QuickTime is one of those programs you end up being forced to use even on Windows, and after having to install it - usually to view your digital camera movies, you end up falling in love with it, if I can put it this way. I know it may sound a bit exaggerated, but when it comes to software, there's a thin line between love and hate, just as it happens in real life. Just like most computer programs, QuickTime is not perfect, but it's surely improving with each new update, since the upcoming QuickTime update, 7.6, will bring a very important improvement, as we're going to see right away...
One of the categories constantly growing in the iTunes Store is the HD content, made available by Apple not so long ago. I know it is possible for some people to watch HD content and enjoy the Dolby experience using some headphones, but not even the best Sennheiser headset won't make this a better experience than a nicely balanced 5.1 Surround Sound system. Unfortunately, QuickTime's support for 5.1 channel audio is not perfect yet...
...but "people familiar with the matter" say the Apple developer community is already testing the QuickTime update 7.6 for Windows, Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard. What's so special about it?
It seems the pre-release version tested is aiming to pave the way for much better sound in cases where different sound is being delivered to each channel, while MPEG-1, AAC and Apple Lossless playback and conversion are also areas where developers should focus their testing on.
The sad truth is that QuickTime as we know it will soon become a memory, since Apple will only work on a few additional updates, after releasing the QuickTime update 7.6. The reason behind this is that the Cupertino-based company is planning to shift its focus to QuickTimeX, a completely new QuickTime application with focus on the latest audio and video formats.
Obviously, the focus of this application will be to play HD content efficiently, and I think there's only a matter of time until HD content will reign supreme in the iTunes Store. This may not happen within the next months, maybe not even in 2009, but I can bet that HD content will take over before 2011 kicks in.
Musical Entertainment, on February 06, 2009
Does anybody know if QuickTime 7.6 plays High Definition Video on Macintosh computers? I have a Canon HD cam and I seem to need a plugin. But nothing works.