iTunes Store videos unable to play

Several bugs -- some more serious than others -- have been introduced through iTunes 9.2, users say. Perhaps the most critical is an inability to play videos downloaded from the iTunes Store; affected people say iTunes will ask a user to authorize a computer for playback, then insist that the computer is already authorized, and display a black or gray screen when actually trying to watch a film or TV show. Downgrading to iTunes 9.0.x is said to eliminate the authorization requests, but not allow working video. A complete archival and reinstallation of Mac OS X is the only claimed solution so far.

People are also reporting that iPods and iPhones are having difficulty syncing. iTunes initially appears to freeze, giving no sign that it might be operating. Several users note, though, that after waiting up to five minutes the program should be usable again, and sync properly thereafter. If the problem continues, it should be possible to fix it by reverting to an earlier version of iTunes.

Another bug involves album art, which may not display properly in Finder or elsewhere if added manually, for instance through a third-party utility.

iTunes 9.2's main purpose is to support iOS 4, which will become available later today. Some rumors suggest it should be seeded through iTunes beginning at about 10AM Pacific time, or 1PM Eastern.

by MacNN Staff