If you encounter a file having a MOV File extension and have no idea regarding it then this quick guide will help you understand what is MOV and how to play .MOV files. So, let’s begin.
A Brief Introduction On MOV File Extension
Contents
A MOV.format file is a video file encoded in the (QTFF) QuickTime File Format. Moreover, this format contains several tracks that contain a variety of media data, including audio, video, and subtitles.
Apple introduced the Quick Time File Format in 1991. It allows the transfer of multimedia at a faster rate and its container supports several types of media files to allow a fast transfer of multimedia among different platforms.
The multimedia files created in QTFF usually have the .mov file extension. However, it can also use a .qt file extension. Moreover, each media track uses several different codecs and the MOV file format often uses the MPEG-4 compression standard.
- Developer: Apple
- Category: Video Files
- Format: Binary
Why Can’t You Run A MOV File Extension?
Windows and other operating systems usually assign a default application to run each file extension. Therefore, when you try to open the MOV file you may encounter an error.
The MOV extension file requires specialised software to play it and hence it is crucial for your device to have software that supports the MOV File Extension.
Steps To Play A MOV File
After understanding what is a .mov file along with why it requires specialized software to play it, let’s explore the software that supports the MOV File Extension and cost nothing.
- Microsoft Windows-Media-Player (Included In Windows)
- VLC Media Player (Windows)
- Apple QuickTime Player (Included In Mac)
- Eltima Elmedia Player (Mac)
- VLC Media Player (Linux)
- VideoLan VLC Mobile (IOS)
- MX Player (Android)
- VideoLabs VLC (Android)
The above-listed software supports MOV.format and the steps to launch .MOV files are:
- First, make sure your device has the software that supports .MOV format.
- Then, locate the file with .MOV extension and right-tap it.
- Finally, choose “Open With” and select the software to run the MOV.format file.
Note: If you face any trouble following these steps, simply launch the software and browse the MOV Extension File. Thereafter, you can play the MOV File.
An Advisory
It is important that users never change the extension of .MOV files as it’ll not transform the file type but may lead the video file to not play. However, you can utilize specialized software to convert the format of a file.