What is MOV file? How to open, edit and convert MOV files

A file with a .MOV extension is an Apple QuickTime video file.Developed by Apple.Inc, QuickTime file format is a popular video sharing and viewing format for Mac users and is often used on the web to save video and movie files.Apple has released a newer version called QuickTime X, available on Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion.MOV files often use the Apple QuickTime Player on the Mac operating system to run.However, it is not limited to Apple computers because on Windows operating system there is a free version of QuickTime Player.Considered as one of the best file formats, MOV files are of high quality and are usually large in size.

MOV format can allow storing audio, video and text in the same file through different items, or they can also refer to the data stored in other files.

MOV is the default file format for videos recorded with iOS devices.Apple QuickTime video files are usually in .MOV format, however, some other files can also be saved with .QT or .MOVIE instead.

How to open an MOV file

Programs like iTunes and QuickTime from Apple, VLC, Windows Media Player and Elmedia Player can all play MOV files.

Note: If your Apple QuickTime video file has the extension .QT or .MOVIE, only QuickTime can open this file, if you still want to use the above programs, you must rename the extension. that file is .MOV.

Another way to open MOV files on a computer is to use Google Drive.To do so, you need to upload that video to Google Drive online storage service, in addition, Google Drive also allows you to not only back up files online but also transfer MOV files from any browser and Compatible mobile devices (via mobile apps).

Tip: If you double-click an MOV file, it will most likely open in a different program than the one you want to use (like WMP instead of VLC) because you have set WMP as the default multimedia player on machine.You can change it by right-clicking on the file to open, select Open with.

How to convert an MOV file

In fact, since the video format is mainly used on iOS devices, not all media players, devices, online file storage services and websites support MOV format.In those cases, you can convert the MOV file to a new format so it can be used in your specific situation.

The best way to convert an MOV file is to use free file converters.Most of these software allow you to convert MOV video to MP4, WMV and AVI, or even convert directly to a DVD.Some also support extracting audio from the MOV file and saving it as MP3.The two most trusted offline video converters are Freemake Video Converter and EncodeHD.

In addition, you can also use the media player VLC media player mentioned above to convert MOV files to other popular formats like MP4, FLV . Perform this function through Options menu Media> Convert / Save . of VLC.First, browse to the MOV file to be converted and then use the Convert / Save button to select the output format.

Video files are usually quite large in size, so it's best to use specialized video conversion programs (downloaded and installed in the device).However, if you have a small video file or you are not afraid to upload it to the Internet, you can also use online file converters like Zamzar.com or FileZigZag.com.Remember that converting the MOV file in this way means that after the file has been converted you must remember to download it to your computer to use it.

Tip: Zamzar is an example of an MOV file converter that also supports saving videos as GIF files.

Information you should know more about MOV files

MP4 and MOV files are the same in that they are all compressed data loss formats, meaning that parts of the original file will be clipped to have a smaller output file size.This is why you often see MP4 and MOV files selected as online video file format.

However, the MP4 file format used is much more popular than MOV and therefore it will also be supported by various software and hardware devices.

How if I still can't open an MOV file?

If you still cannot open MOV files even though you have used the above methods, it is possible that your file is not really in MOV format.Some types of files with a look-alike extension look very similar to the .MOV file extension, so you should also double-check the file's extension to see if it is standard.

A good example is the .MAV file extension, which is reserved for Access View files that are used with Microsoft Access.MAV files are not a bit related to the video, so if you confuse MOV and MAV and try to open one of the compatible video players with MOV like VLC for example, it will definitely not open the file.

Another example is MKV.Although MKV and MOV are both video file formats, they do not always work with the same program.In other words, an MKV open tool on your computer may not be compatible with MOV files and vice versa.The same is true for MOD, MODD and possibly many other file formats.

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