Quick Time Pro - converting movie formats

Question

I am having a frustrating time with Quick Time Pro ... its most likely me, but I do need help.
I just purchased Quick Time Pro for the purpose of taking some previous movies (in the AVI format) that I have burned to a DVD ... and ... convert them to the mov file extension so that I can put them into itune movie library and play them on my new Apple TV.
After a long time with technical support, I finally got Quick Time Pro installed, but now I can not open up the movie ... with Quick Time Pro.
I thought it would be as easy as 1) selecting the movie and 2) and then "Save as" to another format.
I am totally lost right now. I do need help.

Answer 1

I am totally lost right now. I do need help.
To begin with, AVI is a file format--not a compression format. It simply signifies that the audio and video compressed data is spatially interleaved for synchronization purposes and thus prevent one form of data from "overrunning" the other. It is an old file container for which its originator, Microsoft, officially dropped support more than a decade ago in favor of new, more modern file containers.
In order to convert the AVI file, you must first ensure that your system's QT component configuration supports the compression formats contained in the audio and/or video tracks. This may or may not be obvious. If the files open and play in the QT 7 Player, then they are likely edit/conversion compatible with QT 7 Pro. However, if the files simply load in the player but do not play or will not open in the player, then one or more tracks are not supported by your QT components.
Since the AVI is somewhat outmoded, the data contained may or may not be supported by your Leopard OS. Some older compression formats have never been transcoded for Mac us and those that have may never have been transcoded for OS X. The normal thing to do here would be to determine what specific codecs were used to crete the file and then install them if they are available. However, many inexperienced users simply install the Perian component package and hope for the best as this component package includes support for most AVI codecs that have survived the transition to OS X use.
I thought it would be as easy as 1) selecting the movie and 2) and then "Save as" to another format.
Again you are somewhat mistaken. While the "Save As..." QT 7 Pro option will place the audio and video data in an MOV container that will likley import and play in iTunes, it does not ensure the resulting file will be TV compatible since the TV device player only supports a limited number of audio and video compression formats. For instance, a DivX/MP3 AVI data can be moved to an MOV file container which will import and play in iTunes if support by either Perian or DivX codecs (but not normally both at the same time), it cannot be played on an TV device. In such cases, you will need to "convert" the source content to TV compatible compression formats. The most commonly used TV compression format here would be H.264/AAC (with or without chapter, alternate audio, and/or AC3 audio tracks). Once properly supported by the proper components, the DivX/MP3 AVI example above could be either opened directly in the QT 7 Pro player and converted to the TV preset or saved to an MOV file container which cold then be imported by iTunes and converted by iTunes for use on the TV device. (This latter option does not require QT 7 Pro be keyed.)
ADDED:
To clarify what QTKirk said, data burned to DVD for playback on commercial DVD players would normally be converted to "muxed" MPEG2/AC3 or MPEG2/PCM (VOB) content. However, AVI files can also be burned as "data" files in their original AVI file format. You need to look at the files contained on the DVD to know for sure and select the appropriate workflow as needed.