codec missing or unavaiable

[Peter Mackay]

Could it be that your shooter converted the files to Pro Res. Windows does not have the pro res codec as its an apple product. You can however download the read only version from Apples web site.

[Angelo Lorenzo]

Ask your shooter what compression he used. Saying Quicktime is like saying you have a hard cover book, MOV is a container, but you can’t read it because you don’t know the language.

Quicktime 7 should come with a ProRes Decoder, but try https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1

It may be Avid DNxHD https://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/download/Avid-QuickTime-Codecs-LE-2-3-8

It may be GoPro Cineform https://gopro.com/software-app/cineform-studio (codec installs with free software)

These are the most common intermediate formats that may need additional installs to work. Do not install any non-professional codec packs like k-lite.

Alternately, did he just re-wrap the XDCAM footage to the MOV container? That usually isn’t supported out of the box (Apple never had a free MPEG-2 codec for Quicktime). You’d have better luck with the original MP4 or MXF files from the camera. If you don’t have time then you can re-wrap them to MP4 or use something like https://www.calibratedsoftware.com/QXD.asp

——————–
Angelo Lorenzo

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[Ken Mitchell]

There are some apple codecs that do not exist in the PC world. It may be that the files are “Apple Intermediate Codec” or Apple HDV Codec”
or “Apple XDcam” These codecs do not exist in quicktime on the pc.
When inputting xdcam files into final cut the original may have been converted to one of these.You can tell by opening up a file in quicktime and go to window/show movie inspector/format You must use a mac to encode them to something else. Or preferably have the original xdcam files sent to you.

[Donnamarie Floyd]

thanks these are very helpful responses.