Useful Audio/Video Applications & Add-Ons for the Mac

Those in bold are some of my favorites—I recommend them.

Item

Type

Where to Get It

Cost

What It Does

Quicktime Pro

Application

www.apple.com/quicktime/
pro/mac.html

29.99

Allows you to edit & save Quicktime files as movie files, mp4, AIFF, WAV, Flash movie files and AVIs (with the DivX codec). Also has some useful tools & filters built-in.

VLC Player

Application

www.versiontracker.com /
dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14738

Free

Plays a large variety of movie formats, including some that Quicktime can not.

Flip4Mac WMV player

Plug-in

www.microsoft.com/windows/ windowsmedia/player/ wmcomponents.mspx

Free

A component for QuickTime that allows you to play Windows Media files with Quicktime.

Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro

Application/Plug-in

www.flip4mac.com/wmv.htm

29.00

A component for QuickTime that allows you to import Windows Media files into Final Cut, After Effects and other QuickTime-based applications.

Flip4Mac WMV Studio Pro

Application/Plug-in

www.flip4mac.com/wmv.htm

49.00

Same as above, with the added ability to export WMV files.

DivX

Player/codec

www.divx.com/divx/mac/

Free

A codec that allows Quicktime to open & save AVI files. There is also a DivX Converter application for 19.99.

DivX Doctor II

Application

www.3ivx.com/divxdoctor/

Free

DivX Doctor II converts DivX .avi videos to 3ivx QuickTime (.mov) videos.

bbDemux

Application

www.versiontracker.com/
dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14618

Free

"Demuxes" compressed Mpeg files (splits the audio & video track apart for separate editing). However, if you use Mpeg Streamclip (below) you don't need this.

Mpeg Streamclip

Application

www.squared5.com/svideo/ mpeg-streamclip-mac.html

Free

A powerful high-quality video converter, player, and editor for a large variety of audio & video file types & codecs. best of all—you can edit an mpeg without having to demux it! A great product.

ffmegX

Application

http://homepage.mac.com/major4/

Free, but a $15 development fee is encouraged.

Reads many different kinds of movie & audio files (including some asf & wmv codecs) & converts them into several common formats & codecs such as mpeg1, 2 & 4, avi, mp3, aac, ac3, mov, and dv. Also has several useful filters & editing tools built in. But it can be buggy.

Snapz Pro X2

Application

/www.ambrosiasw.com/
utilities/snapzprox/

69.00, but you can try it for free for 30 days.

Allows you to capture audio & video while they play on your computer; saves files as Quicktime.

HandBrake/ MediaFork

Application

http://handbrake.m0k.org/?page_id=8

Free

Rips DVDs (which is illegal in most cases)

Discreet Cleaner

Application

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/
servlet/index?id=5562025&siteID=123112

549.00!

Allows you to encode in a large variety of formats & codecs including Mpeg, AVI, & Flash