quicktime
Latest
Security update for QuickTime 7.1.6
If you use QuickTime on your Mac running OS X, Windows XP, or Windows 2000 (heck, you might even run those last two on non-Apple hardware) then you need to fire up Software Update. QuickTime 7.1.6 is now available and it addresses two vulnerabilities with the way Java is handled. Apple recommends this update for everyone.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Connect360 updated with H.264 support
A while back in our TUAW Guide to Xbox 360 and Mac we mentioned the forthcoming Spring Dashboard update on the 360 was to bring updated video codec support. Well that update dropped last week and Nullriver has correspondingly updated their Connect360 software (which we've mentioned before) that allows streaming video (and audio) files from a Mac straight to a Xbox 360. The newly supported codecs include full HD (1920x1080) H.264 in both the MPEG-4 and QuickTime containers (in addition to the previous WMV). This, of course, is substantially higher than Apple TV's support for 720p video, making the Xbox 360 likely the best full HD video extender available (though the Xbox is disappointingly loud compared to the Apple TV).Connect360 remains $20 and a demo is available.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Chroma feature movie player
Chroma is a video player for OS X "optimized for playing feature movies." Though there are many free options that will play most anything that Chroma will (QuickTime with Perian, VLC, mPlayerOSX, etc.), nonetheless Chroma has some nice features that may make it worthwhile for watching features in particular. These include "IntelliAspect" which eliminates the black (letterboxing) bars when viewing in full screen, built-in AVI/Divx support, built-in DVD support, fine-grained scrubbing controls, and a "Picture-In-Picture" Overlay mode, "which presents the movie in a small square in a corner of your screen, on top of your regular desktop."Chroma is $22 and a demo is available from mirailabs. If Chroma is worth the price it's for rather subtle niceties like the IntelliAspect and the scrubbing controls. If you just want to play videos, one of the free options will likely be fine.
Apple issues fix for recently discovered QuickTime flaw
Just over a week after a dubious duo found a way to commandeer a Mac thanks to an elusive flaw in QuickTime (of all things), Apple's security police have purportedly fixed the flaw and issued an update. Apparently, the hole could be "exploited through a rigged website and let an attacker control computers running both Mac OS X and Windows," and the firm elaborated by stating that a "maliciously crafted Java applet could lead to arbitrary code execution" if users didn't apply the patch. The newest version of QuickTime now sits at 7.1.6, and reportedly "repairs the problem by performing additional checking," and interestingly enough, Apple seemingly tipped its hat to Dino Dai Zovi and the TippingPoint Zero Day Initiative for reporting the issue. So make sure you fire up that Software Update today if you haven't already -- a presumably small bundle of downloadable joy should be waiting.
Flip4Mac 2.1.1.70 adds Windows Media 9 Advanced playback
The essential QuickTime plugin for playing Windows Media files, Flip4Mac, has been updated. In addition to bug fixes, etc., the new beta version 2.1.1.70 adds the significant improvement of support for Windows Media 9 Advanced playback. If you've been running into incompatibilities with a favorite site that uses that codec check out this latest version.[Via MacVolPlace]
HOWTO: Matting rotated QuickTime videos
One of my recent posts showed you how to rotate videos shot in portrait orientation. While this technique restores your video to its proper orientation, the results are not particularly usable in your favorite video editing programs like iMovie because of their unusual aspect ratio. The following gallery demonstrates how to matte your video onto a plain background using QuickTime Pro to restore a proper 4:3 (or 16:9) ratio. %Gallery-2616%
FCS2 page hints at pending QuickTime 7.1.6 update
Many of Apple's media apps rely on QuickTime in one way or another, so it probably comes as no surprise that a Final Cut Studio 2 announcement means we'll see at least a slight QT update to bring everything up to speed. Sure enough, eagle-eyed TUAW readers have caught QuickTime 7.1.6 listed on the System Requirements page for FCS2. Though a minor upgrade that is probably filled with compatibility updates, it is also likely to include that fancy new Apple ProRes 422 codec (who names this stuff?) which supposedly offers uncompressed HD quality footage with SD file sizes. That's a pretty tall claim to fill, but we'll have to wait for the reports to roll in on whether Apple delivers on the promise.Regardless, it's a pretty obvious bet that QuickTime 7.1.6 will soon be coming to a Software Update near you.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
HOWTO: Rotate your video in QuickTime Pro
Today with so many of us using our digital cameras to shoot short video segments, it's especially easy to forget that we're dealing with videos and turn the camera on its side for a portrait orientation. Unfortunately, most video programs are not set up to handle portrait video. The video ends up displaying on its side. QuickTime Pro makes it easy to recover from this kind of shooting calamity and restore the orientation you intended. Here's a gallery showing you how. %Gallery-2515%
HOWTO: Overlaying a video in QuickTime Pro
TUAW's earlier post showed you how to create an overlay using transparency and sized to match your QuickTime video. In this, the second of two how-to galleries, you'll learn how to open your overlay in QuickTime Pro and merge it with your video to create a translucent bug in the corner of your movie. Be aware: you do need to upgrade QuickTime to "Pro" to take advantage of these powerful video-editing features. %Gallery-2468%
HOWTO: Preparing an overlay for QuickTime Pro
You know those logos that appear in the corner of your TV, overlaying your TV shows? It isn't hard to create the same effect using an image editor like Photoshop and the hidden features of QuickTime Pro. In this, the first of two how-to galleries, you'll see how to prepare an overlay using your favorite photo editor. You need to make the overlay the same size as your destination video, and you need to take advantage of your editor's "alpha" transparency features to create a translucent logo that will overlay your video. %Gallery-2467%
Apple adds Xvid to QT Components site
Our own David just texted us to let us know that Apple has added Xvid to its online QuickTime Components list. The Xvid-for-QuickTime component, which you can download here, allows you to play and encode Xvid video. As the writeup mentions, Xvid follows the MPEG-4 standard.
Apple TV hacked to play XviD format videos
Word has come in that the Apple TV has been cleverly hacked (yes, already) to play XviD format videos, according to users from the Something Awful forums.To achieve this, the hardware hacker dissected the Apple TV, removing the hard drive and then mounting it on a Mac, where the drive pops up as a native HFS volume. (Notably, this proves that the device indeed runs a custom version of Mac OS X.) The user was then able to install Dropbear, an SSH server application, in combination with the video container Perian, and finally, a custom script was written to allow the Apple TV to properly read an XviD format video. Normally, of course, the device only recognizes MPEG4 and H.264 format videos out of the box. No other formats have been tested as of yet, and this hack unfortunately prevents video synchronization since the it uses reference QuickTime files for the videos to properly play. Perhaps this is just the beginning, though. [via MacNN]
VisualHub 1.23 adds Apple TV export
TUAW isn't my only online endeavor. I also produce a video podcast with some of my friends, and I really couldn't imagine doing it without the help of the fantastic VisualHub from Techspansion. Sure, you can convert video using other methods for free, but VisualHub makes it so easy to do, and the UI is straightforward enough that even I can use it.VisualHub 1.23 has just been released with the big ticket item being support for exporting video in Apple TV friendly formats (and they claim VisualHub is faster than QuickTime for this purpose). There are also a number of other fixes in this point release. VisualHub is $23.32 and worth every penny. If you only care about iPod formats you should check out VisualHub's little sibling iSquint, which is free.Oh, and as Mike pointed out to me, you might want to take a moment and read the release notes. They are more entertaining than most.
Quicktime gains Apple TV export
With the release of Quicktime 7.1, Apple has added a nifty feature that isn't immediately apparent: Export to Apple TV. It's notable because the result is DVD-quality 720 by 404, as well as 1280 by 720 videos. That's 720p at 24 frames per second. Speculation is rampant that this points to HD movies in the iTunes store. For now, movies converted at the above rate will play in iTunes but won't transfer to an iPod. Keep you eye on the movies section of iTunes...Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Get 35% off Flip4Mac
Ok, so for whatever reason you just need to have the ability to encode darling little WMVs on your Mac, Flip4Mac is probably the way you'll want to go, and macZOT! makes the encoding software more appealing with a nice 35% off discount. The full-fledged Flip4Mac WMV Studio package typically runs $49, but with this offer (good for today only) the price gets knocked down to just under $32. As a side note, you don't need to spend any money to play Windows Media files: simply grab the free plugin. The software requires OS X 10.3.9, and QuickTime 6.5 or later. (Don't shoot the messenger!)
QuickTime 7.1.5 and iTunes 7.1 released
Apple just released QuickTime 7.1.5 and iTunes 7.1 via Software Update for both Macintosh and Windows. The QuickTime update addresses security issues (possibly the continuation of those raised by the Month of Apple Bugs) and adds numerous bug fixes. iTunes 7.1 adds AppleTV support, new full-screen Cover Flow, and better sorting options. I'm downloading both updates now, and can't wait to play with the new sort features. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.Update: Apple's latest RSS support feed mentions that the Windows version of iTunes 7.1 addresses compatibility issues with Vista, but that Apple "is actively working with Microsoft to resolve a few remaining known issues."
PhotoTunnel 3: iPhoto Albums Go 3D
PhotoTunnel 3 looks like a neat toy for anybody who's tired of the Ken Burns effect and is looking for a way to make unusual slideshow videos from iPhoto albums. Capitalizing on OS X's built-in Core Image technology, PhotoTunnel will apply a variety of effects to your pictures to generate QuickTime movies that you can share with friends and family. You can get relatively sophisticated animations with real-time effects and filters. The best way to get a sense of what PhotoTunnel can do is to check out the demo videos (scroll to the bottom, on the right). As I said, I would probably regard this more as a toy than a serious tool, as the videos it produces are somewhat, shall we say, over the top. But I suppose one man's over-the-top, is another man's cool.PhotoTunnel 3 is $19 and a demo is available.
Apple showcases 2006 Academy Award nominees
Is it awards season again? I feel like I just put my tux into storage. Ah well, someone has to be the arm candy on the red carpet and this humble blogger is up to the challenge. It looks like Apple wants in on some of the red carpet glory as well (how is that for a segue?). They have set up a special section of their website that lists all the Academy Award nominees with links to: The QuickTime trailer of the movie (in HD when available) Music from the movie that is available on the iTS Links to IMDb when neither of the above is available (most notably with the shorts) Here's your change to get acquainted with the nominated movies before the ceremony. You can also check out the nominated films from 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Macworld Expo 2007 QuickTime VRs
While we whipped out our own photo galleries feature last week for Macworld 07, Panoramas.dk specializes in putting together QuickTime VRs of major events and places. TUAW reader Christian Chladek just tipped us off to Panoramas.dk's new Macworld 07 gallery, containing over 15 full-screen VRs of various booths from the likes of Canon, Microsoft, Crumpler (their booth really was pretty unique) and - of course - the iPhone in its awe-inspiring rotating glass case. The VRs look pretty nice and are one more way to 'be there' without being there. We just wouldn't recommend trying to lick the iPhone display.
Peter Maurer Up to Many (new) Tricks: yFlicks
Peter Maurer is an interesting Mac developer. He's a German medical student who also happens to write really excellent Mac software in his spare time, probably most importantly Butler. He's already developed and sold several excellent apps such as TextExpander (was Textpander), MenuCalendarClock (was Calendarclock), and now yFlicks (was Clip Show); however, instead of selling yFlicks to another company this time he's decided to start his own: Many Tricks. He has always offered free licenses to people who have contributed to the pre-commercial versions of his software and he continues this laudable practice with yFlicks. Those who contributed to Maurer for Clip Show prior to Jan 12, 2007 are eligible for a free license for yFlicks.yFlicks is a video player based on QuickTime. In some ways it looks sort of like an iPhoto for videos, allowing you to "play videos in fullscreen mode, organize your videos in groups, search them, rate them, and browse them in preview mode." In addition, like TubeSock and Tubular it allows you (with Perian) to download videos from YourTube or Google and then export them to your iPod.yFlicks is €15 (~$19) and a demo is available.[Edit: reverted to a language I actually know and clarified upgrade policy]
