QuickTime 7.0.4 (#2): Confusion over Apple download posting; DVD Player problems; more

Confusion over Apple download posting Shortly after releasing QuickTime 7.0.4, Apple apparently removed the update from its Downloads page, replacing it with a QuickTime 7.0.1 re-installer (which downgrades QuickTime from 7.0.4 to 7.0.1). This caused confusion among readers who assumed the update had been pulled by Apple for further revision.

Later in the evening, Apple re-added the QuickTime 7.0.4 download link. We have not yet been able to determine if this is a modified release, or the same package posted earlier in the day. Apple provided no documentation of the pull or re-posting.

QuickTime 7.0.4 was persistently available through Software Update during the ordeal.

DVD Player problems Several readers report issues with DVD Player after installing QuickTime 7.0.4. In particular, users note that movie DVDs are not playable, generating "media not supported" or initialization errors.

In some cases, reverting to QuickTime 7.0.1 using the provided re-installer works to resolve these issues.

One reader writes:

"The DVD player opened, but the movie did not start. Clicking the 'Play' button, the DVD player informed me that the 'media is not supported'. The movie-DVD did not show up on the desktop. I downloaded the stand alone QT 7.0.4 installer and applied it --> same problem. I deleted the DVD player .plist --> same. I de-installed QT 7.0.4 by applying the 7.0.1 installer (Provided by Apple) --> DVD player works again --> DVD shows up on the desktop. Movie plays."

Export to iPod faster The "Export to iPod" option has received a significant speed boost in QuickTIme 7.0.4.

One reader writes:

"We've analyzed QuickTime 7.0.4's Movie to iPod setting and found it to be much faster than the same in QuickTime 7.0.3. That's because the settings between the two versions are different in two key areas: 7.0.4 now exports H.264 singlepass at 700Kbps, whereas 7.0.3 exported H.264 multipass at 600Kbps. Overall quality may not suffer greatly, but scene transitions and fast motion will be more likely to show compression artifacts.

"Preliminary tests indicate Podner 1.3 is still 25-50% faster than QuickTime 7.0.4's Movie to iPod setting when Podner's H.264 SinglePass Encoding is selected. Quality between the output from both at these settings is comparable."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Previous coverage:

• Apple releases QuickTime 7.0.4

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