Convert video to MOV
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Worked example
MOV and MP4 are close relatives, so converting between them rarely needs a re-encode.
| Extension | .mov |
|---|---|
| MIME type | video/quicktime |
| Playback | Limited support |
| From MP4 without re-encoding | Yes |
| Video codec | libx264 |
| Audio codec | aac |
The equivalent command
ffmpeg -i holiday-clip.mp4 -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p -preset veryfast -c:a aac -b:a 160k -movflags +faststart -threads 1 -y out-holiday-clip.movThis is exactly what runs in the browser. Copy it to run the same job locally on a file too large for a tab.
What to expect
Size is only predictable when you set a bitrate. These figures are for the bitrate example above:
| At 1500 kbps for 60s | 12.1 MB |
|---|---|
| Rough encode time | 5:38 |
At a constant quality the encoder lets the bitrate follow the content, so the output size genuinely cannot be predicted in advance — a slide deck and handheld footage of leaves differ by an order of magnitude at the same setting.
Why it matters
Both MOV and MP4 descend from the same QuickTime file format, which is why their streams are interchangeable and a conversion between them is normally a remux. MOV is the more natural choice for editing workflows on macOS; MP4 is the better choice for anything being shared or published.