Pilots with a Mac

If you have a Mac and have had problems watching some video files either downloaded or sent to you chances are your just missing a Codec (what’s a freaking codec?). Just download and install both of these and you should be right as rain. 

#1. Flip4Mac  - With Windows Media® Components for QuickTime, by Flip4Mac™, you can play Windows Media files (.wma and .wmv) directly in QuickTime Player and view Windows Media content on the Internet using a Web browser.

Sometimes Flip4Mac can be a little difficult to find. The allure a little that there is a free version on their home page and some users might not make it to the free “Microsoft” download page here. Ughh did I just say Micro.. nah I won’t say it again. 

#2. Perian – self proclaimed “The swis-army knife of QuickTime”

Perian enables QuickTime application support for additional media:
File formats: AVI, DIVX, FLV, MKV, GVI, VP6, and VFW
Video types: MS-MPEG4 v1 & v2, DivX, 3ivx, H.264, Sorenson H.263, FLV/Sorenson Spark, FSV1, VP6, H263i, VP3, HuffYUV, FFVHuff, MPEG1 & MPEG2 Video, Fraps, Snow, NuppelVideo, Techsmith Screen Capture, DosBox Capture
Audio types: Windows Media Audio v1 & v2, Flash ADPCM, Xiph Vorbis (in Matroska), and MPEG Layer I & II Audio, True Audio, DTS Coherent Acoustics, Nellymoser ASAO
AVI support for: AAC, AC3 Audio, H.264, MPEG4, and VBR MP3
Subtitle support for SSA/ASS and SRT

Download Perian here.