QuickTime uses the MOV container format, capable of holding various types of media. MP4 is a part of MPEG-4 technology and can be used on Apple devices. Converting MOV to MP4 is easy with QuickTime or other converters, with options for video and audio formats. iTunes can also convert MOV to MP4. Other software can be used with similar steps.
Apple® QuickTime® uses a digital file format called MOV (.mov). MOV is called a container format because it is capable of holding content of different types and formats, including, but not limited to, audio, video, images, text, and sprites, each of which is stored on a different track, but was created so that developers can extend it to hold other types of media as well. MP4 is both a short name for Part 14 of the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG-4) standard (.mp4) and all of MPEG-4 technology, including .m4v, an MPEG-4 file type. Since m4v is the Apple® file format used on a variety of devices, including iPhone®, iPod® and Apple TV®, it can be useful to convert MOV to MP4 to play the movie on an iPod®, for example, while converting to .mp4 may be desirable for posting to online sites such as VIMEO®.
Many different file types can be imported into a MOV file. These include AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format), AVI (Audio Video Interleave), AU (Audio Unit), MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MP3, QuickTime® movies, WAV (Waveform Audio File Format), etc. However, no matter what file types a MOV starts with, converting MOV to MP4, whether it’s .mv4 or .mp4, is very easy with QuickTime® 7 Pro or other video converters.
The key to converting MOV files to MP4 with QuickTime® 7Pro is understanding the “Export” menu of choices. To get started, open QuickTime® 7 Pro. Use File > Open File to open a .mov file. Then go to File > Export. A dialog called “Save exported file as…” will open. In the top drop-down menu labeled “Export:” you will find a number of choices. Choosing “Movie to iPhone” or “Move to iPod” prepares for an .mv4 conversion, while choosing “Movie to MPEG-4” prepares for an .mp4 conversion.
Either way, there will be an option button to the right of the “Export” drop-down menu, where you can make further choices about video, audio, and streaming by choosing individual tabs for each of these items. Video format choices include video format, data rate, image size, frame rate, and keyframes. Audio format choices include audio format, data rate, channels, output sample rate, and encoding quality. A summary of the results is provided at the bottom of the dialog for your convenience, so you can see the choices for all tabs as you look at each tab individually.
If you don’t need so many options, you can quickly and easily convert MOV to MP4 in iTunes® if you have version 6.0.7 or later. Begin by opening iTunes®. Choose “Movies” in “Library” and select the MOV file you want to convert. Go to the Advanced menu and choose “Convert Selection for iPod” and the conversion will start immediately. This either makes things easier, seen one way, or prevents you from making the fuller range of choices offered in QuickTime®.
If you want to convert MOV to MP4 with other software, you can find freeware or paid software to do it. The steps will likely be very similar to what you follow in QuickTime® 7 Pro. Three possible differences are the ability to drag and drop files into the converter interface instead of opening the files, editing capabilities, and the need to specify the original file format .
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