CNET Editors' review
Perian is a software app that makes viewing your media files easier. Basically, Perian enables QuickTime application support for a wide variety of media files. Perian is available from several sources, but not the App Store when we looked. It installs easily as long as you have no software already installed that can conflict with Perian.
Perian supports a variety of file types for both video and audio files. All the standard file formats are supported, but there's a ton of less-commonly found file formats supported by Perian, too. Perian works without you realizing it is there. When QuickTime is used to play a file, that file just works (no more error messages). Files that don't normally work on the Mac all work using QuickTime, with Perian handling the file formats.
It's important to note that Perian does not work with QuickTime 10 or above, and the development team for Perian will cease updates in the near future to move to another project. Still, if you use earlier versions of QuickTime and run into file format issues (especially on migrated files), then Perian is a must-have. Its support for a huge number of file formats makes this a useful utility for most people.
Publisher's Description
From The Perian Team:
Perian enables QuickTime application support for additional media types:
- AVI, FLV, and MKV file formats
- MS-MPEG4 v1 & v2, DivX, 3ivx, H.264, FLV/Sorenson Spark, FSV1, VP6, H263i, VP3, HuffYUV, FFVHuff, MPEG1 & MPEG2 Video, Fraps, Windows Media Audio v1 & v2, Flash ADPCM, Xiph Vorbis (in Matroska), and MPEG Layer II Audio
- AVI support for: AAC, AC3 Audio, H.264, MPEG4, and VBR MP3
- Subtitle support for SSA/ASS and SRT
What's new in this version:
- Some Fraps videos only displayed black. [r1424] (#566)
- Workaround checks for Front Row stopped being effective. [r1426] (#564)
- Fixed compatibility with web video playback. [r1427, r1429, r1450] (#572)
- Worked around System Preferences crashing during an update on 10.6. [r1449] (#591)
This change will take effect after this update.
- Further fixes to Matroska import. [r1432, r1441, r1447] (#338, #492, #594, #601)
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All versions:
4.3 starsout of 46 votes
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Current version:
2.8 starsout of 5 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-5 of 5
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"Play AVI and other videos in Quicktime Player"
Version: Perian 1.2.3
Pros
Quick and easy installation. Plays AVI and other videos in Quicktime Player. No separate interface required.
Cons
None found.
Summary
My computer is running OS 10.4.11. I installed Perian and can now play every video format except WMV in Quicktime Player. They play flawlessly (I use Windows Media Player 9 to play WMV files.)
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"Not sure what some people are complaining about."
Version: Perian 1.2.3
Pros
It is free, works fine for most things. Only plugin package for Macs that comes with most of what you need. What's to complain about?
Cons
I did have some problems installing one system once, but I think they had other problems. Wound up reinstalling their OS (10.6) for something else and retrying this and it worked fine. Doesn't have every type of odd codec out there, so there are some things that it won't play, but neither does VLC sometimes. For what it is, it's great and I'm sad to see future development going away. Maybe now that it's completely opensourced someone else will take the ball and run with it. Love how it says it works on PPC 10.6, CNET are the ones who need to get their acts together.
Summary
It works, use it. If it doesn't, you have another problem. Don't say it doesn't work on an OS just because you're having issues. Using it on Mountain Lion, and it works fine with 2 different versions of QT.
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"Unable to view movies using Perian using Lion OS 10.6"
Version: Perian 1.2.3
Pros
Quick and easy download.
Cons
Was unable to view movies using OS Lion 10.6 although audio worked perfectly.
Summary
Hope an update can rectify in the future. Thank you!
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"It sucks!!!"
Version: Perian 1.2.3
Pros
I've found none.
Cons
Did I say it sucks?
Summary
There are other FREE options that work better and faster than this POS. Wasted money and so much time on it. I will never use it again.
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"It doesn't work on Lion"
Version: Perian 1.2.3
Pros
None whatsoever.
Cons
It doesn't work.
Summary
They should've tested 1.2.3 on Lion before releasing it... It doesn't work at all.
Results 1-5 of 5














