This wikiHow teaches you how to convert a MOV video file into an MP4 video file. You can take advantage of an online converter service, or download and use a program called Handbrake. Both options are available for both Windows and Mac computers.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Using CloudConvert
Step 1. Open the CloudConvert website
Visit https://cloudconvert.com/ via a web browser.
Step 2. Click Select Files
It's a red button at the top of the page.
Step 3. Select the MOV file
Click the MOV file that you want to convert to an MP4 file.
If the file is in a folder other than the open folder, select the folder where the file is stored on the left side of the file browsing window
Step 4. Click Open
It's in the lower-right corner of the window.
Step 5. Click the …⏷ box
This box is at the top of the page, to the right of the file name. A drop-down menu will appear after that.
Step 6. Click MP4
It's at the bottom of the pop-out menu. After that, the option mp4 ” will be selected as the file conversion destination format.
If you don't see MP4 as an option in the drop-down menu, click “ Videos ” in the menu on the left of the page.
Step 7. Click Convert
It's a red button on the right side of the page. The video file will be uploaded and converted. This process takes a few minutes as the video must first be uploaded to the CloudConvert website before it can be converted.
Step 8. Click Download
It's a green button at the far right of the page. The conversion results will be downloaded to the computer. By default, you can find downloaded files in the " Downloads " folder on PCs and Mac computers.
In some browsers, you will need to confirm the download by selecting a save location and clicking “ Save ” when prompted.
Method 2 of 2: Using Handbrake
Step 1. Download and install Handbrake
Visit https://handbrake.fr/ in your browser and click on the “ Download Handbrake ” in red, then follow these steps:
- Windows – Double click the Handbrake installation file, select “ Yes ” when prompted, click “ Next ", click " I Agree, and select " Install ”.
- Mac – Double-click the Handbrake DMG file, verify the download if prompted, then click and drag the Handbrake icon into the “Applications” folder.
Step 2. Open Handbrake
The icon looks like a pineapple next to a cocktail glass.
Step 3. Click File
This folder icon is on the left side of the Handbrake window.
On Mac computers, you will be prompted to open a new video file the first time you open the Handbrake application. If not, click "Open Source" in the upper-left corner of the window
Step 4. Select the MOV file
Click the MOV file's storage folder on the left side of the window, then click the file to select it.
On a Windows computer, you may need to scroll up or down the left pane of the File Explorer window to find the correct storage folder
Step 5. Click Open
It's in the lower-right corner of the Handbrake window.
Alternatively, drag and drop files into the box labeled "Drag and drop files or folders here" on the right side of the program window
Step 6. Determine where to save the conversion results
Follow these steps to specify the storage directory for the converted results:
- Click " Browse ” in the lower right corner of the screen.
- Type the name of the converted MP4 file into the "File name" field.
- Click the folder where the MP4 file is stored.
- Click " Save ”.
Step 7. Click the "Format" drop-down box
This option is just below the " Summary " tab. A drop-down menu will appear after that.
Skip this step and the next if the drop-down box already displays the "MP4" option
Step 8. Click MP4
This option is in the drop-down menu. After that, the type or format of the file conversion will be converted to MP4.
Step 9. Click the Dimensions tab (optional)
This tab is the second option at the top of the “Settings” window.
Step 10. Enter the desired video dimensions in the " Height " and " Width " fields (optional)
If you want to adjust the dimensions or resolution of the video, you can specify it on the " Dimensions " tab. Keep in mind that increasing the dimensions of the video does not necessarily increase the quality. However, you can reduce the dimensions of a high-resolution video to reduce its size. Here are some video formats that are quite commonly used.
-
” Widescreen:
” Width (Width): 1280, Height (Height): 720
-
” HD Widescreen:
” Width: 1920, Height: 1080
-
” 4K Ultra HD Widescreen:
” Width: 3840, Height: 2160
Step 11. Click the Video tab (optional)
This tab is the fourth option at the top of the “Settings” menu. Through this tab, you can define the video codec, adjust the frame rate (frame rate), and video quality.
Step 12. Select a video codec (optional)
To specify a video codec, click the drop-down menu next to “ Video codec ” and select the codec you want to use.
- " H.264 (x264)" is the standard codec for most high-definition videos.
- " H.265 (x265)" provides greater compression and results in higher quality with a smaller file size. This codec is suitable for 4K Ultra HD resolution videos. However, this format may not be supported by some video player applications.
- For videos with a higher color depth (e.g. HDR videos), you can select " H.264 10-Bit" or " H.265 10-Bit".
- " MPEG-4" is an old codec format, but still works.
Step 13. Specify the frame rate or frame rate (optional)
If you want to change the number of frames per second (frames per second or FPS), you can do so via the drop-down menu next to "Framerate" on the "Video" tab. The “30 FPS” option is the standard choice for most videos and movies. The “29.97 FPS” option is the default for YouTube videos. The option “60 FPS” (or “59.97” on YouTube) or higher is used for smoother motion. Often, this option is used in sports videos and video games. Keep in mind that you can't increase the number of frames on a video that doesn't have a high frame rate in the first place.
Step 14. Adjust the video quality (optional)
Use the slider bar under " Quality " to adjust the quality of the image or video that Handbrake produces in the video output. It is recommended that you use the 18-20 quality option for videos with a smaller resolution, and 20-23 for videos with a higher resolution.
Step 15. Click Start Encode
It's a green and black triangular play button at the top of the Handbrake window. The MOV file will be converted to MP4 format and the conversion result will be saved in the storage directory you have specified.
