FFmpeg is a powerful tool that supports converting video between different formats. Converting MOV files to MP4 format is a common task that can be easily accomplished with FFmpeg.
First, ensure that FFmpeg is installed on your computer. After installation, you can execute the conversion task via the command line interface. The following example steps demonstrate how to use FFmpeg to convert MOV files to MP4:
- Open the command line interface (on Windows, use CMD or PowerShell; on macOS or Linux, use Terminal).
- Use the
cdcommand to navigate to the directory containing your MOV file. - Enter the following command to start the conversion process:
ffmpeg -i input.mov -codec copy output.mp4
where input.mov is the name of your source MOV file and output.mp4 is the name of the MP4 file you wish to create.
The working principle of this command is: ffmpeg invokes the FFmpeg program, -i input.mov specifies the input file, -codec copy instructs FFmpeg to copy the original codecs (preserving video and audio quality), and output.mp4 specifies the output file.
The advantage of this method is its speed, as it avoids re-encoding video and audio streams. However, if you need to adjust file size or compress the video, consider using different codecs or additional options to fine-tune the output.
For example, to compress the video file or adjust quality, use the following command:
ffmpeg -i input.mov -vcodec libx264 -crf 23 output.mp4
In this command, -vcodec libx264 specifies the H.264 video codec, and -crf 23 is a quality parameter where lower values indicate better quality but larger file sizes.
By adjusting these commands and parameters, you can flexibly use FFmpeg for video format conversion as needed.