Rant about video formats

**kungfuramone9** · 07-03-2004, 03:39 PM

So I've always had a dual-boot system since converting full-time to Linux about 2.5 years ago. Win2K lives in its dark, creepy little corner of my hard drive, waiting for those instances every few months where I really really want to get my ass kicked at Civilization III and I do a sudo reboot to get there...

Lately I've been forced to use it more frequently because I have to access streaming quicktime audio + video for language studies and I can't get streaming quicktime anything to work in Firefox.

A while back I was bitching up a blue streak to the Debian guru at my old work about not being able to convert or even watch some video formats in Linux and he reminded me that the problem is proprietary formats, not reticence on the part of Linux programmers (who *have* done amazing jobs working around the problem with mplayer, xine, and the other video apps.)

My point? That streaming media sucks to start with, and streaming media in proprietary formats sucks even worse. </rant>

**beezlebubsbum** · 08-24-2004, 12:53 AM

True that!!! Isn't there something that we can do though? Is there some sort of program out there that will allow us to watch this stuff? Personally I think streaming media is crappy, because if I have to wait for it to download, I would at least like to watch it anytime I want without having to redownload it!

**ZennouRyuu** · 08-24-2004, 01:46 AM

While i steer clear of emulation except in a true emergency (NO ALTERNITIVE AT ALL) why not try Crossover/Wine

http://www.codeweavers.com/site/products/ is a link to the homepage of crossover, they charge for it, but they also support it, and it appearently works (I know I have used Quicktime files in it before)

**beezlebubsbum** · 08-24-2004, 02:13 AM

You think that Apple, being the competitor of Microsoft, would get up off their arse and make a native Linux version of quicktime. That would give them so many more quicktime users...

**ZennouRyuu** · 08-24-2004, 03:07 AM

yeah, but they are also competitors with linux (the enemy of your enemy isnt by definition your friend)

**beezlebubsbum** · 08-25-2004, 01:49 AM

Ah F#$k them! Apple is just a little unhappy that they are still struggling to be a power! Oh well, at least we have IBM...

**Ronboct69** · 11-10-2004, 12:57 PM

I've been useing MEPIS which handles Quicktime streaming formats very well. I watch movie promos all the time. This is as soon as I load the disc. which can be run as a live CD so no install needed. This would give you a chance to play your clips without installing another operating system as you may like what you allready have. Give it a try!

See ya, Ron

**jro** · 11-10-2004, 01:07 PM

I can watch Quicktime easily too, I just need the correct codec. It isn't a distribution issue or even a player (Xine,Totel,MPlayer) issue. It is whether or not you have the correct codecs where your player can find them. Currently older Quicktime formats are supported, I can play some Quicktime stuff through wine but it is buggy. I have written numerous emails to the Apple-Quicktime crew asking for a Linux port, but they have all fallen on def ears.

If Quicktime were to create a Linux version of Quicktime or even just release the codecs, it would be a major step to Linux on the desktop. Then again we still have DivX, which wrocks.

**snct** · 11-11-2004, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by beezlebubsbum";p="2545

Ah F#$k them! Apple is just a little unhappy that they are still struggling to be a power! Oh well, at least we have IBM...

Apple is almost as paranoid about Linux as Microsoft is; but whether or not to allow QuickTime to work with Linux isn't a marketshare issue (that I can see anyway?). So yeah... You may well be right about them just being bitchy about the whole thing. Steve Jobs can be a real bastard sometimes... Some of the decisions he makes can send many of the Mac faithful off, scratching our heads in wonder. The one-button mouse issue, for starters... :evil: .

11-11-2004, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Ronboct69";p="3495

I've been useing MEPIS which handles Quicktime streaming formats very well. I watch movie promos all the time. This is as soon as I load the disc. which can be run as a live CD so no install needed. This would give you a chance to play your clips without installing another operating system as you may like what you allready have. Give it a try!

See ya, Ron

yea, but having to reboot to watch a movie clip? Yucky.