The WWDC was surely going to launch some software updates right? Well it look like its just QuickTime 7.5 for now. Available through Apple's website or your software update. Don't expect any special or fancy new features from this update. Its strictly a security/bug fix update, but then again it could have something to do with the imminent iTunes 7.7 release for the new iphone?

There are 4 offenders this time...There are two fixes for malicious PICT files, a malicious Indeo file, malicious QuickTime content, and malicious AAC-3 content. Dunno about you but there seems to be a lot of malicious files out there. Look out.

Of course the release is recommeneded for all OS-X Tiger, OS-X Leopard, Windows XP, and Windows Vista QuickTime users out there. If the malicious file warning wasn't enough, more specific details can be found in the Security Update Knowledge Base article.
#HT1991.

Apple has updated QuickTime to 7.4.1, once again addressing security issues and compatibility. Here's the details.

QuickTime 7.4.1
QuickTime

CVE-ID: CVE-2008-0234

Available for: Mac OS X v10.3.9, Mac OS X v10.4.9 or later, Mac OS X v10.5 or later, Windows Vista, XP SP2

Impact: Visiting a malicious website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution

Description: A heap buffer overflow exists in QuickTime's handling of HTTP responses when RTSP tunneling is enabled. By enticing a user to visit a maliciously crafted webpage, an attacker may cause an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This update addresses the issue through improved bounds checking.

The update is recommeneded for all users and is available via Software Update and download via Apple's website. For detailed information on the security content of this update, please visit this website: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=307407

Perian, The Swiss Army Knife of Quicktime Components (just look at the logo) has release version 1.1. The popular QuickTime component allows you to play most popular video formats in the QuickTime player and FrontRow. Specifically Perian adds support for: AVI, FLV, MKV, MS-MPEG4 v1 & v2, DivX, 3ivX, H.264, FLV1, FSV1, VP6, H263I, VP3, HuffYUV, FFVHuff, MPEG1 & MPEG2 Video, Fraps, Windows Media Audio v1 & v2, Flash ADPCM, Xiph Vorbis (in Matroska), and MPEG Layer II Audio.

Additional improvements include:

• Major performance improvements
  
• TrueAudio, MP1, and DTS audio support
  
• Slice-based multithreaded decoding for MPEG-1/2/H.264
  
• Apple H.264 now handles AVCHD/interlaced video
  
• Compatibility fixes for QuickTime 7.4 and Leopard
  
• Objective-C GC compatibility
  
• Fixed a crash in Toast
  
• Better subtitle rendering
  
• Subtitles play during MKV loading
  
• Snow support
  
• Miscellaneous bug fixes

Version 1.1 requirements: Mac OS X 10.4.7, and you may download it for free from their website.

Following the MacWorld Keynote today, Apple has released several software updates. We assume the majority of the updates have to do with iTunes Movie Rentals and HD Content. Here are the details that are provided by Apple.:

iTunes 7.6 (44.7MB)

Rent and download your favorite movies with iTunes on your computer or directly to your living room on Apple TV. Enjoy rented movies in sizes up to 720p HD with surround sound on your Apple TV and sizes up to DVD-quality on your computer. Transfer your rented movies from iTunes to your iPod or iPhone and enjoy them on the go.

Also, purchase and download your favorite TV shows, music, and more directly on your Apple TV. Effortlessly transfer purchases made on Apple TV back to your computer with iTunes.

QuickTime 7.4 (57.9)

QuickTime 7.4 addresses security issues and delivers:
- Numerous bug fixes
- Support for iTunes

This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users.

For detailed information on the security content of this update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798.

iMovie 7.1.1 (16.9)

This update addresses issues when publishing movies to a .Mac Web Gallery, improves overall stability, and addresses a number of other minor issues.

FrontRow 2.1.2 (17.4MB)

This Front Row update provides for bug fixes and improved iTunes compatibility.

Apple release Quicktime 7.3.1 for both Windows and OS-X operating systems today. The release addresses specific security issues found in QuickTime. Here's what Apple is saying about it:

Impact: Viewing a maliciously crafted RTSP movie may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: A buffer overflow exists in QuickTime's handling of Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) headers. By enticing a user to view a maliciously crafted RTSP movie, an attacker may cause an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This update addresses the issue by ensuring that the destination buffer is sized to contain the data.

More specific details is available at Apple's QuickTime Security Documents, and not surprisingly, Apple has updated its QuickTime Broadcaster software as well.

7.3.1 comes in four flavors, Tiger, Leopard, Panther or XP. The free update is available through software update or download through the Apple website. It is a recommended update for all QuickTime 7 Users.

Yes people, we are that good! Just this morning we were telling you how QuickTime would be updated soon, and available through the Apple website, and last week were telling you iTunes 7.5 would be here soon as well. Well today the Apple fairies granted us both.

Quicktime 7.3 addresses several compatibility issues with iTunes. We are hoping this addresses our inability to play TV Shows on the Mini HTPC. In addition it provides an export option for iPhone Compatible-Web content. The QuickTime Web Plug-in for JavaScript has also been updated with 'numerous bug fixes'

iTunes 7.5, adds iPhone Support for countries other then the United States. There is additional support for iPod games. These releases also addresses those pesky 'Other Bugs and Security Fixes' which seem to plague every release.

iTunes weighs 41.3MB, while QuickTime 7.3 is 55.8 MB and are both available through the Apple website and Software Update. The Quicktime Update does require a restart, so be prepared for that one

When Leopard was release it was packaged with a new version of Apple's QuickTime Player. 7.2.1 however is not publicly available for download on Apples Website, leading us to believe that its release, or a higher version is coming around the corner.

Currently Apple's provides QuickTime 7.2, which was specifically built for "Mac OS X v10.3.9 and v10.4.9 or later". Recently we were encountering several issues with a 7.2.1 and iTunes installed on a HTPC. Suspecting a bad QT installation we went to download the latest available to discover it could not be installed on Leopard.

Currently there are now major differences between the two versions that are jumping out at us. There is the obvious user interface changes such the border-less player windows, pro logo change, and leopard compatibility, but the rest of the application seems the same, all the way down to the preferences.

If you have been having issues since your installation of QuickTime 7.2 your not alone. Many users are reporting Code Fragment Manager applications (Word, Excel etc) as well as some PPC apps on intel macs. Apple has said they are aware of the issue and are looking into it. There is no ETA on a update to fix the problems.

The latest version of Quicktime added the iPhone Export, full screen viewing and updated the h.264 codec, and addressed some other bugs and security changes.

7.3 we hardly knew yee.
Apple is addressing some issues with iTunes accessing the iTunes Library. Apparently thats the scoop right now for 7.3.1. Nothing too informative from Apple. My money is it has some extra iphone support or feature. We'll keep you updated, but until then get it through your Software Update or iTunes website at 34.0 MB (intel)

Quicktime 7.2, on the other hand resolves some bugs & security issues, as well as full screen viewing.

QuickTime 7.2 addresses critical security issues and delivers:
- Support for full screen viewing in QuickTime Player
- Updates to the H.264 codec
- Numerous bug fixes

The fullscreen viewing is key, for those of us that didn't want to purchase the professional version. This was always there but we were only teased with it disabled in the menus. And if you got QuickTime Pro, you will need your QuickTime Pro key. It will disable functions in earlier versions. Get it through your Software Update or iTunes website at 53.0 MB (intel)

El Gato has will be introducing a new innovative hardware converter for you to quickly and easily convert your video to H.264 beautiful. Recognizing that software has its limitations, El Gato's Turbo.264 will quickly export videos to your iPod and Apple TV at 640x480 and 320x240 varieties. Currently converting files is 100% software based. This hardware converter will cut down your conversion times for your EyeTV recorded TV Shows, Movies, and perhaps torrents that you have downloaded for your HTPC.

Roughly the same size as a standard USB stick, the turbo.264 will integrate with EyeTV and also provide a drag-and-drop application for conversion on the fly. Utilizing QuickTime's export ability allows the Turbo.264 anything that QuickTime can play. This includes XviD, DIVX, WMV, etc.

Turbo.264 will be available in April at $99 USD. Personally I can't wait to get my hands on this one. The majority of my HTPC content is from EyeTV and the export process can be improved upon.

Is Apple rolling out the welcome mat for XviD? Probably not. XviD has made it to the QuickTime Components listing over at QuickTime's resources page. Xvid of course is one of the more popular video compression formats out there, with most torrents coming in this variety.

We believe that the adding of Xvid was simply based on the codecs popularity, and the immediate AppleTV hack to support the format. With this codec you can now properly export your XviD movies to a more Apple friendly M4V format.

Whoever updated the site, forgot to change the logo to point to XviD's site rather than DIVX!

Apple has updated their developer notes to include some detailed information regarding AppleTV Export found in QuickTime 7.1.5 last week.

The technical note details why we were getting such strange file sizes while exporting. This note as confirmed (again) that M4V with ACC sstill only allows stereo audio.

Movie Size:
Your exported movie dimensions will be determined by the source movie and source frame rate. The best you can get out of the export is 1280x720 at 24 fps or 960x540 at 30 fps. You won't find anything larger then 720p in an effort to save excessive filesizes as this is AppleTV's maximum output.



Frame Rate:
So now that we know the file size we'll take a peak at the frame rate. Once again your exported movie is based on your source. The export process will always favor maintaining the existing fps. If its less then or equal to 30 fps, it will remain the same. If you are over 30fps the export will adjust this appropriately.

Data Rate:
The datarate has a ceiling of 5MBps, which is once again restricted by your source document. The data rate is based on the most effective destination movie size, after it has been scaled and fps has been adjusted (if necessary) Basically it falls inline like this:

• ≤ 320x240 = 768 kbps
• > 320x24 & ≤ 848x480 = 3000 kbps
• > 848x480 & ≤ 1280x720 5000 kpbs.
  

Additionally, within an encoded movie the data rate may spike up to a maximum of 12 Mbps.

Well I hope that clears up a bit of the file size confusion. So I guess there seems to be a some what rational explanation to all of it?

It seems that Apple slipped in a extra feature in the latest QuickTime update. Through QuickTime's export option, "Movie to Apple TV" is now an option. The export creates a M4V file with H.264. This of course is the recommended file format and resolution for Apple TV. We get no options to play with either.



Interestingly, this option does not appear within iTunes. Only the 'Convert Section to iPod' option exists.

[edit] As several viewers pointed out, the export does not export to 640x480 as previously noted. I have now tried several movies, and it seems the final output is dependent on the initial movies resolution.

Example: I exported the Spiderman 3 Teaser. The original file was 1920x912 at 126.8 MB. After exporting it was 1280x608 at 51.5MB. That over half the original file size, while loosing about 40% of the pixels, both at 24fps.

Just in time for AppleTV's to start heading out to stores and residences, Apple has released iTunes 7.1, and Quicktime 7.1.5. Through software update they came in at 44.2 MB and 27.5 MB respectively, and QuickTime Requires a restart. Here is the relevant info.

iTunes gets a host of new options... Apple's love affair with CoverFlow continues. The fullscreen view is simply beautiful. I wouldn't be surprised to see a version of this implemented in FrontRow in the future. In the preference panes we now see an AppleTV preference and more parental preferences. Specifically rating listings fro Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zeland, United Kingdom and The United States.

There is also a new sorting order pane in the Track Info display. I'm not sure if this is designed to resolve FrontRow's random sorting order for TV Shows, but I'll update you when I find out!



Here are the specifics from Apple.

iTunes 7.1
With iTunes 7 and the iTunes Store, preview and purchase high-quality hit movies plus new and classic games designed exclusively for the Fifth Generation iPod. Flip through your collection by album cover with Cover Flow, protect your iTunes library by backing up to CDs or DVDs, and much more.

Using iTunes 7.1, you can now enjoy your favorite iTunes movies, TV shows, music, and more from the comfort of your living room with Apple TV. iTunes 7.1 also supports a new full screen Cover Flow and improved sorting options to let you decide how iTunes should sort your favorite artists, albums, and songs.

QuickTime 7.1.5
QuickTime 7.1.5 delivers numerous bug fixes and addresses critical security issues. This update is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users.

Important Notice to QuickTime Pro Users
QuickTime 7 will disable the QuickTime Pro functionality in prior versions of QuickTime, such as QuickTime 5 or QuickTime 6. If you proceed with this installation, you must purchase a new QuickTime 7 Pro key to regain QuickTime Pro functionality. After installation, visit www.apple.com/quicktime to purchase a QuickTime 7 Pro key.

FrontRow's video play back is dependent on Quicktime. Which means FrontRow can't play your DIVX or AVI files. Out of the box Quicktime can only handle a handful of movie formats. Enter Perian - The Swiss-army knife of Quicktime® components. Download Pernian 0.5 and plug the many of the holes that QuickTime has in regards to playback of different media.

Specifically Perniam enables Quicktime to play FLV, 3XVID, DIVX, 3ivX, DivX, MS-MPEG4, Sorenson H.263, Truemotion VP6, XVID and more. Installation is quick and simple and then FrontRow will play all these movie types.

Of course WMV is not supported, but for that you can download Flip4Mac. For other strange 3rd Party Codecs check out QuickTime's Components. This includes On2, ZyGoVideo, iPIX, Zoomify, Streambox and more...