Quicktime

[Wainui]

I have been unable to view video to my client TV monitor using the "Quicktime Reference" as generated by DV Express. The Video features in Pro-Tools otherwise works fine. If I use a codec, such as sorenson or cinepak to encode the video, then I can view the video through the Client TV monitor, but I cannot scrub the video.

I have been in contact with the maker of my video dispaly card, which is a Matrox Parhelia 128. Matrox, puzzled by this, did some testing in their Lab and discovered that there is an error in quicktime. They have notified apple and hopefully Apple will address this.

I am bringing this to your attention so that you can look into this and also apply pressure to Apple to rectify the problem and solve this Video out to client monitor issue. To me it is a big deal.


Does this make sense to you, and can you do something about it?

To view the entire responses from Matrox go to this address.
http://forum.matrox.com/mga/viewtopi...er=asc&start=0


This is the last posting on the Matrox site that I have received from Matrox Tech Support, who have been wonderful.

Please Advise.
Many Thanks
Paul.
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Hi Paul,

our QA lab and the Product Manager responsible for the video portion of our graphic cards have sent an email to Apple describing this problem.

The problem is an overlay problem where quicktime is not using hardware overlay to playback the media clips. Instead, they are reverting to blitting the media clips during playback.

Most, if not all, graphic cards with a dvdmax feature require that the media player play back the clips using hardware overlay from the graphic card.

From our tests with both our cards and nVidia cards, Quick Time 6.x will only play the following .MOV clips if the video window is covered by either a drop down menu in QuickTime or another window. If the video window is not covered in any way Quick Time will Blit. The only clip that we have found to play back using overlay whether the video window is covered or not is the whale.mov clip.

toystory2-t_480(1).mov
Sorenson Video, 480x264, Millions
157.6 K bytes/sec

TBS Monkey Movie Alien.mov
Sorrenson Video, 320x240, Millions
82.8 K bytes/sec

Tarzan(1).mov
Cinepack, 160x120, Millions
53.0 K bytes/sec

followshipofthering_480.I.mov
Sorenson Video 3, 480x260, Millions
111.6 K bytes/sec


whale.mov (Allways plays using overlay)
Microsoft Video Utlity, 200x150, Millions
54.5 K bytes/sec

PS: Feel free to point the folks from Apple to this thread if it helps you in anyway.
_________________
Haig
Matrox Graphics
Technical Support Manager

[froyo]

Hello. Wainui yes this is a well known limitation. It is a limitation placed on the Windows version of the QuickTime player done by Apple. We have talked about it at length on both Windows forums (TDM and LE). Do a search for the discussions. Without knowing all the sides of the story to every detail, as far as I know it centers around a pissing match between Apple and Microsoft. One does this, the other does that, that kind of thing. I e mailed David Sumich from Digidesign some months back and here is what he told me. When he refers to a statement above, he is talking about where I point out that DV through Firewire is not possible on the Windows version.

Because we use the QuickTime library on both platforms for video, the above statement is true. DV through Firewire is not possible. The way to get it to work would be to use Microsoft's DirectShow library, which would take a considerable amount of work for us. We are still looking into the right solution for us. We do plan to execute on something to make this more than just talk.

So there you have it. Another one of those annoying Mac only deals. However you have found the only solution to date for Windows, the Matrox Parhelia. Apple does know about it because they purposely set this limitation. It remains to be seen if they want to change this anytime soon or if Digidesign comes up with a different player application solution.

[Wainui]

Apple seem reluctant to address this issue and are not willing to respond to my e-mails. This should be a good indication to Digidesign of how they treat their customers. Perhaps Digidesign can flex some muscle and solicit a response from Apple. Failing in that, there are alternatives for the programmers at Digidesign to explore such as utilizing the Windows Media Player or any software that works correctly.

It is tiresome to offer excuses to my clients when I cannot view video through my client Monitor.

I welcome your suggestions and input on this matter.


Regards
Paul

[froyo]

Hello. Wainui I don't know if you didn't read my post or understand it completely. The stuff that is in the quotes is from David Sumich, a Digidesign applications supervisor, who says they are working on a solution. My guess is that it is a Direct Show or Windows Media Player based solution, but that's my guess. As to suggestions, I already mentioned earlier that the Matrox Parhelia will allow you to do this. You just have to have the QuickTIme on a different codec, not DV

[gerax]

Originally posted by Froyo:

As to suggestions, I already mentioned earlier that the Matrox Parhelia will allow you to do this. You just have to have the QuickTIme on a different codec, not DV

Did you managed to make it work how is it supposed to be?
I have just acquired and installed a Matrox P750 that is identical to a Parhelia, with the differences that it only has 64 Mb of Ram and reduced 3D buffers, drivers and PowerDesk HF are the same. I'm experiencing the TV out problem, I cannot output video files of any type even though I can play them in the QT preview; I'm currently on Pro Tools LE 5.3.1 on XP Pro.

Playback on Quick Time stand alone via Pure Video DVD max works fine on the TV out for several codecs, Sorensen and MPEG4.

I'm currently in touch with Matrox Tech support (both US and Italy) to see if we can solve this problem somehow, so if you managed to have the Parhelia working as it is supposed to do please any tips, settings and details (including codecs, configurations and Powerdesk settings) would be very much appreciated.

Thanx a lot for your help

L.G.

[gregor rasek]

by the way... one question from a beginner like me:
can i show up the movie window at two different monitors (or 1 monitor and 1 video beamer)? at least i need also to show my clients or artists the movie, the coolest thing were if i could show it them with the video beamer on a screen and have running the same movie on my computer monitor... thx!

[froyo]

By gerax

Did you managed to make it work how is it supposed to be?

Hello. Gerax, I do not use this. My comments are based on one DUC member unsub1 who says he has his working. I believed him and reported it. I suspect he has a different QuickTime format that he gets it to work. Look at my response to Karel's thread in the LE forum.

Sorry but I have been out of touch with the DUC for quite a while.