What is Apple QuickTime?

QuickTime was released by Apple in 1991 and was used back then to play movie files on the Mac - but also on Windows. Back then, QuickTime was used on Mac System 7, but it can still be found today on Macs running macOS or on older systems running Mac OS X.

QuickTime forms the basis, which is also used in the QuickTime Player. This app is located in the "Applications" folder on the Mac and can not only be used to play movies or audio files, but also to cut video files or combine several files into one file.

On Wikipedia page In my view, the core feature of QuickTime is summarized relatively well:

The QuickTime architecture allows a complete production process (capture & import, dubbing, compositing & effects, compression & export, delivery and playback) to be performed from start to finish on a single media platform.

That, along with the versatility of the format, is probably the reason why many filmmakers resorted to QuickTime at the time.

Many different formats can be saved with QuickTime. Due to the ease of editing, it was also used as the basis for the MPEG-4 container.

The most important thing about QuickTime

Since there is so much information out there about Apple's QuickTime, I'd like to summarize some of the information below simply in bullet point form for your quick reading.

• Download QuickTime from Apple via this link
• Developer: Apple
• Released: 1991 (after showing at WWDC)
• First supported system: Mac System 7
• Support Windows up to 2016
• found on macOS under "Programs"
• with macOS 10.15 Catalina the underlying framework (QTKit, later AV Foundation) was removed from the operating system
• QuickTime is a container format that is also suitable for streaming thanks to a synchronization layer
• File extension: .mov or .qt - less common: .moov, .qtvr, .qti and .qtif
• In addition to the QuickTime format, QuickTime Framework can also support other media files such as AVI, FLC, DV, MPEG, MP3 and many more
• XNUMXrd party QuickTime plugins can also play formats like WMV, WMA, Ogg and others
• with the QuickTime X version, the user interface has been heavily modified and adapted to Mac OS X
• QuickTime Pro used to be a paid Pro version that had more functions and features available
• Apple added support for MPEG-4 and H.264 to the QT format

More info: What is QuickTime Player on Mac?

Note for Windows users with QuickTime

However, in 2016 Apple stopped supporting the Windows platform and stopped developing the Windows version of QuickTime. Security gaps were also not removed in the Windows version afterwards, which is why it is better to remove the software from the PC, if it is still there.

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He appears as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with problems of a technical nature. In his free time he drives electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with his iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions for current bugs.