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jchabre · Sep 16, 2002, 09:05 PM

How can i run AVI files on my MAC? Is it possible?

dannyn · 10:58 PM

You can download Windows Media Player from Microsoft's website. Works pretty well, for Windows Media Player (it's no quicktime).

Click here

lucylawless · Sep 17, 2002, 12:08 AM

*sigh*

WMP for mac has never been able to play AVI files.

I guess the search feature is broken, so you have a good excuse for asking something that's been beaten to death here and elsewhere, so....

If you can't play an AVI file straight off, it's because you have the wrong decompressor (or codec, which means COmpressor/DECompressor), as quicktime probably told you in an error message. The most common are DIVX and INDEO.

For Indeo, you will need to play it in Classic, as no OS X Indeo codec exists, or will likely ever exist. You can search for the OS 9 quicktime codecs at apple.com

For Divx, you can choose between 3 main choices: (1) go to www.divx.com and download the mac codec. It tells you to restart (I believe), but you only need to restart quicktime. (2) You can go to www.3ivx.com and download the 3ivx D4 preview decoder. 3ivx is different than divx, but confusingly enough, 3ivx d4 also decodes divx. Or (3) go with ffmpeg. Ffmpeg is a unix program that plays almost every kind of video found on the net. Based on this software, there is a quicktime decoder available at mpeg4.jamby.net, there is a standalone player called VidoeLan Client (search on versiontracker), and another player called Mplayer (I don't know much about it except that I tried it and didin't like it).

Choices (1) and (2) for divx playback have something called Post-Filters, which mean that if your computer is about 500 mhz or faster, they will look better than the choice (3) offerings, which are all based on the same code.

Now, those 3 choices are all for standard divx files. Divx evolved from Microsoft's attempt at MPEG4, and the first divx standard was MSMPEG4v(ersion)3. You might still find MSMPEG4v1 or v2 files around. For these you can play in OS X by searching versiontracker for MSMPEG4v1 and MSMPEG4v2 codecs. They are also based on ffmpeg, but I'm not sure which if any of the other ffmpeg-based solutions recognizes MSMPEG4v1 or v2. In OS 9 you can play MSMPEG4v2 files with the "wmaaudio" codec, from homepage.mac.com/collectivesw/wmaaudio.sit

You can find out what kind of file an AVI is by opening it in Quicktime Player and looking in the Info window (command-I). Under video format, IV32, IV41 and IV50 mean Indeo Video 3.2, 4.1, or 5.0. DIV3, DIV4, DIV5, MP43, DIVX, DX50, all mean standard divx. MP42 means MSMPEG4v2. MPG4, MPEG-4, or MP41 mean MSMPEG4v1. You can also open the file in a hex editor and search for these codes (called FourCC codes). they will be in the first 20 lines or so. You can change them in a hex editor, too, but that is only necessary for the MSMPEG4v1 codec, which requires you change the code to MP41. For other codecs, this is highly unrecommended.

That's for video. Audio in divx is often mp3, but since the official spec of AVI does not allow for mp3, quicktime needs some help playing it. divx.com offers the Divx Validator, which produces another avi that is magically playable. 3ivx.com offers the Divx Doctor, which converts the AVI to a MOV, but the MOV can be about 1/10 the size of the AVI, so it's quicker. Jamby.net offers AVI2MOV, which also produces a MOV file, but this one is necessarily as big as the AVI, and it loses keyframes in divx 4/5 content and has other problems. VLC plays AVI's without conversion, but the sound quality in VLC is generally bad anyway. a shame.
But. if the sound is wma instead of mp3, you'll have to get the wmaaudio codec mentioned earlier, and boot up Classic. 3ivx's Divx Doctor integrates with the wmaaudio extension to produce a MOV with decompressed audio that will play (or convert) anywhere. Without Divx Doctor, you can play the AVI in classic. Actually, now that I think about it I read about an OS X method to decode wma files with Audion. But I'm not sure if you can get the audio out of AVI files with it. search for Audion at forums.3ivx.com.

good luck, and if you find another format that I've forgotten about please ask about it

voodoo · Sep 17, 2002, 07:46 AM

How come I hear from my PeeCee using friends that they can play pretty much any AVI (DivX) straight up on WiMP (Win Med Player) without any conversion or problems? They are bemused at the problems Mac users are having with AVIs (DivX). This is silly!

memento · Sep 17, 2002, 09:53 AM

It's because of Microsoft. They have codecs for Windows that they don't port over to the mac (MSMPEG4v1 or v2, or even the newly released WMV9). They make WMP work seamlessly in Windows and try to trap people into their format and codecs. The Mac is an afterthought for them. It's not in their best interest to have a format that is easily interchangeable with QT or Real, hence their resistance to ISO standard MPEG4.

In short, MS has a monopoly on desktop operating systems and they are using that to extend their monopoly into streaming media.

Macola · Sep 17, 2002, 09:49 PM

Also, WMP on the PC downloads and updates whatever codecs it needs without even alerting the user...most people are probably not even aware of this, unless they have a software firewall.

booboo · Sep 19, 2002, 10:15 PM

Originally posted by lucylawless:
*sigh*

WMP for mac has never been able to play AVI files.
....

Thanks for you *sigh* long and informative reply...

I occasionally feel similarly compelled (on different subjects) and I'm sure that it is (although generally unacknowledged) appreciated....

Thx again

lucylawless · Sep 20, 2002, 08:04 PM

no problem. the sigh was mostly for the WMP remark (though I'm starting to wonder if WMP used to play avi's because the other day Tooki, who is generally knowledgable, said that too), and partly because the forum search doesn't work, which would have made things so much easier...

Anyway, I forgot to mention before, that a lot of times you'll get "avi" files from file-sharing programs that are actually asf or mpeg (1 or 2) that are misnamed, and you can often play them just by changing the name. but try asf last (even though it's the most common) because WMP will automatically add a creator code or something, and after that you have to strip it, or open it from QT in the File menu

HiDDeN · Sep 25, 2002, 11:50 AM

Why can't QT 6 play short avi movies (0 to 15MB) and it can play large movies up to 700 MB on a cd

This is something I find very strange.

lucylawless · Sep 25, 2002, 04:03 PM

I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about

memento · Sep 26, 2002, 09:48 AM

HiDDeN,
It sounds like you have incomplete short movies. QT is probably getting an "unexpected end of file" or something like that.

HiDDeN · Sep 26, 2002, 11:47 AM

Originally posted by memento:
HiDDeN,
It sounds like you have incomplete short movies. QT is probably getting an "unexpected end of file" or something like that.

Could be, but I don't think thats it.
All the short movies I have have this problem and QT says that I have software missing that unfortunaly is not avail at the QT update site.

Mediaman_12 · 12:11 PM

Maybe the short (Small?) files are using a different codec to the Long avi on the CD. Remember AVI is just a 'Wrapper' they can use all sorts of codecs (various MPG's WMF etc)

Oh by the way, my favorite player for QT unplayable movie files is MPlayer
It's a OSX GUI and a Unix port of a Linux Movie player It's played evrything I have thrown at it.

voodoo · Sep 28, 2002, 06:16 PM

Originally posted by memento:
It's because of Microsoft. They have codecs for Windows that they don't port over to the mac (MSMPEG4v1 or v2, or even the newly released WMV9). They make WMP work seamlessly in Windows and try to trap people into their format and codecs. The Mac is an afterthought for them. It's not in their best interest to have a format that is easily interchangeable with QT or Real, hence their resistance to ISO standard MPEG4.

In short, MS has a monopoly on desktop operating systems and they are using that to extend their monopoly into streaming media.

These friends of mine are using Linux.

Another thing, they can use a 300 MHz Pnt2 to play them quite nicely, but I sometimes get crappy playback on a 600 MHz G3. Even after decompressing the audio!?! WTF!

lucylawless · Sep 28, 2002, 11:40 PM

is your 600 mhz G3 an iBook with a 66 mhz bus? There are a lot of technical reasons why divx has technical optimizations for pentiums (it's based on code developed my MS), and why mac playback is not optimised for the G3 or G4 (divx.com has one guy writing the mac version, and 3ivx has one guy writing the 3ivx decoder. you'd think they might work together...). I don't know the reasons, but I've read them and you can probably find them with not much trouble.

voodoo · Sep 29, 2002, 07:29 PM

Originally posted by lucylawless:
is your 600 mhz G3 an iBook with a 66 mhz bus? There are a lot of technical reasons why divx has technical optimizations for pentiums (it's based on code developed my MS), and why mac playback is not optimised for the G3 or G4 (divx.com has one guy writing the mac version, and 3ivx has one guy writing the 3ivx decoder. you'd think they might work together...). I don't know the reasons, but I've read them and you can probably find them with not much trouble.

Yeah

I suppose it is one of the few downsides of owning a Mac.

My iBook has a 100MHz bus, btw.

They really should work together (the divx mac programmers)

voodoo · Oct 1, 2002, 08:48 PM

Epilogue?:

I have downloaded VideoLAN client 0.4.4 (vlc) for OS X. It plays apparently all my avi's and without any silly preperation like DivxDoctor et al. Just put a CD in, open file and play. Simple.

Amazing.

This is something Apple hasn't managed to pull off yet. I am happy.

Plays full screen without a hitch, btw it plays FASTER than the 3ivX codec I used before with Quicktime.

the client can be found here: www.videolan.org

Yay!

MountainMac · 09:23 PM

Sorry...accidental post. Network not working like it should...

voodoo · Oct 5, 2002, 02:03 PM

Accidental post? Aha. Mhhm. Sure

Anyway, not all avis work with vlc as I have learned. There are some that just won't play, or won't play right.

One avi gave me completely corrupted movie track and no soundtrack. Another refused to play entirely. These are exceptions from the general rule, though. Most avis will work.

All the avi files I have been using are painlessly playable on Windows and Linux.

lucylawless · Oct 5, 2002, 07:58 PM

next time you have these files open in Windows or Linux maybe you could find out what video and audio codecs they use? The only way I know is VirtualDub in Windows. In the File menu (I think) choose movie properties or something, and it will give you all you ever wanted to know about the file

thanks