MOV
MOV uses the same family of boxes as MP4 with a different brand. Cameras and Final Cut still emit it.
Common uses
- Camera originals
- Edit intermediates
- Apple pipelines
Strengths
- Holds ProRes and other edit codecs
- Familiar on macOS
Weaknesses
- Some browsers will not play ProRes MOV
- Easy to confuse with delivery MP4
Compatibility. Safari is the most comfortable browser. Chrome may play H.264 MOV and fail on ProRes.
Size and quality. ProRes MOV files are large on purpose. That is an edit format, not a social format.
How to open it. QuickTime, Final Cut, or a player that knows the codec. The inspector will fail if the browser cannot demux.
How to convert it. If this browser can decode the track, the video compressor can re-encode a short clip to H.264 MP4 or WebM. ProRes often cannot be decoded here — export H.264 from your editor first.
Security and privacy. Same as other containers. Do not trust embedded metadata.
Related tools
- Video compressor
Auto-compress a short clip locally to MP4 or WebM, using this browser’s encoder.
- Video file inspector
Read duration and resolution from a video without uploading it.
- Social video export settings
Use researched starting points for social exports, with the re-encode caveat attached.
Related comparisons
Last reviewed 16 August 2026.