Using the QuickTime plugin with Firefox

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The QuickTime plugin enables you to play many types of movies through your Firefox browser. The QuickTime plugin is published by Apple Computer, Inc and is available for Mac and Windows. This article explains how to set up QuickTime in either operating system and where to find help if you have further questions.

Note: QuickTime is not available for Linux, but mplayer - a Linux media player - can play Quicktime media

Table Of Contents

Checking for QuickTime

While QuickTime is not automatically installed when you install Firefox, it already may be installed on your system, especially if you are using a Mac. To find out if you have the necessary components installed on your computer:

  1. Visit the QuickTime Troubleshooting page to test to see if you have the proper components.
    Windows:
    • To complete the test on a Windows system, you may need to enable some features of Firefox to communicate through your Windows Firewall. To enable these features, click Unblock when prompted by Firefox.
  2. If you see the blue QuickTime logo in the middle of the Quicktime Troubleshooting page, the basic software to view movies is installed properly.
  3. If you see an animated QuickTime logo on the right side of the screen, your computer can also receive real-time streaming media.

Installing QuickTime

Windows:
  1. QuickTime can be downloaded from the Apple website.
  2. After you've downloaded the installer file, double-click it and then follow the on-screen instructions.
Mac OS:

QuickTime comes pre-installed on Mac.

Linux:

QuickTime is not available for the Linux platform, but Mplayer is a popular Linux media player that can play back QuickTime media. In order to use Mplayer to play QuickTime stream in Firefox, you must install two programs named gnome-mplayer and gecko-mediaplayer. Your Linux distribution may have these packages readily available to install.

Mac OS:

Configuring QuickTime

Windows:
  1. Open the QuickTime Player.
  2. At the top of the QuickTime window, select the Edit menu, select Preferences, and then select QuickTime Preferences.... The QuickTime Preferences window appears.
  3. In the QuickTime Preferences window, select the Browser tab, and then click MIME Settings.... The MIME Types window opens.


  4. In the MIME Types window, you can specify the media formats you want QuickTime to play in Firefox. These settings apply only to online files; they do not apply to files opened through your operating system.

Suggested MIME Types

Audio

  • AIFF audio
  • uLaw/AU audio
  • MIDI
  • WAVE audio

MPEG

  • MPEG media
  • MPEG audio
  • MPEG-4 media

MP3

  • MP3 audio
Mac OS:
  1. Open the QuickTime Player.
  2. In the menu bar, click the Edit menu, and select QuickTime Preferences.... The QuickTime Preferences window opens.
  3. In the QuickTime Preferences window, select the Advanced tab, and then select MIME Settings.... The MIME Types window opens.


  4. In the MIME Types window, you can specify the media formats you want QuickTime to play in Firefox.
Mac OS:

Uninstalling QuickTime

Windows:

For more information on uninstalling QuickTime from your Windows PC, see the Apple support site.

Mac OS:

Since QuickTime is installed by default on Mac, you do not need to uninstall it.




Based on information from Quicktime (mozillaZine KB)


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Page last modified on Wednesday 05 of August, 2009 06:15:15 PST.
Contributors to this page: underpass , Bo , ehsan , AliceWyman , Chris_Ilias , skulvis , Vectorspace , supernova_00 and kf4lnq .
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