# marginal/quicklookvideo

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3,636 stars · 131 forks · Swift · GPL-2.0

## Links

- GitHub: https://github.com/Marginal/QuickLookVideo
- awesome-repositories: https://awesome-repositories.com/repository/marginal-quicklookvideo.md

## Topics

`av1` `avi` `matroska` `preview` `quicklook` `spotlight` `thumbnail-generator` `thumbnails` `video` `vp9` `wmv`

## Description

QuickLookVideo is a macOS Quick Look extension, written in Swift, that lets Finder preview audio and video files the operating system cannot handle on its own. Select a file and press the space bar, and the file plays in the quick preview window without a separate media player being launched.

It does this by adding a decoding layer to the system media framework. The layer covers containers such as Matroska, WebM, AVI, Windows Media, Flash Video, and Real Media, along with codecs including AV1, HEVC, VP9, Theora, and Vorbis. Files in these formats can then be opened and played rather than showing a generic icon.

The extension also generates thumbnails for these files in the file browser. It extracts metadata such as duration and codec and exposes it to Spotlight search and the file information window, so unsupported media files can be found and inspected like native ones.

## Tags

### Operating Systems & Systems Programming

- [macOS Quick Look Integrations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/operating-systems-systems-programming/macos-quick-look-integrations.md) — Ships as a Quick Look extension that previews and inspects media files in Finder with a single keypress, without opening another app.

### Development Tools & Productivity

- [Non-Native Container Readers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/output-formatting-engines/media-container-format-selection/non-native-container-readers.md) — Adds the ability to open Matroska, WebM, AVI, Windows Media, Flash Video and Real Media containers that the operating system cannot read natively. ([source](https://github.com/marginal/quicklookvideo#readme))
- [Media Metadata Extraction](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/integration-metadata-retrievers/media-metadata-retrievers/media-metadata-extraction.md) — Extracts metadata such as duration and codec from audio and video files and shows it in the file information window and system search. ([source](https://github.com/marginal/quicklookvideo#readme))

### Graphics & Multimedia

- [Media Content Previews](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/media-content-previews.md) — Plays and displays unsupported audio and video files directly in the Quick Look preview window by decoding formats the system cannot handle. ([source](https://github.com/marginal/quicklookvideo#readme))
- [Photo and Video Format Support](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/photo-and-video-format-support.md) — Opens and plays media in containers and codecs such as Matroska, WebM, AVI, AV1 and VP9 that the system cannot handle alone.
- [Codec-Based Decoders](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/streaming-distribution/streaming-broadcasting/media-streaming/video-streaming/stream-decoding/codec-based-decoders.md) — Adds decoding for AV1, HEVC, VP9, Theora, Vorbis and other video and audio codecs to the system media framework. ([source](https://github.com/marginal/quicklookvideo#readme))
- [Media Decoders](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/media-processing-analysis/media-decoders.md) — Provides a decoding layer that adds extra containers and codecs to the macOS media framework for playback and previewing.
- [Thumbnail Generators](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/thumbnail-generators.md) — Shows generated preview thumbnails for audio and video files in the file browser instead of generic icons.

### Part of an Awesome List

- [File Preview Plugins](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/awesome-lists/devtools/file-preview-plugins.md) — Acts as a Quick Look plugin that renders additional video and audio formats in Finder previews.