MOV and WAV 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.
WAV stores uncompressed PCM audio — the raw samples, exactly as captured. A stereo CD-quality minute is roughly 10 MB, which is the price of having no compression whatsoever.
- Where MOV files come from
- iPhone and Mac screen recordings, and professional video editing.
- Where WAV is used
- Recording sessions, sample libraries and audio editing.