Convert MOV to MP4 and HD MP4 With Quicktime Pro 7

QuickTime 7 Pro is no longer available for sale, but there are still ways to convert your MOV files to MP4 format. The simplest way to convert most MOV files is to simply rename the extension to MP4. If you do have QuickTime 7 pro, you can use the Export feature. If you don't have access to QuickTime 7 Pro, there are free programs available that can quickly convert the files.

Steps

Renaming the File

  1. Open the folder containing the MOV file. The quickest way to change an MOV file to MP4 is to simply change the extension. MP4 is a subset of the MOV format, so no conversion is actually necessary.[1]
    • This will work on any operating system, and doesn't require any additional software. This is especially useful because QuickTime 7 Pro is no longer available for sale, and this method is free.
  2. Make sure extensions are displayed (Windows only). Windows may be hiding the extensions of your files. The extensions will need to be visible in order to change them.
    • Windows 10 and 8 - Click the "View" tab at the top your Explorer window and check the "File name extensions" box.
    • Windows 7 and earlier - Open the Control Panel and select "Folder Options." Click the "View" tab and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types."
  3. Right-click on the MOV file and select "Rename." This will allow you to change the name of the file, as well as the extension.
  4. Change .mov to .mp4 at the end of the file name. When you press ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return, you'll be prompted to confirm that you want to change the extension.
  5. Confirm that you want to change the extension. Your operating system will warn you that changing the file name can make the file unreadable. You can ignore this warning and proceed.
    • In macOS, click "Use .mp4" in the window that appears.
    • In Windows, click "Yes" in the window that appears.
  6. Test out your file. Double-click the renamed file to confirm that loads in your media player. The file is now in MP4 format, and will work with any player or device that supports it.
    • You can always change the extension back to .mov to revert it to its original form.
    • This will work for 99% of MOV files you come across. If this doesn't work, see one of the following methods.

Using QuickTime 7 Pro

  1. Install QuickTime 7 Pro. It is no longer possible to activate QuickTime Pro from within the QuickTime Player included in macOS. You'll need to download the older version of QuickTime 7 and then enter your Pro registration key to activate Pro features.
    • Download QuickTime 7 from Apple and install it. You can download it here.
    • Open the Utilities folder and launch QuickTime Player 7.
    • Click the "QuickTime Player 7" menu and select "Registration."
    • Enter your Pro registration key to unlock the Pro features.
  2. Open the MOV file in QuickTime 7 Pro. Since the MOV file will default to open in QuickTime Player X, you'll need to right-click it, select "Open With," and then select QuickTime 7 Pro.
  3. Click the "File" menu and select "Export." This function requires a registered version of QuickTime Pro.
  4. Click the "Export" menu and select "Movie to MPEG-4." This will allow you to save the video in MP4 format.
  5. Click "Save" to make an MP4 copy of the file. The file will export to MP4, which may take a few minutes for larger movies.

Using Adapter

  1. Download and install Adapter from Macroplant. This is a free, ad-free program that will convert your video files into different formats. It is available for Windows and Mac. You can download it from macroplant.com/adapter/.
    • After downloading the installer, run it to install Adapter. You can leave the settings at their defaults. Make sure to keep the "FFmpeg" installation option enabled, as this is required for converting videos.
  2. Launch Adapter after installing it. You'll find it in your Start menu (Windows) or in your Applications folder (Mac). It may have started automatically after installation finished.
  3. Drag your MOV file into the Adapter window. This will add it to the conversion queue. You can also click the "Browse" button in Adapter and navigate to the file.
    • Sometimes Adapter may say "Error" when adding a file. Just right-click the file and select "Remove" and then try adding it again. This will usually fix the problem.
  4. Click the drop-down menu at the bottom of the Adapter window. This will let you choose different formats to convert to.
  5. Select "Video" → "General" → "Custom MP4." Alternatively, if you're converting the file for a specific device, you can select it from the Video menu instead.
  6. Select your quality settings (optional). After selecting Custom MP4, you'll see several options appear in the right frame of the window. The "Quality" dropdown menu in the "Resolution" section can be changed to "Very High (Lossless)" to preserve the original video quality.
  7. Click "Convert" to convert the MOV file to MP4. The time this takes will vary depending on the size of the original video. By default, the new file will be located in the same folder with the same file name and the new MP4 extension. The original file will not be altered.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/980082
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