MOV and AVI explained
MOV is Apple's QuickTime container. Structurally it is very close to MP4 — the two share an ancestor — but MOV files often use codecs like ProRes that general-purpose players cannot decode.
AVI is a Microsoft container from 1992. It predates modern video compression and lacks features taken for granted today, such as proper support for variable frame rates and modern codec metadata.
- Where MOV files come from
- iPhone and Mac screen recordings, and professional video editing.
- Where AVI is used
- Old camcorders, legacy Windows software and archived downloads.