Overview

QuickTime 4 Reference

Overview

This document describes the format and content of QuickTime files. It is intended for developers who need to work with QuickTime files outside the context of the QuickTime environment. For example, if you are developing a non-QuickTime application that imports QuickTime files, you need to understand the material in this book. On the other hand, if you are using QuickTime on any of its supported platforms, you do not necessarily need to be familiar with the file format information presented here.

This document describes how QuickTime movies are stored on disk. The QuickTime file format is designed to accommodate the varied kinds of data that need to be stored in order to work with digital media. Because the file format can be used to describe almost any media structure, it is an ideal format for the exchange of digital media between applications, regardless of the platform on which the application may be running.