TS and MOV explained
MPEG Transport Stream was designed for broadcast, where a receiver might tune in at any moment. It is built from small self-contained packets, which makes it resilient to errors but awkward to edit.
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.
- Where TS files come from
- AVCHD camcorders, TV recordings, and HLS streaming segments.
- Where MOV is used
- iPhone and Mac screen recordings, and professional video editing.