Quicktime, You Suck

[Jason Dunn]

You know, I'm completely fed up with Quicktime on the Windows platform. It probably rocks on a Mac, but it's nothing but a headache on the Windows platform for me. First, there's the irritating way it "encourages" you to buy the pro version every now and then. Apple, if you're going to give a player away for free, make it really free, not nagware. A more serious problem I have with Quicktime is the way it seems to always lock up programs. On three different computers, with both Internet Explorer and Firefox, I'd say about 25% of the time when I try to play an embedded Quicktime file it locks up the browser. I used to think this was a problem with Firefox, which encouraged me to switch back to Internet Explorer, but I just had a Quicktime lockup in FeedDemon, which uses IE as a rendering engine. Bah! :roll: I really hope Quicktime 7.0 on Windows is more stable, because it's still a popular format on the Web. Here's hoping...

[Mike Temporale]

I've pretty much stopped using QuickTime. I still have it installed, but I only use it when there is no other choice. For most things I come across, there is a WMV version, so I haven't really had any problems.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

You should try QT alternative; available on its own or with the K-Lite Mega Codec pack.

[Macguy59]

I agree it works smoother on my Mac's but I've never had it lock up anything on my PC and my daughter uses it quite a bit on it watching movie trailers and music videos at the iTunes store. *shrugs*

[David Horn]

Completely agree with you Jason. I'm sick of the way it crashes other apps, the nag screen whenever you use it, and the fact that there's nothing special about it as a player.

Also, WHY doesn't it start playing a video clip automatically if you fire up one from, say, Explorer? I know it's just one more click but it's the straw that broke etc. :)

[Macguy59]

Completely agree with you Jason. I'm sick of the way it crashes other apps, the nag screen whenever you use it, and the fact that there's nothing special about it as a player.

Also, WHY doesn't it start playing a video clip automatically if you fire up one from, say, Explorer? I know it's just one more click but it's the straw that broke etc. :)

Your not suggesting WMP does it fewer steps are you? Why does WMP force you to open a browser window to watch a trailer it's pimping from within WMP? Both players have warts but IMO the video quality of QT is better then WMV.

[Jason Dunn]

Your not suggesting WMP does it fewer steps are you? Why does WMP force you to open a browser window to watch a trailer it's pimping from within WMP? Both players have warts but IMO the video quality of QT is better then WMV.

If a WMV is embedded in a Web page it can start playing without any clicking. I do agree with you fully though on how lame it is that WMP will open up a browser window...ultimately though that's the content provider that's chosing to be irritating. :-(

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I thought anything that's not embedded in a web page opens up a new window. Blame the content provider, not WMP or any media player.

I thought MOV is a container format, like AVI? Hence comparing WMV to MOV isn't quite right (unless youre are comparing it to the WMV container). Personally I think Divx, Xvid, and WMV are all very good video codecs, offering good image quality at very high compression.

[Mr. MacinTiger]

If it's any consolation, rest assured that Windows Media Player for Mac OS X sucks as well. Badly. :?

[klinux]

MOV is indeed a container like the AVI format and thus quality of .mov file is dependant on the codec and bitrate, just like with AVI files.

I personally have not had any problem with QT in Windows and with IE and FireFox. What annoys me is the annoying message to upgrade to the Pro version.

Most of the time I use Media Player Classic in Windows and VideoLan in OS X.

[sheik]

I don't like Quicktime either, not enough viewers can open the files so it is difficult to distribute to people.
Unfortunately though, every camera I've owned saves the videos as .MOVs.
Does anyone know if there is a freeware MOV -> AVI utility?

UPDATE: I just found this link (http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm) which is worth a donation if it works.

/\dam

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Most of the time I use Media Player Classic in Windows and VideoLan in OS X.

Oh yes, MPC is a great little app. Together with QT Alternative I no longer get nag screens!

[kenjancef]

What I don't like is that now when you want to download and install QuickTime, it forces you to install iTunes first! If I'm on a client's PC, and I need to install QuickTime, why do I want to clog up their system with iTunes when they either don't have an iPod, or don't listen to music altogether?!?!?!

Why does Apple force the install of iTunes??????

Sorry, but it just aggravates me....


Ken :x

[Jason Dunn]

What I don't like is that now when you want to download and install QuickTime, it forces you to install iTunes first!

They've actually changed that:

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html

There's an option to just download and install Quicktime. Earlier in the year they made is almost impossible to get JUST Quicktime.