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Apple QuickTime DRM Disables Video Editing Apps
An anonymous reader writes "According to numerous posts on Apple's discussion forums (several threads of which have been deleted by Apple), as well as a number of popular video editing blogs, Apple's recent QT 7.4 update does more than just enable iTunes video rentals — it also disables Adobe's professional After Effects video editing software. Attempting to render video files after the update results in a DRM permissions error. Unfortunately, it is not possible to roll back to a previous version of QT without doing a full OSX reinstall. Previous QT updates have also been known to have severe issues with pro video editing apps."
Once you install quicktime updates on OSX you can't un-install them without re-installing the OS? WTF is all this hoopla about Windows Containing DRM/WMP11 crap but quicktime being worse? I mean WMP11/Vista DRM doesn't stop you from using Pro tools EVER. WMP11 is about 20 megs of code sitting around that can be replaced with another player.
Being a windows user another thing i can't stand is the stupid Apple Updater. No matter how you tell the program you don't want the f&**(@ installed it tries to update itself any chance it gets even if you just watch a quicktime.
I don't want iTunes, don't want Quicktime, don't want a broken browser and i certainly wouldn't support an OS that meant upgrades to a media player could potentially break your purchased apps functionality with the only recourse being a re-install. Thats so WIN NT 4 which is so TEN YEARS AGO.
Not trying to me a smacktard here, but if it purposely goes out and wacks another app, can't Adobe sue ?
Guns are for wimps... Use a crossbow.. this way you can pin them to their chair when you go postal.
Firstly, fair enough not being to uninstall an update to a product, but surely you'd expect to be able to fix the problem by uninstalling QuickTime? Is this problem caused by Apple virtually integrating it into the OS on Macs?
Secondly, I've never been happy with the way Apple seem to always deny issues by removing forum posts. This isn't the first time it's happened. I'd like to see them acknowledging their mistake and issuing a fix, rather than sweeping it under the carpet and pretending it doesn't exist.
That assumes that everyone is a sysadmin. I am, so the suggestion is usable, but what if I was an accountant? I get a mandatory training film on Sarbanes-Oxley that says "upgrade your quicktime", I click the icon, and my computer turns into a brick.
I'd claim the onus is on the distributor of quicktime, that they test their updates and certify that they have done due diligence to ensure that they are not shipping, for example, a rootkit.
And if they haven't, then let litigatious customers sue them into oblivion.
--dave
davecb@spamcop.net
It never ceases to amaze me how Apple fanboys are willing to blame everyone but Apple when Apple fucks up something. But oh no, Apple 'just works', and when they 'just stop working', it's always the user's or someone else's fault.
Hello. This is an update to a stable operating system, not some beta kernel module downloaded from Sourceforge.
Is the problem with, as some forum postings have suggested, the upgrade now checking for DRM on all .MOVs every 10 minutes which fubars the render of any MOVs? Or is it something else? The initial info makes it seem like any and ALL renders would fail; however, if it's only impacting certain formats, it may not impact every composition/project, etc. on which you're working. And I hate rendering anyways.
Please don't use "umm" or "err" or "erm".
Not sure if you were being sarcastic, but to be fair, Vista broke numerous major applications for me, and ended up costing me hundreds of dollars in other software upgrades --- although that's definitely not equivalent to this, I knew going in that there could be application compatibility problems. Usually I'm behind Apple but this sounds like crap, it's not clear to me if it's a bug (i.e. 'honest but huge mistake') or what they're trying to achieve otherwise.
Notwithstanding contractual consent by the person installing the program, this sounds like conversion: the unwanted and intentional interference with another's goods. In this case, a Mac owner is 1. unable to use the programs they otherwise would be able to use, having installed the upgrade to Quicktime; and 2. unable to undo the harm caused by the installation of the program without the time intensive and expensive reinstallation of the operating system.
Even though it is technically given by the click-through agreement, I believe consent is tenuous; intentionally and willfully misleading individuals about the value of the upgrade (or tying DRM to the upgrade's necessity, such as the constant bombardment of news that generates fear over security holes) undermines a person's ability to consent - there is a fundamental mistake in the formation of the contract: Quicktime upgrades should not break other software. This is especially true if you are a developer.
One would imagine some legal remedy to this. The facts as I have just read them indicate a behaviour that is grossly unfair to consumers, nigh an appalling disregard for the preferences and rights of ones' own customers.
All that being said, I'm certain this will be remedied soon, or customers will flock to alternatives (or form the incentive for others to create alternatives).
Is Quicktime part of iTunes nowaday ? (I don't use either)
May contain traces of nut.
Made from the freshest electrons.
..how, whenever Apple fucks something up, Slashdot fills up with comments taking shots at the "Apple Fanboys" and their supposed zealous defense of Apple.
"Just wait, the Apple Fanboys will blame this all on Microsoft"
"But all the fanboys said this was unpossible!"
"Ooh, the fanboys will be crying over this one!"
I've yet to actually see one of these fanboys.
The US free market: two halves of a government-granted duopoly are free to set the market price.
My accountant woks for a video production firm (;-))
Joking aside, if your vendor sends you an update and expects you to apply it, they have a duty to ensure that thay've made a good-faith effort to ensure that it isn't a root-kit or a brick-kit.
If they're not, they deserve public approbation and a sharp smack to the wallet (suppliers often don't have wrists).
--dave
davecb@spamcop.net
I know of at least 15 people that have legitimate copies of it and none of them are professional video editors.
So your friends routinely go and shell out a thousand bucks on a piece of software they don't have much use for? Think they can send some of these random buckets of money my way?
Apple has extensive testing, and QT is one of the more extensively tested systems. All the major programs are in a test matrix. It doesn't take THAT much effort to do a basic run on say, a dozen or so major apps - an afternoon is all it takes, really.
A minimal test matrix would be a grid with check boxes and comments.
FCP
open (Y/N) open new project (Y/N) open old project (Y/N) capture video (Y/N) process video (Y/N) export to tape (Y/N) export to QT file (Y/N)
iMovie
open (Y/N) open new project (Y/N) open old project (Y/N) capture video (Y/N) process video (Y/N) export to tape (Y/N) export to QT file (Y/N)
Premiere
open (Y/N) open new project (Y/N) open old project (Y/N) capture video (Y/N) process video (Y/N) export to tape (Y/N) export to QT file (Y/N)
After Effects
open (Y/N) open new project (Y/N) open old project (Y/N) capture video (Y/N) process video (Y/N) export to tape (Y/N) export to QT file (Y/N)
iDVD
open (Y/N) open new project (Y/N) open old project (Y/N) capture video (Y/N) process video (Y/N) export to tape (Y/N) export to QT file (Y/N)
DVD SP
open (Y/N) open new project (Y/N) open old project (Y/N) capture video (Y/N) process video (Y/N) export to tape (Y/N) export to QT file (Y/N)
etc. It isn't fucking rocket science, and a single failure on ANY of that is/should be enough to delay the project. I can't imagine someone in QT QA signed off knowing 7.4 would break Adobe AE. While QT does have a prod schedule, it's not like it's tied to NAB like FCP, or the Dev conferences like other apple apps and systems. And it's not like it's some huge number of man hours to fix it. Apple has a software library FILLED to the gunnels with all the minty goodness and this kind of testing is something they do. My guess is someone fucked up and either check AE as working without testing it, or its simply didn't get tested in some imaginary rush to get the latest rev out the door. Either way, some flunky's going to get a lot of heat.
RS
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
Yes, I agree with you; I was only responding to what looked like some confused pre-emptive attempt to defend Microsoft and claim they'd never break apps at all --- or to attempt to purport a double-standard here --- or something, actually, no I still don't get it, even re-reading it, but I must be missing something because it's been modded insightful. Anyway, it's not like MS hasn't done this kind of thing before, they have, but if this Apple case was a genuine mistake, then fine, they should fix it and move on; if not, it's nonsense, but I don't see what Microsoft has to do with this at all. Microsoft surely shouldn't even enter into this discussion.
No, it's not expensive, but I can tell you this: I will never again pay Apple even a dime in ransom the next time they hold my Quicktime Pro functionality hostage.
I agree with most of your criticisms. And I don't think anyone would call me a mindless fashion sheep. But I still buy Apple stuff because they have the best (so far) GUI + unix + media management software package around. And yes, I've spent years running Windows and Linux, too. And still do on occasion.
They got OSX right (comparatively). And their expensive hardware is decent enough if price isn't a primary concern. I wish they'd improve their act in other areas because I'll probably be using their stuff for a long time. Unless some other company comes along and does notably better.
Cheers.
Pray tell me how to convert to MPEG-4 (AAC) without Quicktime 7 installed.
Both Sony Image Converter and Sony Media Manger require QuickTime 7, and any and all 3rd party programs I have seen that convert to AAC also require it.
If you want to view bigger WMV or MPEG-2 files eating more battery time at lower quality than AAC, you are of course free to do so. I prefer the smaller, better quality files myself. A typical 2 hour movie compresses to around 512 MB at quite good quality -- the equivalent size for MPEG-2 of similar quality is around 4 GB, plus a standard battery will likely run out before watching the entire movie.