Convert M4V to MOV
Convert an M4V into an MOV right here on the page. MOV is what an iPhone and most Apple video software record to. Your file never leaves your computer.
Need the other direction? Convert MOV to M4V
How to convert M4V to MOV
- 1 Drop your M4V .m4v file onto the page, or click to browse for it.
- 2 Set the quality, or leave the default, which keeps the file small without anything showing.
- 3 Convert. The work happens on your own machine, so how long it takes depends on your computer and the file.
- 4 Download the MOV, or add more files and do the whole set in one go.
Why convert M4V to MOV
- Carries the high quality footage professional editing tools expect.
- Supports timecode, several tracks and transparency for editing.
- Footage handed between Final Cut and other Apple tooling.
- M4V: non-Apple players may refuse the extension even when the file is fine.
M4V compared with MOV
How the two formats differ on the things that decide whether a conversion is worth making.
| Property | M4V | MOV |
|---|---|---|
| File extension | .m4v | .mov |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes |
| Typical file size | Smaller | Depends on mode |
| Introduced | 2005 | 1991 |
Quality and what changes
MOV stores the same content under a different set of rules, so what matters here is compatibility rather than picture quality. Convert once from the best source you have rather than through a chain of intermediate files.
- Files protected with DRM cannot be decoded and will fail rather than convert.
- One MOV limitation to keep in mind: proRes masters are very large compared to delivery formats.
Questions about M4V to MOV
Is my M4V file uploaded anywhere?
No. The whole thing runs inside the browser tab you already have open. Your M4V is read straight from your own disk, converted on your machine and handed back as an MOV. Nothing is sent anywhere, nothing is stored and there is no account.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no server-side limit because no server sees the file. The real ceiling is your device memory, since the input and the output both have to fit in the tab. A few hundred megabytes is usually fine on a desktop machine and considerably less on a phone.
Can I convert several M4V files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are processed one after another, then offered as separate MOV downloads or as a single ZIP. Speed depends on your own processor rather than on a queue.
Does the converter work offline?
Yes, after the page has loaded once. The engine is cached by the browser, so you can disconnect, reload and keep converting. That falls out of doing the work locally rather than being a separate mode you switch on.