MOV is a video format which is used to store movies, videos and other multimedia content. Files that have a MOV extension were developed by Apple Computer using a specific compression algorithm that can be used across multiple platforms. This type of multimedia container format stores audio, video, 3D, and text used for movie subtitles and can be found on different websites.
The contents in a MOV file include a series of tracks that contain media that is digitally encoded or a reference to data and media which can be located in another file. The tracks are organized in the form of atom objects maintained in a hierarchy. One atom either acts as a standalone media file or it can act as a parent to other atoms in the MOV file. Files with the file extension MOV offer references to media data which means they can be easily edited without having to recreate all media files following the editing process.
How to Open MOV Files
The MOV file format serves as the basis for the MPEG-4 format which was created from the QuickTime format. The MPEG-4 format approval was granted by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in 2001 and was followed by MP4 and finally the MOV file format. For this reason, the most common way to open files that have a MOV extension is through the use of QuickTime player.
Although the MOV file is a framework developed by Apple Computer QuickTime player, it can be used with both Windows and Mac OS X for opening and playing MOV files. This is because the framework offers a common set of APIs which enables QuickTime to encode and decode audio and video files in the MOV format and across multiple platforms.
To open and play MOV files with Windows or Mac OS X, all you have to do is download either the free or pro version of QuickTime player. The free version will provide you with the basic features you need to open and play MOV files where the pro version will offer additional features, such as editing and recording options.
There is also the QuickTime Alternative which is a free application that allows you to open and play MOV files with a wider variety of different multimedia players. QuickTime Alternative is designed for the Windows operating system and enables an application such as Windows Media Player to open and play MOV files by using several different codecs from QuickTime 7. The program also includes plugins that you can use to open and play MOV files using a web browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer.
It is not necessary to download and install QuickTime Player if you use QuickTime Alternative. Instead you can use the latter to play MOV files in Windows Media Player. If you have difficulty getting QuickTime Alternative to work properly, you can fix this issue by deleting the QuickTime folder using the following directory path: C:\Windows\system32\quicktime.
