Difference Between MOV and MP4, M4V and MP4

It is really easy to confuse MOV, M4V and MP4. Many users don't know which format they should choose when ripping DVDs. And many users don't know what the exact differences between M4V and MP4, or MOV and MP4. This article will tell you these things clearly. Just keep reading MOV vs MP4, and M4V vs MP4.

Part 1: What is MOV/M4V/MP4

What is MOV

MOV is one of the formats which is always used to save videos and movies to your hard drive or other devices. Actually, MOV was originally developed by Apple as a file format for its QuickTime movie player. It has many advantages, such as easy to compress, fast to download and steam video from the Internet.

What is M4V

M4V is a video container format especially developed by Apple for encoding videos, movies, music videos and so on. It is designed for all the Apple devices, like iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, etc. And it is open in iTunes by default. What's more, the M4V video files your purchased or rented from iTunes are protected by Apple's FairPlay DRM copy protection to prevent copy and piracy. That's why you can only watch M4V videos on Apple devices instead of other devices like Android phones. But now M4V files can be played on some videos players by convert them to MP4.

What is MP4

MP4 is the short name for MPEG-4 Part 14, which is regarded as the most widely used multimedia container format. It always used to store digital video, audio, image, as well as other useful data. MP4 files can be recognized by almost all the media players, applications and devices, so that it is used widely. What's more, the good compression and compatibility of this wonderful format make it more and more popular. Due to its faster loading and better quality features, MP4 is favored in Internet broadcast and streaming.

Part 2: MOV vs MP4 and M4V vs MP4

In next table, we list the MOV vs MP4 comparison in detailed for you.

File Format	MOV	MP4
Similarity	1. Both MOV and MP4 are lossy formats which sacrifices quality for file size. 2. Either MOV or MP4 won't affect the encoded video qualities.
Difference	1. MOV was originally developed by Apple as a file format for QuickTime movie player. 2. MOV is the basic for the development of MP4. 3. MP4 is the industry standard and more professional.
Pros	MOV files are often with high qualities. It is easy to add metadata. It is used seamlessly and by many people on Apple platforms.	MP4 has more widespread support than MOV It can be played on all kinds of devices, players and operating systems.
Cons	Files can be larger than other because of the good quality. It is a proprietary format so that sometimes needs additional software.	It is not a high compress. Files can be larger than on other formats.
Used by	Just Apple devices and some players.	All devices, systems and players.
Features	It was the original streaming video file type container, and today still serves well to encapsulate lossy video contents. Although it is not so popular, the high quality of this format is really great.	It is famous for its fast loading speed, high quality and compatibility. MP4 was invented based on the innovations of MOV.

In next table, we list the M4V vs MP4 comparison in detailed for you.

File Format	M4V	MP4
Similarity	1. Both of them are good container formats you can play your vdieos. 2. If the DRM protection of the M4V video file is removed, the MP4 and M4V video is the same.
Difference	1. M4V can only be played on a computer through iTunes and only for Apple products, while MP4 can be recognized and played by almost all media players and devices. 2. The MP4 container can hold either MPEG-4 or H.264 video codec but the M4V container can use exclusively H.264 video codec.
Pros	M4V files are protected by DRM technology and are much safer. Can be recognized by consoles like X-Box 360.	Much easier to save. More user friendly in terms of copying, moving and uploading than M4V.
Cons	Only licensed users can copy and move M4V files. Only supports Apple devices.	Highest resolution for MP4 is 1440×1080/30p. It is not a high compress.
Used by	Apple devices	All devices, systems and players.
Features	It is specifically designed for Apple products such as the iPhone and so on. And it is a container format that are usually used to store audio, video and even subtitle files. It also is protected by FairPiay DRM.	MP4 stands for MPEG-4 Part 14, as part of the MPEG-4 series of file types. And it is a ubiquitous format for any media player and device.

Part 3: How to Convert MOV and MP4

In the MOV vs MP4 table you can know the differences between this two formats. Both of them are commonly used by many users and readily available for free download from Internet. But do you know the easiest way to convert MOV and MP4 after downloading? Here we recommend the best software to you. AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate is the best software you can use to convert the video as what you want. The steps of converting is really easy. Just follow the next steps.

Step 1: Download AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate on your computer and then install it.

Step 2: Launch it on your computer and click Add Files button to load the MOV or MP4 files to the program.

Step 3: Click on the format icon on the right side of the video file. Then you can see a list of presets. Choose MOV or MP4 as the output format and adjust the profile settings according to your need.

Step 4: Click the drop-down button next to Save to, and select the destination folder for saving the output videos. Then click the Convert All button to convert MOV or MP4 in high quality.

Part 4: How to Play M4V and MP4 Video

After reading M4V vs MP4 you should know M4V is only supports Apple devices. So how to play M4V videos on other devices? Fortunately, AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player is the best player which is strongly recommend to you. As a wonderful media player, it allows you play video like MP4, MOV, AVI, M4V and so on. The other advantage of this software is really easy to use.

Step 1: Download AnyMP4 Blue-ray Player on your computer and then install it according the guide.

Step 2: Launch this software and click Open File to open your M4V or MP4 files to watch. If you want to watch some online videos on your computer, you can simply use Video Converter Ultimate to download and convert it. And then watch them with this player.

Conclusion

In this article, we introduce MOV vs MP4 and M4V vs MP4 to you. After you read this article, you must know clearly the similarities and differences, the advantages and disadvantages of the three formats. Hope you can gain something helpful in this article.