How to Convert MOV to MP4 Using VLC [Windows and Mac]

Patricia Rapatalo .
If you’ve been streaming video or movies on your computer and mobile phones, you are indeed a fan of VLC Media Player. Nevertheless, did you know you can use VLC to convert media files? So if you want to do a VLC convert MOV to MP4 process, you can rely on this app! The good thing is that we cover the detailed ways to change MOV to MP4 on Windows and Mac OS to understand the process better. Besides that, we also added tips you can check to enhance further your knowledge of using VLC.
vlc convert mov to mp4
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Converting your MOV files to MP4 format can be helpful if you want to play them on other devices and media players. For instance, Windows does not support the MOV format. You can only play them on a Windows computer with the help of third-party media players. Of course, if you open a media player every time you play a MOV file, it is a waste of time. With that, the best solution is to convert MOV files to MP4 format, the most standard video format of all time. Move to the next part of this post to learn how to convert files with VLC!


How to Convert MOV to MP4 with VLC on Windows

VLC is a well-known app that can play the most popular video and audio formats effortlessly. You can convert MOV, MP4, FLV, AVI, WebM, MP3, AAC, and other formats. What is more, you can modify the codec for the format, like H.264 and H.265 for videos and Vorbis, Theora, and DIV3 for audio. In addition, you can also edit the video before converting them to MP4 format. VLC resize video, rotate, crop, trim, or add filters to your videos are just some of its features. You can get many features from VLC when you familiarize yourself with its settings. If you are a beginner and a Windows OS user, follow the walkthrough below to convert MOV to MP4 using VLC on Windows.

Step 1Open the VLC App

Install VLC on your computer by getting the Windows installer from its website. After that, go along with the setup instructions to acquire the software. Once done, open the app and move to its “Media” tab on the top menu. Select the “Convert/Save” button to proceed.

hit media and convert/save button

Step 2Add MOV File and Select Format

Next, a new small window will resurface on your screen. Hit the “Add” button from the window and the MOV file you want to convert. You can also drop the MOV file into the window for a faster method. Then, hit the “Convert/Save” button on the bottom to access the converter window.

hit add and convert/save button

Step 3Start Converting MOV to MP4

After that, hit the “dropdown” icon beside the “Profile” section to access the format menu and choose “MP4” from the options. If satisfied, click the “Browse” button to select the folder where you want to keep the converted video. Finally, click the “Start” button, and the converting process will begin. Once complete, you can locate the new MP4 file in the specified output folder.

select mp4 format, hit browse and start button


How to Convert MOV to MP4 on Mac with VLC

Even though MOV is one of the most supported file formats of Mac, other users still prefer the MP4 format for quick transfer and sharing. If you share the same scenarios with other users, we will help you convert MOV to MP4 VLC. See the step-by-step tutorial below to start converting MOV files to MP4 on Mac with the help of VLC.

Step 1Launch the VLC App for Mac

First, get the Mac version of VLC from its official website. Follow the requirement on the prompt window to install the app. Afterward, start the app and ensure that the app's main interface is the same as the image below. Then, hit the “File” button on the upper menu and select “Convert/Stream.”

open vlc mac, hit file and select convert/stream

Step 2Import the MOV Video

Now, you can access the “Convert & Stream” window. Hit the “Open media” button in the middle to upload the MOV video. Another way to do it is to drag and drop the file into the VLC app. Next, move to the “Choose Profile” section and pick “Video+MP3 (MP4)” from the menu as the output format.

 import video and select mp4

Step 3Convert and Save Converted Video

Finally, hit the “Save as File” button under the “Choose Destination” section. Select the output location to save the new file. Once finished, click the “Save” button from the pop-up window and the converting process will automatically start. Locate the MP4 video on the folder that you set.

select output folder, hit save button to convert


Tips to Use VLC as a Video Converter

Now that you already know how VLC Media Player convert MOV to MP4 on Windows and Mac, there are other things you need to know. If you frequently use VLC as a video and audio converter, you can take advantage of its other settings. With that, we list the tips that you can consider in using VLC. Check them out beneath to discover more.

  • Display the output. Pick this option to help you play the output video on VLC during the converting process.
  • Deinterlace. This option helps convert video to interlaced formats, like 1080i and 720i.
  • Dump raw input. This feature is for data streams with different containers. Once you enable it, the VLC app will pack all data streams into a single file without reprocessing the data itself.

Other VLC Features:

  • Access to ISO files, even on OS that doesn’t support ISO images
  • Playback of corrupted and incomplete files
  • Display of video as a desktop wallpaper (Windows OS only)
  • Video to ASCII converting process

vlc interface


FAQs About Converting MOV to MP4 with VLC

1. Can I convert MOV to MP4 on VLC without quality loss?
Doing VLC MOV to MP4 process will not lead to quality loss. If so, losing quality would be minimal and unnoticeable. MOV can be encoded with different codecs, like lossy or lossless. Meanwhile, MP4, as we know, is a lossy format. So even if you convert MOV to MP4 format, they are both encoded with lossy codecs, and their other encoding settings are identical. This will result in the same quality as the original file.
2. Why is there no video after converting MOV to MP4 in VLC?
If you experience no video issues, there are some solutions you can do. First, ensure that the conversion settings are correct, and missing only one step can lead to a “no video” issue. Another option is to update your VLC app to the latest version. That way, all the bugs and errors from the old VLC app will be removed.
3. Why my new MP4 file doesn’t have audio?
There are various reasons why there’s no sound on the newly converted file. Like the no video issue, the problem may occur if you do the process in the wrong way. So before conversion, make sure that the “Keep original audio track” is enabled. You can check this on the “Convert/Save” option of VLC. Then, hit the “Wrench” icon and move to the “Audio codec” tab. After that, check if the “Keep original track audio” is enabled.

Conclusion

After discovering all the essential details of using VLC as a converter for Windows and Mac computers, you can tell that it is not an ordinary media player. This tool might come in handy when it comes to the MOV to MP4 process. There’s no doubt that it is one of the most famous apps in the world. It is a good alternative if you don’t want to get expensive video converters for a simple task. Moreover, all of the information to convert your files is provided above. Make sure to follow them in the right direction to avoid any errors.

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