Convert MOV to MP4
Settings
No file yet
Settings appear after you choose a file.
An iPhone or QuickTime recording in MOV does not always open on Windows or Android. The MP4 holds the same recording in the MP4 container, which more players and editors expect.
MOV or MP4?
Keep MOV when
- It is the original. The encode lines make a lossy copy; only the copy line keeps every detail.
Pick MP4 when
- A program, a site or a device asks for MP4 files.
About MOV and MP4
MOV
Apple's QuickTime video format. What iPhones and Macs record and edit in; other devices often need it converted first.
MP4
The most widely used video format. It plays on most phones, computers and platforms, and is the usual way video is shared.
Questions
Does the MP4 look worse?
Not with the copy line, which keeps the picture and the sound exactly. The encode lines use lossy H.264 and AAC, so they drop a little detail; a lower CRF loses less.
What does the copy line do?
It moves the picture and the sound into the MP4 as they are, without encoding them again, so nothing is lost and it takes seconds. It works when the MOV holds H.264 video and AAC sound, the pair an MP4 takes; for any other codec use the first line. -c copy means that.
Which CRF should I pick?
The commands use CRF 23, a common middle ground between size and quality. Change -crf 23 to a lower number for a better picture and a larger file, or a higher one for a smaller file, 0 to 51.
Will the MP4 be smaller?
The copy line gives about the same size. The encode lines can make it larger or smaller; a higher CRF makes it smaller.
Can I convert a whole folder at once?
Yes. Drop them all here. In Terminal, one line converts every MOV in the folder.