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What is an MOV file?
Apple's QuickTime container, used by iPhones, Final Cut Pro and most cameras. MOV and MP4 are close relatives, so converting between them is often lossless.
Pros
- Native on macOS and iOS
- Supports professional codecs such as ProRes
- Usually converts to MP4 without re-encoding
Cons
- Files from iPhones (HEVC) may not play on older Windows PCs
- Large file sizes when recorded in ProRes
How to open MOV files
VLC Media Player (free, Windows/macOS/Linux/Android/iOS) opens MOV files with almost any codec. They also open natively in the Photos/Movies & TV app on Windows and QuickTime on Mac.
Is MOV lossy or lossless?
MOV is a container, not a codec — whether it is lossy depends on the streams inside (H.264, HEVC or ProRes video with AAC audio). In practice almost all MOV files use lossy compression.
When should you convert MOV?
MOV and MP4 are close relatives, so converting between them is often lossless. If the app or device you need doesn't accept MOV, convert it to MP4 — the most widely supported alternative.
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MOV at a glance
- Full name
- QuickTime File Format
- Developed by
- Apple
- Introduced
- 1991
- Contains
- H.264, HEVC or ProRes video with AAC audio
- MIME type
- video/quicktime
- Best for
- Apple devices, Final Cut Pro and iMovie projects