Quicktime will not play .mpg

[jmsait19]

My quicktime will play .mpeg, .mov, .avi but not .mpg. whats up with that? Can anyone tell me what is wrong with my player?

 

[MisterMe]

My quicktime will play .mpeg, .mov, .avi but not .mpg. whats up with that? Can anyone tell me what is wrong with my player?

What do you mean, QuickTime won't play .mpg? .mpg is standard standard Windows three-character extension for .mpeg. Taking the e out of .mpeg does not affect the QuickTime player's ability to play the file in any way.

The most likely reason for your trouble is that the file was compressed with a non-standard codec. The error message that you get when you open the file should give you a hint about what is going on. I recommend two things:

1. Search the Web for QuickTime codecs. Install them. It doesn't hurt anything to install competing codecs for the same media format.

2. Download and install VLC and MPlayer.

3. Download and install Windows Media Player 9.

One or several of these codecs and players should handle your .mpg. It they can't, then it is possible that the file is corrupted.

 

[Makosuke]

QuickTime is indeed quite capable of playing proper .mpg files, but there could be a number of reasons it doesn't like a particular one.

The most likely reason, though, is that the .mpg is actually an MPEG2 (aka SVCD) file; there is a commercial ($20 I think) plugin from Apple that will play MPEG2 video, but VLC is free and does it just fine.

 

[jmsait19]

What you say makes sense, and thats what I figured. It just kept giving me this message that it doesn't understand the file and it was making me angry. Thanks for tips, I will give them a try.

 

[About2SwitchOvr]

Had the same issue

What you say makes sense, and thats what I figured. It just kept giving me this message that it doesn't understand the file and it was making me angry. Thanks for tips, I will give them a try.

I had the same issue. Actually it was probably one of my first posts...
Everyone who posted had helpful hints. This is my first ever Mac and this forum helped out alot.
I didn't want to install too many different programs/apps right off the bat (didn't want to pollute my mac).. I also veered away from DLing WIN MEDIA player.. because.. again, didn't want to pollute my mac ;-)

This is what I did... it was easy, and worked beautifully:
I went on the DIVX.COM and installed their codec. I KNOW you say it's an mpg, but the divx codecs helped and I was able to play EVERY single type of movie file I threw in there.
(stupid mistake...)I bought QT pro...
Then DLed VLC. VLC is sooo easy to use, clean, and can easily be controlled by my EyeTV's remote...

So bottomline.. DL the codecs from DIVX.COM (there is a new mac section)
that will play in QT.
But I suggest you try VLC.. awesome program.. I DON'T EVEN use AT PRO anymore..
good luck.