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Technical Notes
QuickTime is Apple's cross-platform multimedia technology for creating and delivering video, sound, animation, graphics, text, interactivity, and music. QuickTime supports dozens of file and compression formats for images, video, and audio, including ISO-compliant MPEG-4 video and AAC audio. QuickTime applications can run on Mac OS X and all major versions of Microsoft Windows. QuickTime content plays on Mac OS and Windows computers and many handheld devices, and can be served by progressive download from any web server or as realtime streams from streaming servers on all major operating systems.

QuickTime Resources
A guided introduction and learning path for developers new to QuickTime.   Essential information for developers using QuickTime.   Descriptions of the programming interface elements for QuickTime.
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QuickTime 3.0.2 (HTML) (PDF) ()
Deprecated - TN1139: Describes changes between the final release of QuickTime 3.0 and update 3.0.2.
Carbon 1998-09-01
QuickTime 4.1.1/4.1.2 (HTML) (PDF)
Deprecated - TN1197: Changes between QuickTime 4.1 and the update QuickTime 4.1.1 and 4.1.2.
Carbon 2000-04-01
Tagging Handle and Pointer Data References in QuickTime (HTML) (PDF)
TN1195: The use of data reference extensions used by QuickTime to tag handle and pointer data references.
Carbon 2004-05-26
Thread-safe programming in QuickTime (HTML)
TN2125: Discusses how to use QuickTime from background threads for applications and component developers.
Carbon 2004-10-08
Thread-safe programming in QuickTime (HTML)
TN2125: Discusses how to use QuickTime from background threads for applications and component developers.
Cocoa 2004-10-08
Decompressing DV frames and accessing the pixels (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2044: Discusses and demonstrates how to decompress DV frames and access the pixels directly.
Compression & Decompression 2002-04-11
Fill in the size field before calling ICMGetPixelFormatInfo (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2057: Discusses why you should always fill in the size field of the ICMPixelFormatInfo structure before calling ICMGetPixelFormatInfo.
Compression & Decompression 2002-07-17
ICM Drawing non-scheduled frames with QuickTime 6 (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2060: Changes to how the Image Compression Manager draws non-scheduled frames in QuickTime 6 on Mac OS X.
Compression & Decompression 2002-08-21
Movie Data Security (HTML) (PDF)
TN2038: Describes techniques you can use to protect data in QuickTime movies.
Compression & Decompression 2001-12-13
Supplying codec-specific options within the Standard Compression Dialog (HTML) ()
TN2081: Discusses the ImageCodec 'DITL' APIs introduced with QuickTime 6.
Compression & Decompression 2003-05-20
ChooseMovieClock and Video Output Components (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2052: Discusses the ChooseMovieClock API introduced in QuickTime 6.
Design Guidelines 2002-05-07
Full Screen changes in QuickTime 6.1 and 6.3 (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2068: Changes made to the QuickTime Full Screen API with the release of QuickTime6.1 and QuickTime6.3
Design Guidelines 2003-06-19
QuickTime 4.0.3 (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN1183: Changes between the final release of QuickTime 4 and the update release of QuickTime 4.0.3.
Design Guidelines 1999-10-01
Thread-safe programming in QuickTime (HTML)
TN2125: Discusses how to use QuickTime from background threads for applications and component developers.
Design Guidelines 2004-10-08
Maximizing Your Media: A Brief Guide To the Latest and Greatest QuickTime Media Types (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN1087: Documents Quicktime methodolgies to ensure applications see any media types available.
File Format Specification 1996-12-01
Importing animated GIFs (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2018: Describes how to tell if a GIF file or dataref contains more than one frame.
Graphics & Imaging 2001-04-17
Thread-safe programming in QuickTime (HTML)
TN2125: Discusses how to use QuickTime from background threads for applications and component developers.
Graphics & Imaging 2004-10-08
Idling Movie Importers (HTML)
TN2111: discusses how to write an idling movie importer component
Import & Export 2004-11-12
Importing animated GIFs (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2018: Describes how to tell if a GIF file or dataref contains more than one frame.
Import & Export 2001-04-17
Tagging Handle and Pointer Data References in QuickTime (HTML) (PDF)
TN1195: The use of data reference extensions used by QuickTime to tag handle and pointer data references.
Import & Export 2004-05-26
Thread-safe programming in QuickTime (HTML)
TN2125: Discusses how to use QuickTime from background threads for applications and component developers.
Import & Export 2004-10-08
TWAIN Data Sources for Mac OS X (HTML) ()
TN2088: Describes how to implement a TWAIN Data Source (DS) for Mac OS X
Import & Export 2003-06-19
Tagging Handle and Pointer Data References in QuickTime (HTML) (PDF)
TN1195: The use of data reference extensions used by QuickTime to tag handle and pointer data references.
Movie Basics 2004-05-26
Thread-safe programming in QuickTime (HTML)
TN2125: Discusses how to use QuickTime from background threads for applications and component developers.
Movie Basics 2004-10-08
Tagging Handle and Pointer Data References in QuickTime (HTML) (PDF)
TN1195: The use of data reference extensions used by QuickTime to tag handle and pointer data references.
Movie Creation 2004-05-26
Thread-safe programming in QuickTime (HTML)
TN2125: Discusses how to use QuickTime from background threads for applications and component developers.
Movie Creation 2004-10-08
SndPlayDoubleBuffer and Carbon (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN1198: Removal of the SndPlayDoubleBuffer and other APIs from the Carbon API set and Carbon solutions.
Music & Audio 2002-06-12
Building QuickTime Components for Mac OS X (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2012: Discusses the changes necessary to build Carbon CFM and Mach-O QuickTime Components for Mac OS X.
QuickTime Component Creation 2001-03-08
Idling Movie Importers (HTML)
TN2111: discusses how to write an idling movie importer component
QuickTime Component Creation 2004-11-12
Supplying codec-specific options within the Standard Compression Dialog (HTML) ()
TN2081: Discusses the ImageCodec 'DITL' APIs introduced with QuickTime 6.
QuickTime Component Creation 2003-05-20
Thread-safe programming in QuickTime (HTML)
TN2125: Discusses how to use QuickTime from background threads for applications and component developers.
QuickTime Component Creation 2004-10-08
Cross-Platform Communication Using the PC Compatibility Messaging System (HTML) (PDF)
TN1076: Describes Messaging System Architecture used in Apple's PC Compatibility and DOS Compatibility products
QuickTime for Windows 1996-10-01
QuickTime For Windows: Resolving Common Installation Issues (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN1074: Details install dialog, customizing installation, and uninstalling QuickTime for Windows v 2.1.2.
QuickTime for Windows 1996-10-01
Supplying codec-specific options within the Standard Compression Dialog (HTML) ()
TN2081: Discusses the ImageCodec 'DITL' APIs introduced with QuickTime 6.
QuickTime for Windows 2003-05-20
Understanding the Differences Between Apple and Windows IMA-ADPCM Compressed Sound Files (HTML) (PDF)
TN1081: Details the differences between Apple IMA and Windows IMA (ADPCM) compressed sound files.
QuickTime for Windows 1996-11-01
Full Screen changes in QuickTime 6.1 and 6.3 (HTML) (PDF) ()
TN2068: Changes made to the QuickTime Full Screen API with the release of QuickTime6.1 and QuickTime6.3
Video Effects & Transitions 2003-06-19
Getting Up to Speed with QuickTime VR: Notes from the Field (HTML) (PDF)
TN1029: Understanding QuickTime VR: available tools and what a multimedia developer may be interested in.
Virtual Reality 2000-08-14
History & Peregrinations: The Dogcow Goes QuickTime VR (HTML) (PDF)
TN1031: History of Clarus (the DTS Dogcow mascot). How to create a QuickTime VR object movie starring the Dogcow.
Virtual Reality 1996-04-01