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Why won’t my HDV files play in Snow Leopard?
I’ve got two startup drives on my computer. One has OS X.5.8 and the other is the final version of Snow Leopard (X.6.8? I don’t have that startup running right now). I cut a show in a DV codec on the Leopard startup and then relinked the clips to the HD versions. Everything went pretty well. I’ve recently opened the project in Snow Leopard and, for the most part, things are fine. Except for one interview. Quicktime won’t open them, mpeg Streamclip won’t open them, nothing seems to open the clips in this one interview.
The easy answer, of course, is don’t open the project in Snow Leopard. The trouble is we’re taking the show out of house for color correction and the colorist. in a test, couldn’t open those files either. He eventually converted them (not sure what he used), but the footage suffered hugely in the conversion.
My thinking is my Snow Leopard startup is missing some codec that I have in Leopard, but I’m not sure what one it would be or, frankly, where to look. And if I found it, would it be safe to simply copy the codec over from Leopard to Snow Leopard.
Below is the Inspector window from QTPro for one of these files. I think I’ll find other clips with the same specs that play fine though.
I know I’ve provided limited information here, but I’m not certain what else to offer. Help me help you help me.
The funny thing is, the interview is with the client and the client has been nothing but problems since the project started.
Martin
2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20 -
6 Replies
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OK, I’ve done some more investigating and, first off, I’d like to apologize to the client. His clips aren’t the only ones that won’t open in Snow Leopard. There are lots that won’t and lots that will (I figured out which were which by looking in Snow Leopard at Finder level in list view. The ones that will open have a thumbnail image as opposed to a QT icon). Oddly, the ones that will open and the ones that won’t seem to jump back and forth within a single shoot. I might call the cameraman tomorrow, but this stuff was shot a few years ago.
Anyway, I labeled the won’t-opens red and went back to Leopard. Again, here everything will open in QT Pro and a thorough review of lots of them in the Inspector reveals these two distinctions.
- The ones that won’t open in Snow Leopard, as shown in my first post, are 16-Bit (Big Endian), Stereo with a Normal Size of 1920 x 1080.
- The ones that will open are 16-bit (Little Endian) Left and Right with a Normal Size of 1888 x 1062. Everything else seems to be the same.
Does this help? Can you help?
Lost little lamb,
Martin
2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20 -
Check this out:
Best wishes,
Harry.
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Were these recorded on a Firestore Drive?
If so read this https://www.focusinfo.com/dynassets/documents/downloads/MACOSX_Supp_Anncmt_10.21.11.pdf
I tried the Digital Rebellion solution it enabled the playing of the HDV files but it broke other functions, one of which Compressor not outputting audio on conversions.
Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/ -
Ah man, this is all depressing. I really don’t relish reverting to an earlier QT given your reply, Phil. And there seem to be no updates from VITEC. I’m waiting to hear back from the shooter to find out if he did use firestore.
Martin
2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20 -
Hi Martin,
Here is the re-installation of everything that worked for me on my Mac Pro 8 core v2,3.
OS 10.6.7
Quicktime v7.6.6
FCP 6.0.6
Prokit 7.0.This now works with my HDV files recorded on a Firestore FS-C (the version for the Canon XL H1 etc series of cameras).
I hope it works for you. It took me three days of misery to get there.
Best,
Harry.
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Thanks to everyone that got back to me on this. Because I have two complete startup drives on my Mac, one running Leopard and one running Snow Leopard I (OK, not ‘I,’ my Mac guy) swapped out some files in the Library folder per the instructions at the Digital Rebellion link earlier in this thread and all’s good.
I see that link added an update yesterday listing the files to swap out. One day late.
Martin
2 x 2.26 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
12 GB RAM
OS 10.5.8
ATI Radeon HD 4870
FCP 7.0.2
Quicktime 7.6.6
Avid Media Composer 4.0.2.20
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