QT Pro -- Did I miss something in the documentation?

Question

Someone please check me on this, because I think I must be getting senile. After many years of thinking about it, I finally popped the whopping $30 for Quicktime Pro (for QTP7 on my 27" iMac Core 2 Duo, OS X 10.6.7). It installed without problem -- though it's rather disconcerting that it still looks, smells, and largely acts like QT Player 7. I had a no-fun-at-all-time trying to open video clips that wouldn't open with the In and Out selection markers, so I couldn't trim, or cut and paste, or do anything at all to edit them in a time-linear sense. I DL'd the QuickTime 7 User Guide PDF with the "Getting Started With QuickTime Pro" PDF and read it and re-read it several times, tried QT Pro help, but I couldn't find a single bit of information on why some video formats would open with the In and Out selection markers, and thus be editable, and others would not.
After 2 solid days of knocking my thick skull against the wall, I finally had my Archimedean Eureka Moment, and realized that ALL the files that WOULD open with the In and Out selection markers were .mov files, while files I was trying to open unsuccessfully were .mpg, .mpeg, m2v, .mp2, mp3, .mp4s, and suchlike. I went back through the QuickTime 7 User Guide PDF AND QuickTime Pro Help, as well as searching here on Apple's support forum, and on other Apple/QT discussion groups, and NOWHERE could I find anything that said files had to be in .mov format to be editable with the In and Out selection markers. Can someone please point out to me the pertinent section of the documentation I must have missed, where that MOST important information is presented.
In a Hail Mary guess, I thought that perhaps the "QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component for Mac OS X" might help solve my problems, though it's description didn't sound that promising: "This add-on to QuickTime or QuickTime Pro provides the ability to import and play back MPEG-2 content, including both multiplexed (also known as muxed, where the audio and video tracks are interleaved together into one track) and non-multiplexed (also known as elementary) streams." Yeah, I got that, but does it do anything ELSE in QT Pro, like give the user the ability to edit.mpeg video with the In and Out selection markers in QuickTime Pro? I could not find THAT information either, and I'm really not keen on plunking down another 20 bucks for a function as simple as playing back .mpeg files, when I have several utilities that already allow me to do that.
What I'm using QT Pro for right now is chopping up free, non-commercial,non-copyrighted or copy-protected, legally-belonging-to-me, guitar lessons so I can break them down into small sections at a time that I can loop and learn before going on to the next section of the lesson -- very handy. So, I'm sorry, but I don't really think I'm a candidate for the thousand-dollar Final Cut Studio, or even the two-hundred dollar Final Cut Express. I'm retired, and on a fixed income, and I can only afford what I can afford.
So PLEASE, someone tell me if I'm stuck with no choice but to convert my videos to .mov format before I can edit them in QT Pro, or have I, in my dotage, overlooked another, cost-free way, of actually using QT Pro for what I want to do, without all the monkey-motion of converting everything.
Thanks for your time,
Bart Brown

Answer 1

I may or may not need QT Pro (a moot point, as I already have it)
As previously indicated, hang onto it if you plan to do any layering, masking, and/or picture-in-picture video composites. It is handy for quick clip modifications not requiring use of a full video editor.
I DO need the $20 MPEG-2 component (nickel & dime, nickel & dime, nickel & dime, nickel & dime)
I HAVE FFMPEG X
I HAVE MPEG Streamclip
The Apple MPEG-2 Playback component is only needed if you plan to use MPEG-2/M2V content in QT based applications. That is, applications like QT and MPEG Streamclip which access codecs for which your system is configured. Utilities like FFmpegX, VLC, and HandBrake have their own codecs embedded within their respective applications.
In regards to MPEG Streamclip (and AC3)...
Rather than try to cover each individual point as you brought them up, let me summarize the situation by enumerating your options.
1) The Apple QT MPEG-2 Playback component does not support any audio compression formats. It is a video codec only just as H.264 is a video codec. Either the audio is QT compatible or it is not. If it is not, then your best option is to convert non-compatible audio to a QT compatible compression format.
2) If you really want to play AC3 DD5.1 audio on a Mac, the best way is to use the VLC media player and send the AC3 audio data to an external DD5.1 decoder via the VLC "passthrough" option. (I use the Logitech Z-680 for external decoding and amplification of optical digital or 6-channel analog data.)
3) No matter what AC3 codec you install on your Mac, for it to work on the Mac, the audio will either have to be mixed down to two channels for core audio processing on the system or you will have to install an auxiliary audio card capable of outputting the AC3 decoded audio as 6 separate channels of audio which can also be handled by the core audio system software. (I use a 6-channel M-Audio card here for audio usually transcoded to either 4, 5, or 6 channels of AAC or AIFF compressed audio data.)
4) While MPEG Streamclip only supports 2 of the 6 DD5.1 channels at a time as QT compatible audio channels at a time, the user can select which two channels are output. Most users opt for the "stereo mix" option but could just as easily select the "Front Mix", "Surround", "L/R Ch.", "Center Ch.", "LS/RS Ch.", or "LFE Ch." option. You can even make multiple passes to decode/export all 6 channels of audio and attempt to re-assemble them as separate audio tracks, 3 paired stereo tracks, or a single "surround" audio track if you have the required hardware support for playback.
Anyway, I've DL'd my AC3, I'm buying my MPEG-2 component (which I still think is a ripoff: why leave out ONE critical component -- when you've included dozens of others for free -- and make your customers pay, AGAIN, to make the $30 software you just paid for from the same company into a $50 software package so it will do what you want it to do? To me, that dog don't hunt).
As has been stated many times, QT is based on the idea that multiple parallel tracks of data (up to 99) can all be played back synchronously using a single external clock. Multiplexed MPEG-1/2 content, on the other hand, employs spatial synchronization—two different technological approaches. By interspersing blocks of audio data between blocks of video data in a single data stream, one form of data is prevented from "overrunning" the other. AVI works in a similar manner using parallel tracks of data. Only in this case, frames of audio data are interleaved with frames video data to maintain synchronization. The main difference here, however, is that, as far as QT is concerned, the frames are only a half frame "out of sync" while the MPEG-1/2 data is "out of sync" by an undetermined degree. Since QT cannot equate a specific time reference to corresponding frames of audio and video content, it cannot properly convert or edit this content. In short, the MPEG-2 Playback component is not a "critical" component since QT was never designed to use it and only added it in response to user requests. As to pricing, If you wish to perform transcoding of WMV content, the Flip4Mac codecs alone run from $29 to $179 depending on what level of capabilities you require. (And you still need the QT 7 Pro key.) Your main problem here is that you are editing in an QT non-compatible compression format designed for content delivery rather using a QT compatible, edit specific compression format. I assume this was a result of have the Tape-DVD recording device on hand and decided this approach was easier than going the more conventional route of converting to DV using a DAC device. As a result, your data is probably compressed to about 1/5 the data rate/size of a DV file. Unfortunately, you will likely have to pay a price in terms of quality and work flow problems. Still, I suspect you would be less than willing to go back to square one with your tapes and re-digitize the content a second time.
What MORE am I going to need to accomplish that, do you know?
Whether you are editing a "muxed" MPEG-2/AC3 file or a DVD title consisting of one or more VOB files (also containing "muxed" MPEG-2/AC3 content), the work flow is essentially the same. Simply drop all of the non-zero VOB files in the title set to the MPEG Streamclip work window, fix the timecode breaks, and start your editing as if you were working with a single MPEG file.
NOTE: unless it has changed, FFmpegX may still be limited to 2 GB MPEG file sizes for processing while I believe MPEG Streamclip has a 4 GB MPEG file size limit. I assume this may not be a problem for you if you are working with "snippets" but could be a problem if edits are merged to overly long files. In either case, the VOBs are encoded to files of 1 GB or less and should not present a problem even if you are working with a multi-VOB title set.
why do I have to go through the kludge of recording tape to DVD, then sneaker-netting the DVD to my iMac to get the digitized video on my computer?
You don't. You could have used any analog-to-digital converter device. For instance, many old Hi-8/Digital-8 camcorders and most recent DV camcorders have the ability to convert your VHS output directly to DV content which can be captured in any video editing (e.g., iMovie), dedicated capture (e.g., the free Vidi app) or even QT X/QT 7 Pro applications. The content is digitized in real time to your computer. Files would probably be 4-5 times larger than your DVD or MPEG files, but the resulting quality (depending on the original tape quality) might be better and the content is fully compatible will all QT apps (assuming you don't somehow corrupt the files).
On the other hand, if I already had all of those DVDs on hand, I might consider using HandBrake to convert them to H.264/AAC files and then simply trim and merge the resulting files for distribution. I.e., Handbrake includes its own embedded codecs and is capable of batch processing files while you sleep or are busily engaged in other activities. And, the resulting files are editable at the frame level in the QT 7 Pro which you already have.
Why is it that Mini Port on the new iMacs is unable to take direct HDMI INPUT from a digital video source at 1080p natively? It's pretty depressing A) having, once again, to buy some $130 adapter to even GET digital input into the 27" iMac, and B) even if you CAN get digital input, being limited to 720p (Belkin AV360™ Mini DisplayPort Converter for 27" iMac. Belkin's description: Accepts full 1080p signal, provides 720p to iMac) on a 2560 x 1440 display.
You would have to ask Apple. My guess is that they don't want to get involved in HDCP support issues and besides, previously this port has been limited to output only and is still described as such on the Apple Store Tech Specs web page.
As I'm nearly 63 years old, I'm absolutely gobsmacked at the progress in computer technology from my first Sinclair Z80 to my Amiga 1000 to my first Mac -- a IIci ($5000!), to now, but I thought the whole idea was to make things easier.
Still have a few years on you. (Let's just say I'm on the high side of 65 and leave it at that.) I started with the Polymorphic 88, System 16 (S-100, 8080 processor with all of 16 K of memory) and worked my way through an Apple //, Mac 128K, Mac IIci, 8500AV, two G4s, a PPC G5, and am now on my first Intel Core Duo laptop. (The last five are still "in service" and the Poly-88 is somewhere in the storage shed.) They say that a program expands to occupy the memory available to contain it. In a similar manner, as things become "easier," we tend to expand our horizons into more difficult fields of endeavor.
Do you know of a good place to start to try to learn about this stuff?
Normally in a case like this, I would recommend you contact your local Mac/Apple User Group and see if they have an active Video SIG. By discussing your goals and available hardware/software, they may be able to find a work flow that meets your needs, minimizes your investment in time and effort, and avoids the need to purchase anything additional. For instance, is it your intention to post media on the internet, archive it for future editing purposes, distribute it to immediate friends and/or relatives, what is more important—time or quality of your content, what do you mean by "clean up," etc? These are likely the questions that will determine which work flows best suits your needs and in which order they should be applied.