MOV vs M4V

MOV is Apple's QuickTime multimedia container format, developed alongside the QuickTime framework. MOV supports high-quality video codecs including ProRes (422, 4444), H.264, HEVC, and Apple's ProRes RAW, making it the industry standard for professional video editing on macOS and iOS. MOV files from iPhone record in HEVC (H.265) for efficient storage, while professional cameras output ProRes for maximum editing flexibility. The format supports multiple video and audio tracks, timecode, metadata, and chapter markers. MOV is natively supported by Final Cut Pro, iMovie, Adobe Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve. While MOV files may have limited playback support on non-Apple devices, they're essential in professional video workflows. Converting MOV to MP4 provides universal compatibility.