CONVERT OLD VIDEO
Make old formats compatible with Catalina
IT WILL TAKE 20-40mins
YOU WILL LEARN How to transcode video in Handbrake
YOU’LL NEED Handbrake, some old video files
Many of us have old digital video files kicking around, but they may be becoming
obsolete. As part of Apple’s move to 64-bit tech, a move that delivers all kinds of performance benefits, it’s removing support for 32-bit apps and content. You’ve probably seen the warnings about older apps
needing updating but, unless you’ve used iMovie or Final Cut Pro in Catalina, you might not know video may need to be updated too.
Simple fix
The culprit is QuickTime 7, the multimedia handler Apple released back in 2005. Apple stopped supporting QuickTime on Windows in 2016, and now it’s stopped supporting QuickTime 7 on the Mac. That means video files created or converted using some of the encoders/decoders in QuickTime 7 are no longer compatible with Apple’s video apps. Examples include files made with Windows Media Video 7, 8 or 9, DivX, Cineform and others. The full list is at bit.ly/apple-medimov.
The good news is it’s easy to fix. All you need is an app to transcode old video – that is, to convert it from one format to another. One of the best apps for that is Handbrake (Free, handbrake.fr). It enables you to convert multiple files at once and comes with useful presets so you don’t have to get confused over endless options. Carrie Marshall
Handbrake enables you to convert multiple files at once