Pointless mini-rant: I hate QuickTime

[Charlie Tan]

A lot of things that can be downloaded (legally) are in QuickTime format.

I don't want QuickTime. I don't want to be asked about upgrade to QuickTime Pro all the fucking time. I don't want the software to load in the system tray, so that the only way I can get rid of it, from there, is by cleaning the registry. I want to have a choice in which software to use.

I didn't have any plans for buying a Mac, but if this is typical of Apple behaviour, count me out.

And start offering the films/videos/trailers in other formats, allready.

[Zweistein]

ditto that

[Dread Pirate Jimbo]

Actually, this is not typical Apple behaviour. IIRC, it only really started a few years ago when Apple got in bed with Microsoft, got a big cash injection, and agreed to start inflicting IE on all Mac users as their internet default browser. Microsoft followed that announcement by saying it was going to support Quicktime as the "best" multimedia format on the 'net. QT versions that followed featured the free basic version and a "Pro" version that you have to pay for an which you have to jump over the ad for every time you start the app.

[Monster104]

Quicktime for PCs is utter crap, but I hear it works very well for Mac.

[Troy McClure SF]

Wow. I have a Mac, and Quicktime absolutely wipes the floor with WMV and Real, in both user-friendliness of the respective players, and in quality of the file formats, although MOVs are much bigger in size.

Most of the time if I want to download something, and the only formats available are Windows Media or Real, I won't bother. MPEG and MOVs are fine, though.

And constant "update reminders" and the like, aren't those pretty typical of Windows? When I use my girlfriend's computer (Win) I've resolved myself to the fact that I will be interrupted every few minutes by some damn dialog box, cutesy text balloon, or some other crap, offering an upgrade or whatever.

[I can't believe that's butter!]

I want Quicktime for an option, not so it can rule my fucking computers media. Sheesh.

[Kirkland1244]

Originally posted by The Gaspode
A lot of things that can be downloaded (legally) are in QuickTime format.

Because it produces the best video for the byte, thanks to its Sorenson compression (the cost of which is why there's the Pro upgrade cost).

I don't want to be asked about upgrade to QuickTime Pro all the fucking time.

It should only ask you the first time you start QuickTime after restarting your computer. And unless you have a laptop, there's very little reason to restart modern computers on a regular basis anymore.

I don't want the software to load in the system tray, so that the only way I can get rid of it, from there, is by cleaning the registry.

There is a preference/option to get rid of the System Tray icon. You don't have to hose your registry to do it, unless something is very wrong with your computer.

I want to have a choice in which software to use.

Use for what? By default, QuickTime only takes control of "Macintosh" files like .MOV files and PICT files.

I didn't have any plans for buying a Mac, but if this is typical of Apple behaviour, count me out.

If what is typical Apple behavior? The "Do You Want to Upgrade to Pro" thing? Ummm... that's like something that only QuickTime does on a Mac, at least in terms of Apple software.

And start offering the films/videos/trailers in other formats, allready.

Very, very unlikely. QuickTime is the standard for high-quality, non-live-streaming video on the Web for very good reason: quality of image in comparison to size of file, Sorenson encoding and, with QuickTime 6, full MPEG-4 support. In fact, MPEG-4 is now based on the QuickTime codec, too.

Kirk

[Monster104]

Sorry, I far prefer the DivX codec to QT. Not only do I get to avoid having to use the shitty PC Quicktime software, DivX files are generally encoded at a much higher quality.

I never find QT files that are better than a slightly larger DivX file, and I don't really give a shit about a slight difference in file size.

[Hanna]

Ok - I am having a problem with Quicktime too. After I installed XP SP1, whenever I reboot Quicktime starts automatically. I unchecked it from msconfig - still came back at start up. I uninstalled Quicktime, rebooted - it still came back. I cleaned it out of my registry, rebooted - finally, it was gone.

I thought maybe there was a problem with the install, or a newer version would behave better, so I went to apple.com to check out the Quicktime site. After politely declining the pop-up boxes asking me to buy the pro version and to upgrade, I clicked on a movie trailer for the heck of it. It played. How in the world can Quicktime still work for me after I went through all the trouble to get rid of it? Scary.

[Charlie Tan]

Boscibo, that's exactly why I wiped it from my computer. And there is no option anymore, not to load in system tray.

Kirk, You're perfectly reasonable and logical, damn it. I'm emotional. Let me stay that way. I'm pissed off. :D

[istara]

I have a Mac - and I still get bugged loads about QuickTime Pro. It does piss me off quite a bit.

However it's a small price to pay for getting a great free media player. I just wish they would finish off the latest build so it would play the most obscure mpeg4s.

[GuanoLad]

I bought Quicktime Pro, so it could play the latest movie trailers and I could download them and keep them.

Except soon after they introduced the option to purveyors of trailers to not allow them to be downloaded if they didn't want.

Argh!!!

And then Quicktime 6 appears on the scene, and I don't get a free upgrade - Noooooo, I have to buy it again!

Triple Aargh!!

[istara]

Don't you even get a discount? I have to say even as a Mac fanatic Apple is becoming way tight-fisted with its updates. Like OSX.2 being full price regardless.

Just a quick blatant hijack - what's the difference between Sorenson and Sorenson 3? Our professional editing softare allows exporting in both formats.

[KidCharlemagne]

Testify! QT blows.

[neutron star]

It should only ask you the first time you start QuickTime after restarting your computer. And unless you have a laptop, there's very little reason to restart modern computers on a regular basis anymore.

Yeah, Windows never crashes or anything.

"Gee, it only asks you to upgrade to QT Pro every time you reboot. What's the problem there?" :rolleyes:

Also, if you don't upgrade to Pro, you can't even view video in full screen! WTF is that shit? That doesn't make me want to upgrade. It makes me want to avoid QT at all costs!

My favorite codec for medium-to-low bitrate video is XviD (http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/xvid.htm), an open source MPEG 4 codec. It's still in alpha, but produces great results and supports 2-pass VBR by default.

[PhiloVance]

Originally posted by KidCharlemagne
Testify! QT blows.

:confused: :confused: :confused:

Did you perhaps mean ::sucks::?

[Hanna]

I found the solution to my problem at this link. (http://www.cexx.org/startup.htm) No more Quicktime loading at start-up for me! :)

[Geek Mecha]

I don't usually mind the QT upgrade window; it serves as the app's splash image and it's gone with a single click. I don't have to wait more than 5 seconds for it to start up.

I just wish QT would play VCDs. Although it doesn't happen often that I want to, I hate resorting to possibly iffy shareware when I do.

[yojimbo]

I don't want the software to load in the system tray, so that the only way I can get rid of it, from there, is by cleaning the registry.

Open QT. Edit=> Preferences => Quicktime Preferences and untick the system tray box. Quicktime 6 anyway

[Hanna]

yojimbo, I had tried that. No where in player preferences OR Quicktime preferences was there a system tray box to uncheck.

That was the first place I looked. Editing the registry has taken care of the problem at startup - but I can still use Quicktime to view movie clips.

[bernse]

Originally posted by Kirkland1244
It should only ask you the first time you start QuickTime after restarting your computer. And unless you have a laptop, there's very little reason to restart modern computers on a regular basis anymore.
Yeah... I love giving the power company money and having fans constantly running in the background. Do you leave your lights on in vacant rooms of your home?

Use for what? By default, QuickTime only takes control of "Macintosh" files like .MOV files and PICT files.
If memory serves, last time I used Quicktime it kindly associated itself with MPG, MPEG and AVI as well.

If what is typical Apple behavior? The "Do You Want to Upgrade to Pro" thing? Ummm... that's like something that only QuickTime does on a Mac, at least in terms of Apple software.
There was a periodic "reminder" to upgrade to Quicktime Pro with my Win98 machine something like every other time I used it. No thanks.

[Hanna]

From that link Iposted:

QuickTime: It's a video player, that much I do know, but why is it necessary to load this at start-up? Maybe my eyesight is going or something, but I don't remember seeing any videos during the boot sequence. (It turns out the app that was loading was to check that .mov files were still associated with the Quicktime player, and forcibly change them back if you'd had the audacity to select yourself another video player).


What made me mad is that once I unchecked it under msconfig - that stinkin' program should not start up at boot anymore. But it persisted, and suceeded in making me very mad at it. And the nag boxes to upgrade - grrr. Ok, I'll stop bitching about it now. If there was an alternative, I'd switch in a minute. QT sucks.

[Kirkland1244]

Originally posted by bernse
[B]Yeah... I love giving the power company money and having fans constantly running in the background. Do you leave your lights on in vacant rooms of your home?

I don't use my Windows computer anymore, but my iMac, when it goes to sleep, goes fully to sleep. No fans, no power for the screen, only using a bit of electricity to keep the memory contents preserved and to monitor for mouse or keyboard activity for "wake up." If you PC can't do that, that's a flaw of your machine. I also haven't noticed an increase in my electrical bill.

Kirk

[Monster104]

Heh. iMac. 'Nuff said.

[Dr. Lao]

Windows XP does the same thing in standby mode. Everything shuts down, as far as my eyes and ears can tell.

[bernse]

Originally posted by Kirkland1244
I don't use my Windows computer anymore, but my iMac, when it goes to sleep, goes fully to sleep. No fans, no power for the screen, only using a bit of electricity to keep the memory contents preserved and to monitor for mouse or keyboard activity for "wake up." If you PC can't do that, that's a flaw of your machine.

Kirk

Many fans case are hardwired through the power supply. My PCs CPU (a 1.2 Ghz Athlon) runs quite warm, I believe more so than a Power PC. Hence, I wouldn't even want the CPU fan to turn off, even in its sleep (even though it might). And its not a "flaw"... its by design... much as a 1 button mouse on a Mac is by "design".

If it powers down so completely when it "sleeps" why don't you just turn it off? Whats the difference? Is it so things stay in memory?

I also haven't noticed an increase in my electrical bill.

I'm sure you haven't. I wouldn't notice a .50c or a dollar every month either... but that doesn't mean it isn't there.

[KidCharlemagne]

Originally posted by PhiloVance
:confused: :confused: :confused:

Did you perhaps mean ::sucks::?

No I meant blows. You've never heard that as a synonym of "sucks?"

[Latino Yoshi]

Originally posted by bernse
If it powers down so completely when it "sleeps" why don't you just turn it off? Whats the difference? Is it so things stay in memory?

"Sleep" is a great thing. Sleep means my original iMac is completely silent whilst I sleep. And since my desk is adjacent to my dorm room bed, and since I've place the mouse to my Indigo iMac conviently within arms reach of my bed, "sleep" also means that I can "wake up" my computer within 2 seconds, be on the internet in 5 seconds, and check out what the temperature is outside on weather.com within 10 seconds, all while bremaining nicely cuddled underneath my sheets. :) (Of couse being able to do this has had terrible consequenses on my morning class attendance)