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How-To: Play WMV files in iTunes [OSX]

Posted in AV, Howto, Tech by Derek at 10:54 am

Update 10/17: Window users can read our tutorial here: How-To: Convert WMV to MOV for playback in iTunes [Windows].

This tutorial is geared towards OSX users. Unfortunately, Windows users will have to sit tight for awhile until we find an alternative method. Hat tip to Adam from the Aqua-soft boards for providing this tutorial to pass on to UNEASY readers.

Completing this tutorial will allow OSX users the ability to playback .WMV / .ASF (Windows Media video files) from within iTunes. Quit wasting space on ~40MB .MOV files when you can have 11 - 12MB .WMV versions. On with crux of Adam’s tutorial:

1) First, you’ll need videos. Might I interest you in UNEASY’s educational posts here (300K streams) and here (700K streams)?

2) Spend $10US to buy a nifty little plugin called Flip4Mac. Flip4Mac allows Quicktime (and therefore, all Apple apps using Quicktime) to play back WMV files, including those encoded with the WMV3 codec, which cannot be played on most media players for the OSX. Flip4Mac is available as a limited - half the video - demo if you don’t feel like shelling out the cash.

3) Once you have downloaded and installed Flip4Mac, quit and restart iTunes to restart the Quicktime components.

4) You’re almost done. Now you’d think all there was left to do is to drag your WMV files into your iTunes library and start watching away, right? Wrong. Even though Quicktime (and thus, iTunes) now have the ability to play WMV files, iTunes is a picky bastard and refuses to import anything with a nasty Microsoft extension. Therefore, the extension “.wmv” that’s at the end of all your videos needs to be changed to “.mov”. This sounds like a daunting task, and it can be if you do it by hand. But if you use an app such as Automator or FileWrangler, renaming these extensions can literally be done in seconds. It should be noted that even though your videos have had their extensions renamed, they are all still WMV files; only now they’re disguised as .MOV’s. A bit funny, eh?

WMV in iTunes

Click for a larger preview. That’s a Gorillaz .WMV file playing in iTunes 5 on OSX Tiger.

5) Now that all your videos end in “.mov”, iTunes is more than happy to admit them into it’s library. Importing videos can be done by selecting “File>Import…”, or by simply dragging the files from a Finder window into an iTunes playlist or the Library itself. Better yet, once all your videos have been imported, the metadata in them can be edited, just as if you were editing the ID3 tags [...]

Note: Be aware that there are a few minor bugs depending on your hardware configuration. Adam reported that his 800Mhz G3 640MB machine suffered from a brief 1 - 2 second delay after clicking play. There’s also a glitch if you manually pause and restart the video. The audio and video tracks will be out of sync. It’s a disadvantage of making a less superior .WMV file play as though it were a .MOV file.

Update: Adam reports that the sync issues are resolved by running the latest Flip4Mac release.

44 Comments, Comment or Trackback

  1. Adam Potts

    Hi, I’m Adam, the guy who write this tutorial. I just wanted to say that the issues with audio/video sync were a problem on my end- I had been using an old version of Flip4Mac, and since I installed that version, they have released an update which fixes the sync issues. After installing the update, there was still a short lag at the beginning, but no more sync issues.

    Sep 13th, 2005

  2. Jacko Mac

    Also worth mentioning that if you have this flip4mac software installed and you use Toast 7 you can burn WMV to DVDs.

    Sep 14th, 2005

  3. Nathan

    I haven’t tried this tip yet, but rather than renaming the files, it might be possible to edit the Info.plist file inside the iTunes bundle to convince it that it can play wmv. Just remember to move it to another folder and back to let your changes take effect, and always work on a backup!

    Sep 14th, 2005

  4. Adam Potts

    No dice on hacking the Info.plist. I tried using a string similar string that iTunes uses to identify .mov files, to no avail. Maybe someone else will have better luck at trying this?

    Sep 14th, 2005

  5. Tony

    Flip4Mac suggests you quit all apps that use QT.
    (iTunes is one)before installing Flip4Mac.
    Thanks for the iTunes tip
    !

    Sep 15th, 2005

  6. Adam Potts

    After more tinkering, I’ve noticed another odd thing about Flip4Mac. The videos seem to play much better the 2nd time around. Videos that have lagged in the past are now fine. It’s almost as if after playing the videos through once, Flip4Mac “remembers” them the next time they are played. Perhaps if you are having playback issues you can throw all your videos into a playlist, turn down iTunes’ volume, and let all the videos play through while you sleep. It might help when you watch them later…

    Alsomake sure you have the latest version of iTunes (5.0), Flip4Mac (1.0.2), and QT (7.0.2) installed. I missed a QT update, and after install I noticed some improvement.

    Has anyone had any luck with editing the Info.plist?

    -Adam

    Sep 16th, 2005

  7. ow3n

    Works awesome. I can edit the info and I can even make playlists thanks a ton. At lease now I can have all my videos & music in one place.

    O

    Oct 18th, 2005

  8. S

    PLEASE COME OUT WITH ONE FOR WINDOWS!!! PLEASE O PLEASE!!!

    Oct 18th, 2005

  9. Derek Punsalan

    The Windows version of this tutorial can be found here.

    Oct 18th, 2005

  10. orbie

    Renaming the files can be done in seconds with an Applescript file that comes with (I’m guessing) every Mac. Look for “Replace Text in Item Names.scpt” in your Applications:Applescript:example scripts:finder scripts. When you find it, make sure the folder with all your .WMA files is open and the top folder. Open the replace names script, click run and fill out the what you want replaced and with what.

    Oct 19th, 2005

  11. benchosei

    I used to add videos to iTunes by generating a .mov reference file (in qt, go to “Save As” and choose reference file) and sending it to iTunes. I used this trick for all .AVI files (as long as they can be opened with QT), as I noticed that iTunes rejects .avi files even after renaming them to .mov, but does not reject the reference file. I realized that this trick works with flip4mac also. Now all my music videos can be played with iTunes.

    Oct 23rd, 2005

  12. Jay-K

    why spending 10 US-$ for a codec to play WMV-files in itunes? downloading mediaplayer for mac is easier, cheaper and works also.

    it’s a good tutorial, but i don’t see any sense why people should do this if an easier way exists.

    but: well done…

    Nov 6th, 2005

  13. Derek Punsalan

    It’s not just for “playing” music videos, it’s for organizational purposes as well.

    Nov 6th, 2005

  14. Scott

    Also useful in using WMV files for other things like editing video… making a personal DVD and need to have a clip of a music video in it cause it would look good. there ya go…

    Nov 10th, 2005

  15. Ken

    The Flip4Mac site isn’t clear on this and I haven’t been able to determine the answer anywhere else. What is the difference between the $10 player and the $50 player pro?

    If I open a .wmv file in QuickTime Player Pro using the $10 software will I be able to export it to .m4v? This will allow me to quit wasting space on 11-12 meg wmv files and use 5-6 meg .m4v files :)

    Nov 19th, 2005

  16. matthew

    i got this to work and it’s great - but i have another question, does the new video ipod also then play these if you transfer them over?

    Nov 20th, 2005

  17. Joe

    I have installed the Flip4Mac and I could open my MWV files in Quicktime when I select them. However, when I changed the the file names to *.mov I can’t import them into iTunes nor open them in Quicktime anymore. I get the message “QuickTime cannot open the file: “Chosen.mov”
    it is not a file that QuickTime understands (-2048)”. Please help me understand what I am doing wrong.

    Nov 25th, 2005

  18. Kyle

    i would kill for the flip4mac codec to work on windows…videos straight from wmv to mov via quicktime 7 look gorgeous on my friends powerbook….much better than the ones i ruin by putting them through riverpast and resizing and all….

    Dec 11th, 2005

  19. KK

    flip4mac is now to download for free! check it out….

    Jan 10th, 2006

  20. Gary

    I tried this and all I get is the audio playing. I know that the wmv file is video as I have watched it on a Windows machine, some help would be a good thing.

    Thanks in advance!

    Mar 15th, 2006

  21. mike

    I have installed the Flip4Mac and I could open my MWV files in Quicktime when I select them. However, when I changed the the file names to *.mov I can’t import them into iTunes nor open them in Quicktime anymore. I get the message “QuickTime cannot open the file: “Chosen.mov�
    it is not a file that QuickTime understands (-2048)�. Please help me understand what I am doing wrong.

    Any answers?

    Mar 15th, 2006

  22. jeff

    Flip4mac doesn’t install on Intel Macs

    Mar 27th, 2006

  23. gareth

    So - I bought flip4mac and it doesnt like intel macs… and i bought it already because there was no warning on the site. What should i do now? is there something else that will let me see .mwv files?

    Jun 6th, 2006

  24. Derek

    Gareth there is a UB version of Flip4Mac floating around. Check our update here.

    Jun 6th, 2006

  25. Ann

    This is the most helpful tutorial ever!

    I’m just not entirely sure as to how should I change the extension of the file. From what I understand if I just open the ’show info’ window and change the extension by typing a new one, it won’t work.

    Now, here I have a question. Say I’ve imported the wmv into iTunes. Would I be able to convert it for iPod? There’s the option, on iTunes 6, to convert a .mov file for iPod, which is basically changing the bit rate, so that the iPod can import it. So, would that work with the imported .wma?

    On another thing, what about changing a .wmv into an .avi file? I have an application with which I could later conver that .avi into a .mov and hence import it into iTunes and be sure it will be converted for iPod.
    Help please?

    Jun 13th, 2006

  26. Derek

    Hey Ann, check out iSquint when you have a chance.

    Jun 13th, 2006

  27. Ann

    Thanks Derek! I’m downloading right now. So basically, this will convert me the wmv to an iPod friendly format? Or would it convert it to an .avi?

    Will finish the download and check it out, Thank you!

    Jun 13th, 2006

  28. Ben

    What about if we want to stream live .asx streams in itunes? I can stream them in quicktime with the flip4mac plugin installed, but i go to open the same stream in itunes, and I get nothing :-( Any ideas? I want to be able to play the stream through itunes/airtunes on my airport express. The stream is:

    http://tuner1.dc1.sonixtream.com/playlists/live105/live105KITSFM.asx

    Thanks!

    Jun 25th, 2006

  29. Dennis Schafroth

    Hi all,

    I’ve done this (installing F4M, renamed the wmv files to mov) and is capable of playing a WMV stream in Quicktime on an Intel Macbook Pro. I had to set up QT to run in Rosetta to get sound out (It would play the stream., but no sound came out).

    I have the same problem in iTunes, stream is playing but no sound, but I cannot set iTunes to run in rosetta, (but I am also only a novice on Mac).

    I would like to play on remote speakers using an airport express using iTunes.

    Any one have a fix for pref. iTunes or to make quicktime player to use remote speakers on airport express?

    Jul 1st, 2006

  30. chris

    Gary- i have the exact same problem- only audio plays, not video.
    I have downloaded flip4mac but I still cannot open my friends wmv slideshow.
    I opened it using a friend’s PC after I downloaded some new codec for her window’s media player.
    Any suggestions?

    Jul 26th, 2006

  31. Antonio

    Flip4Mac is excellent, and FREE for the player. A few dollars more and you can get pro features, but with the free version and QT Pro you can export .MOV files all day. Telestream will release the UB version this week.

    Jul 26th, 2006

  32. Anthony

    Flip4Mac JUST came out with a version that works on Intel Macs. BUT, if I rename a .wav to .mov and drag it into iTunes, iTunes crashes. I can still play .wmv in quicktime, though. Also, I have an iPod video. If I were able to get iTunes to load the .wmv, would I be able to load it to my iPod and play it? (Bet not.)

    Jul 28th, 2006

  33. Anthony

    After a restart I CAN drag renamed .wmvs into iTunes on an Intel Mac AND I can put them on the iPod Video. Sweet.

    Jul 28th, 2006

  34. Geoff

    F4M works perfectly with WMV files. I downloaded
    iSuint to change a .mov files to a .mp4 file but iSquint
    refuses saying it doesn’t understand a .mov.wav file.
    Where does the .wav come from?

    Aug 9th, 2006

  35. dangermouse

    what if i dont have 10$? is there any other way?

    cheers.

    Aug 24th, 2006

  36. brian

    if you want to video podcast something, but your sight doesn’t support quicktime files, and sites that do don’t allow over like 100 mb, then can this little trick help out with that at all??? because obviously wmv. files are much smaller, but itunes doesn’t support wmv.

    Aug 29th, 2006

  37. spvn

    i think this trick doesnt work with itunes 7 anymore..

    Sep 17th, 2006

  38. sean

    re: not working in version 7. It’s true, and if anyone was wondering why I’m slowly migrating to Linux, this petty corporate crap is why. With all the _bugs_ that exist in the OS and the iapps one would think a company interested in the customer would have s..tuff to do aside from locking out media files like this. Shouldn’t they embrace this? Doesn’t this aid all the lowly that locked their files in wma format migrate to osx now that flip4mac has replaced wmp for osx on the microsoft site / is “free as in beer now? The obnoxious things Apple does…

    Nov 17th, 2006

  39. ken ohcs

    ABSOLUTELY!
    Apple has gone sooo downhill in the last 5 years! I bought a new macbook for imovie. Apple convinced me I needed Quicktime Pro…so I dropped another $29 or so for that…then I get everything, get a new camcorder and then they tell me it won’t play .mpg unless I buy yet another add on for Quicktime!

    I believe there is SO MUCH MATERIAL for MICROSOFT to use to beat up apple at their own game! Just show a few artists trying to make a movie using a brand new Sony HD camcorder….IT’S A NIGHTMARE on a MAC!!!

    ken ohcs
    http://kenohcs.blogspot.com/

    Dec 7th, 2006

  40. Simon

    Thanks for the tips… It worked a treat when converted to .mov as you suggested. My phone wants to play .mp3 though! Why wont it play in itunes when called an mp3, considering itunes has no trouble playing other mp3 music? Any way around my dilemma?

    Simon

    Jan 26th, 2007

  41. Chris

    i’m trying to convert my wmv files to mov files but don’t know how. i downloaded flip4mac and now i don’t know how to disguise the wmvs into movs using my automator. please help. thanks

    Jul 19th, 2007

  42. tamarok

    Another approach is to open the movie or URL in your web browser. Then from the player’s drop-down select ’save as source’.

    Note the behaviour of the ’save as source’ function will depend on the settings in the Flip4Mac System Preferences pane. Section: Player > Create Streaming Movies

    Jul 28th, 2007

  43. Bill

    As a new Mac convert, I love my iMac. I still have some use for windows, so I bought the Parrelels program and use windows as needed. I have only tried to convert .wmv music files. I downloaded the iTunes program when running Windows. The iTunes for Windows converts the .wmv music files into an iTunes format. Once the files were converted, just drag and drop into your OS X iTunes folder and Bingo.

    Jan 30th, 2008

  44. brad

    hmmm, didn’t work for me, dragged them into my itunes library, but nothing happened. import menu recognizes them, but still no bacon..

    Apr 22nd, 2008

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