iMovie for Windows > Video Editor > iMovie Formats > Edit MOV Files

Need to Open and Edit MOV Files?

Download Movavi Video Editor to Play and Edit MOV Files without hassles.

Compatible with almost any video and audio format. Mac and PC supported.
Includes all basic and advanced video editing tools.
Save as MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, GIF, FLV, MPG, M4V, 3GP, WebM, MKV, etc.
No training required. No credit card required.

What's a MOV File?

MOV is a complicated video container designed for QuickTime, Apple's media player. MOV contains not only video and audio, but also for Java, scripts, skins, images, etc. That's why even games could also be packaged into a MOV file. The video quality is usually very well, but at the same time, the file size is very large. Therefore, many people is seeking a way to compress video without significantly reducing the video quality. In many cases, MP4 is a more widely used video format. Strictly, MP4 arises from MOV. The audio and video parts of MOV format was later standardized to become the MP4 format.

QuickTime is a multimedia platform architecture developed by Apple that can be used to create, produce, and distribute content, including media capture, media synchronizing, import and export of existing media, as well as editing, compression, distribution, and playback. The QuickTime file format (MOV format) is a very basic and important part of QuickTime's entire architecture. MOV format is OS-independant, which means it could be used on Mac, Windows and other systems as long as corresponding decoder is installed. mov is the common extensions to the QuickTime file format, in addition to .qt, .mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .m4p, .m4b, etc.

open and edit mov file

The default player to open MOV files is Apple's QuickTime Player. But there are many media player and video editor applications can also play and edit MOV files. For example, KMPlayer, PotPlayer, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Movavi Video Editor, VLC, Wondershare Filmora, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, etc. If your QuickTime can't play MOV files or play MOV files with a flaw, just try one of these MOV player and editor.

How to Open MOV Files with Movavi Video Editor

Open MOV files in Windows

In the main screen, go to the Media tab on the left sidebar and click the Add Media Files button.
Go through the top menu bar File > Add Media Files, or simply press Ctrl+O.
Resize Mov Video Editor's window and then drop MOV files to the timeline.

Open MOV files on Mac

Go to the Media tab on the left sidebar and click the Add Media Files button.
Go through File > Add Media Files in the top menu bar, or press Command+O.
Drag and drop MOV files from Finder to the timeline.

Open MOV Video on All Modern Computers

Windows 10	Windows 8	Windows 7	Windows Vista	Windows XP
macOS Big Sur	macOS High Sierra	macOS Sierra	macOS el Capitan	Mac OS X 10.7 or higher

FAQs on MOV Playback with QuickTime Player in Windows

Question 1. Why the image turns gray while playing MOV with QuickTime Player in Windows?

Answer: In the QuickTime Player > Preferences dialog, uncheck the option "Enable Direct 3D video acceleration", or check Safe Mode.

MOV Video Editor Opens MOV Files and Many More Video File Formats

Not only can MOV Video Editor opens MOV files but also all popular video formats. Movavi Video Editor is an all-in-one video editing application for Mac and Windows.

MOV Video Editor Introduction