.mov is the filename extension for Quicktime video

  • Developed by Apple
  • .mov can use the MPEG-4 codec
  • basic unit: "atom" which contains size, type of info, and content
  • structure: containment hierarchy

From PRONOM:

  • The size field indicates the number of bytes in the atom, including the size and type fields.
  • The type field specifies the type of data stored in the atom and, by implication, the format of that data.
  • Atoms are hierarchical in nature. That is, one atom can contain one or more other atoms of varying types. For example, a movie atom contains one track atom for each track in the movie. The track atoms, in turn, contain one or more media atoms each, along with other atoms that define other track and movie characteristics. This hierarchical structure of atoms is referred to as a containment hierarchy. A QuickTime file is simply a collection of atoms. QuickTime does not impose any rules about the order of these atoms.

According to GFDR, .mov is also the extension for the video/x-sgi-movie mime-type (Silicon Graphics)

  • No labels