Perian

Perian

Perian is a free, open source QuickTime component that adds native support for many popular video formats like AVI, FLV, and MKV to QuickTime Player and other QuickTime-based applications on Mac OS X.
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quicktime video codec

Perian: Free, Open Source QuickTime Component for Native Video Support

A free, open source QuickTime component adding support for AVI, FLV, and MKV formats on Mac OS X

What is Perian?

Perian is a free, open source QuickTime component for Mac OS X that enables QuickTime Player and other QuickTime-based applications to natively support many popular video formats like AVI, FLV, MKV, and WMV. It works by providing codec and container format support for many common types of media files.

Some key features of Perian include:

  • Enables playback of Matroska (MKV), Flash Video (FLV), DivX, and many other formats in QuickTime Player
  • Completely open source and free
  • Easy install through a small package
  • Seamlessly integrates into QuickTime to add new importers, exporters, codecs, and more without complicated configuration
  • Updates frequently with support for cutting-edge and older video formats
  • Strong community support for requests and bug fixes

By installing Perian, Mac users can consolidate their media playback through QuickTime without needing to install additional applications like VLC media player. It helps bring QuickTime into parity with modern media formats and codecs so users can conveniently watch more videos with the Apple-provided multimedia framework.

Perian Features

Features

  1. Adds native support for AVI, FLV, MKV, and other video formats to QuickTime Player and other QuickTime-based applications on Mac OS X
  2. Enables playback of a wide range of video formats without the need for additional third-party codecs or plugins
  3. Integrates seamlessly with the QuickTime ecosystem, providing a consistent user experience
  4. Allows users to work with a variety of video files without compatibility issues

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source software

Enhances the functionality of the built-in QuickTime Player on Mac OS X

Saves users from having to install and manage multiple third-party codecs

Provides a convenient and reliable way to play a wide range of video formats

Cons

Development and support for Perian has been discontinued since 2012

May not be compatible with the latest versions of macOS or QuickTime

Users may encounter compatibility issues with certain video formats or newer media players


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