.mov File — Apple QuickTime Movie

MOV is the native multimedia container format for Apple's QuickTime framework, introduced in 1991 and serving as the technical foundation for the MPEG-4/MP4 format. MOV files store video, audio, text, and metadata tracks using the QuickTime File Format (QTFF) atom-based structure. The format supports a wide range of codecs including Apple ProRes (the industry standard for professional video editing), H.264, H.265, and Apple's proprietary codecs. MOV is the default recording format for iPhones and iPads, the preferred delivery format for Apple Motion, Final Cut Pro, and other Apple professional video applications. The format supports features like time code tracks, chapter markers, variable frame rates, alpha channel video (ProRes 4444), HDR metadata, and spatial video for Apple Vision Pro. MOV files from iPhones can contain both HDR and SDR renditions, Live Photos with video and still components, and Cinematic mode depth data. While MOV and MP4 are structurally similar, MOV supports Apple-specific extensions that MP4 does not, making it the preferred format within Apple's professional and consumer video ecosystem.