11-16-2006, 12:49 AM

All avi video files on my Mac are displayed with the Quicktime icon. I want to use VLC Media Player as the default video player on my computer. Where can I set the default application so that whenever I click on any video file, VLC opens up? (I know I can right click and say "open with" VLC. I was hoping that there was a way around this.)

Thanks!

11-16-2006, 12:50 AM

how do i change default programs

11-16-2006, 01:42 AM

That thread gives instructions which lead to the following:

I set that particular file to open with VLC. But only THAT particular file opens with VLC. All of the other files are still quicktime files. I just want to download a video clip every single day, and every single day, I want to double click on the video and it should open up with VLC. I'm trying to avoid having to set each and everything single file to always open with VLC (since I have thousands of files on my computer).

And even though the icon changes from a Quicktime icon to a VLC icon, when I right click, it still lists Quicktime as being "default"

Is there any way to do this?

I'm starting to think that my only solution is to delete QuickTime completely from my HD. I mean, VLC plays all the avi files that Quicktime does, so why would anyone use QuickTime? VLC does more than QuickTime does as well. Some say the quality on VLC isn't that great, but I don't have any problems with it at all.

Any suggestions?

11-16-2006, 01:51 AM

You can't delete QuickTime otherwise iTunes (and possibly iMovie/iDVD) will no longer work.

I used to use VLC but once I got all of my codecs sorted out I have gotten everything to play in QuickTime, and its not as much as a memory hog as VLC

11-16-2006, 01:52 AM

Do a "get info" (ctrl+I) command and twirl down on the 'Open with:' section.
Select the application you want to open the file with and then click the "Change All..." button.

11-16-2006, 02:04 AM

AWESOME. Now, I just did it on my external hard drive to try it out. Should it work everywhere else (on my Mac HD as well)?

Also, trpnmonkey, could you possibly post a site where I can download all the necessary codecs I need for QuickTime? You bring up a good point about VLC using lots of memory resources, so I may want to download QuickTime codecs down the road. It's just that I've always found them frustrating, and hard to deal with.

I play .avi .mpg .wmv xvid divx
pretty much every single video extension that's out there. where could i download all the quicktime codecs for those?

11-16-2006, 02:10 AM

http://www.divx.com/divx/mac/download/index.php
http://www.flip4mac.com/wmv_download.htm
Should take care of getting almost all of the videos to work

http://www.mactcp.org.nz/quicktime/AC3CodecMacOSX.sitx
That audio codec takes care of the cases where the video works but the audio doesnt

I have yet to find a video I can't play in QuickTime (besides real which luckily isn't that popular anymore) with these

11-16-2006, 03:17 AM

So I just download divx and the plug-in automatically works with QuickTime? Or do I need to do any configuring?

Also, the download is giving me a ton of different files. I just need the QuickTime plug-in, I don't need the player or anything else. I did a search for divx and there are tons of files all over the place (.plist files and other preferences) and I don't know what all of this stuff is. I don't want to have it on my computer if I don't need it.

Please let me know, thanks.

11-16-2006, 04:05 AM

I also installed Flip4Mac. Is it normal for wmv files to take longer to load in QuickTime than avi files? Just curious, because I have a bunch of wmv files on my external hard drive, and they take longer to load than the avi files.

12-23-2010, 07:58 PM

I've been having the same issue. Every time I want to open a file I click on "get info" and choose VLC to open all files but it doesn't work. Every file still has the quicktime icon and I always have to go through all the trouble. Please help!

12-23-2010, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by relapse

Is there any way to do this?

Yes. And it's quite easy.

I'm starting to think that my only solution is to delete QuickTime completely from my HD.

LOL! Perfect example of "Windows" thinking.

Deleting QuickTime would (literally) cripple the entire computer.

Use the same method as referred to before, only THIS time pay attention to the little button that says "Change All". Clicking that button will make (in this case) VLC the default app for ALL videos of the same file type. You'll need to repeat this ONLY for other file types you want VLC to open automatically (in particularly I'd suggestion MKV and WMV). There, you're done. (you may need to restart for the file icons and default assignments to change, though that hasn't been my experience).

Better than ripping out a vital system component, discovering your computer doesn't work right, and having to reinstall everything, wouldn't you say?

12-23-2010, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by trpnmonkey41

I have yet to find a video I can't play in QuickTime (besides real which luckily isn't that popular anymore) with these

You forgot Perian.

12-23-2010, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by chas_m

LOL! Perfect example of "Windows" thinking.

lol

That quote is from a 4-year-old post.

12-23-2010, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by tomacsh

lol

that quote is from a 4-year-old post.

doh!!

12-05-2011, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by D3v1L80Y

Do a "get info" (ctrl+I) command and twirl down on the 'Open with:' section.
Select the application you want to open the file with and then click the "Change All..." button.

Ah, thank you! This was so helpful!