10.6: Install QuickTime Player 7 to black out other displays

Sep 01, '09 07:30:05AM

Contributed by: andrewz

One of Snow Leopard's many refinements is QuickTime X, which comes with a new, simplified version of QuickTime Player. The new player focuses on elegantly displaying video, but loses most of the editing capabilities that have been a core feature of QuickTime since 1991. The new version doesn't even have a Preferences window, and you'll notice that the QuickTime pane in System Preferences is gone too.

Fortunately, QuickTime Player 7 still works. In fact, the old version of the player (7.6.3) is a custom install option, and is also available as part of the Optional Installs package. The description says "for use with older media formats," begging the question of what else QuickTime X doesn't do. On the bright side, you don't need a QuickTime Pro key any more to take advantage of the editing features in QuickTime Player 7 (more value for your $29).

QuickTime Player 7 has the option of blacking out additional displays when playing a movie full screen. QuickTime Player X annoyingly doesn't have this option, which is quite distracting when trying to enjoy a movie without your work getting in the way. Here's a workaround if you have a Cinema Display: in Display Preferences, under options, you can program the display's power button to turn the display off. Voila, a black screen. I suppose if you have any other display you could just turn it off the normal way.

Comments on what other features from QuickTime Player 7 you wish were included in QuickTime Player X? Maybe eventually it'll grow a Preferences window again.

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