Figure 1. The plug-in interface with its control options.
By Derrick Story
OK, we've got everything we need. Now let's go get some video. The plug-in allows you to view media directly in the browser window without launching a separate application. You have volume, play/pause, and "jump to beginning" and "jump to end" controls. With the Pro version of the plug-in you also have some nice download options for saving your favorite multimedia clips.
The primary difference between the Standard and Pro versions of the plug-in is the function of the down arrow button on the far right side. The Pro version allows you to save media as "source" or as a QuickTime movie. These options are not available in the Standard version.
Figure 1. The plug-in interface with its control options.
Here's a download tip: If you don't own the Pro version, and really want to save a movie you've just watched, chances are that it's residing in your browser cache just waiting for retrieval. It's probably that big old 1.4-Mbyte file sticking out among all those tiny GIFs. Many times you can find it by searching for ".mov," ".mpg," or ".avi" files.
| Apple Announces QuickTime TV Apple announced QTV at the Macworld Expo in New York on July 21, 1999. The new service groups together many current streaming news and entertainment channels according to Apple. QTV "intercasters" include ABC News, Disney, ESPN, VH1, Fox Sports, and more. What will folks use to access these streams? The QuickTime 4 player and plug-in, of course. |
Version 3 of QuickTime added HTTP streaming to the plug-in. This means the server notes your defined connection speed and begins playing the movie before the download is actually completed. The faster your connection, the earlier the movie plays. This is much better than staring at a big, blue Q for 3 minutes.
You can see how HTTP streaming works for yourself by visiting QuickTime's Movie Trailers Theater. This is where a number of movie studios post trailers from their current releases. It's a great place to download video. With version 4, QuickTime goes beyond HTTP downloads and enters the world of real-time streaming. The number of available channels seems to be growing weekly, and you can try some for yourself by visiting the Streaming Channels page. The quality is good with few interruptions. For more detail about these new capabilities, see my article QuickTime Takes on Streaming.
Now that you've downloaded a video or music track, you may want to revisit it or incorporate it with other multimedia. The QuickTime Player is your multifunction application for handling those clips. The interface is straightforward and works the same whether playing an MPEG video or MP3 audio file. Here are the basic controls:
Figure 2. The player interface.
Figure 3. The drop-down controls panel.
When you click on the far right controls button, a panel drops down revealing additional audio and video controls. The first set of rectangular buttons are the fast reverse and fast forward buttons. The middle set allows you to move backward or forward one frame at a time. And they are followed by the "jump to beginning" and "jump to end" clip controls.
A very nice addition to QuickTime 4 Player is the sound control strip that includes balance, bass, and treble controls. These adjustments are particularly fun when wearing headphones.
If you click and drag on the indentation at the very bottom of the player, you can pull down the Favorites Drawer where your bookmarked movies and streaming channels can be viewed and accessed.
Figure 4. The drop-down Favorites Drawer.
You don't have to be a sound engineer to figure out for yourself the controls we just discussed. However, the QuickTime Player has a number of shortcuts that can enhance the overall viewing experience. Here are a few that I find real handy.
A great new addition to version 4 is the ability to play MP3 audio files. There are many great MP3 players available on both Mac and PC platforms, and if you're seriously into MP3, you probably will want to add them to your applications folder. If you enjoy only the occasional MP3 song, however, you'll be happy to know that you can open and play it in the QuickTime Player. All of the audio controls are available to help you fine-tune the playback.
A word of caution though. If you have trouble opening an MP3 file, chances are it's one of the new Variable Bit Rate (VBR) files. QuickTime 4 can't open them and will give you an error message. For the time being, most of the files you'll run across on the Internet are Constant Bit Rate (CBR) files, which open just fine. VBR is a relatively new, but increasingly popular, technology that hasn't found its way into QuickTime.
We could continue discussing how to view media with QuickTime tools, but now that you have a few clips under your belt, aren't you tempted to tinker with them a bit? If so, take a look at the following editing section.
The Many Facets of QuickTime (Part 1)
Editing Shortcuts and File Conversion (Part 3)
©1999 Web Review. Reprinted with permission.