]

Is there any Mac program like AVIcodec which tells you the exact codec?

I don't get questions like this. Most mac users aren't gonna know references to PC software.

If you dl ffmpegX and open the file with it it'll give you info. As will mPlayer.

[acoolromeo]

Hi and thanks for all the suggestions.

[SERBIAN]

VLC and MPlayer are fine if you're going to watch a movie from beginning to end with no pauses, rewinds or fast-forwards.

Well, I think MPlayer has more then enough controls to rewind, fforward, fix audio delays and adjust subtitle position as You can see below..Adjusting subtitle position and playing on second monitor is very handy when You watch movies on TV from PowerBook..

Basic keys:

<- or -> seek backward/forward 10 seconds
up or down seek backward/forward 1 minute
pgup or pgdown seek backward/forward 10 minutes
< or > step backward/forward in playlist
p or SPACE pause movie (press any key to continue)
q or ESC stop playing and quit program
+ or - adjust audio delay by +/- 0.1 second
o cycle OSD mode: none / seekbar / seekbar + timer
* or / increase or decrease PCM volume
z or x adjust subtitle delay by +/- 0.1 second
r or t adjust subtitle position up/down

[sdm]

QT is NOT a better environment for AVIs. You'll get much better playback performance and quality using VLC or MplayerX.

in my opinion, qt pro player has nicer controls. having the timeline at the bottom of the player makes it simple to jump to any point in the clip. VLC is not good at this. As for the playback performance – qt player works well for me.

[badtz]

are there avi's that the 3ivx/divx codeccs can't play in quicktime that VLC can?

[tgpo]

There are a lot of files that VLC can handle that Quicktime laughs at.

[deadsierra]

are there avi's that the 3ivx/divx codeccs can't play in quicktime that VLC can?

Yes.

[badtz]

are there avi's that the 3ivx/divx codeccs can't play in quicktime that VLC can?

Yes.

how about the inverse? Are there avi's that the codecs can play, but not VLC?


[i'm trying to decipher if it's worth the effort to install the plugins, or just always play them in VLC]

[tgpo]

I think Quicktime does a better job with DV.

[WiseWeasel]

QT does better with all the formats it supports natively. MPEG2 and Divx, however, are not too hot, for which I always use VLC with no problems.

P.S. Ferchrissakes, tgpo, get Caulkin's mug off this forum!!! :P

[tgpo]

P.S. Ferchrissakes, tgpo, get Caulkin's mug off this forum!!! :P

:P I thought it was just too funny to pass up as an avatar.

[thoughton]

Someone just sent me an avi of Maradonna scoring some wonder goal in 86. Unfortunately it seems to contain Indeo 3.2 video (fourcc is IV32). I am a compulsive hoarder of emailable videos, anyone have any suggestions on how I can convert this sucker to something friendlier?

I've read that I can open it in OS9 but I'd have to search the loft for my old OS9 software and I don't really know how to convert any video in OS9 anyway

[WiseWeasel]

In OS9 or classic, if you install the Indeo Video codecs, you can then open the avi in QuickTime Pro, and use it to convert to whatever format you want.

[thoughton]

Ugh, so there's no Indeo support on OS X? Someone should do something about that :P

Cheers WW

[WiseWeasel]

Yeah, someone really should. Indeo video is pretty much obsolete now, though, so there's not too much market for it.

[WiseWeasel]

P.S. Ferchrissakes, tgpo, get Caulkin's mug off this forum!!! :P

:P I thought it was just too funny to pass up as an avatar.

Oh man, I hate to bring this off-topic, but tgpo, you gotta check this story out, even though you already changed your avatar . . . *shakes fist*
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=6296896

[badtz]

Yeah, someone really should. Indeo video is pretty much obsolete now, though, so there's not too much market for it.

I emailed indeo about this awhile back .... and they basically said they're seeing if there's a high enough demand to port it to OS X.


in other words, they won't.

[badtz]

is there a solution to play avi w/mp3 audio in quicktime yet?

[thoughton]

Hrm I have lpenty of avis with mp3 audio which work in quicktime player...

[Case]

The 3ivx D4 PR2 ReadMe, back in December 2002, speaks of DivX Docter II, to fix AVIs to be playable in QuickTime. With 3ivx D4 4.0.4, in April 2003, that issue was solved.

[WiseWeasel]

You can also install the free divx codecs for QT from divx.com... No need to use something like Divx Doctor anymore.

[badtz]

thanks for the posts!

So is the only other MAJOR .avi audio format that doesn't play [via plugins] on quicktime is .avi files w/WMA audio?


Also, by default, 3ivx, and DivX installs a folder into your applications folder.... does anyone know if it would be okay to erase or move these folders somewhere else (like the utilities folder) instead?