How to Play and Convert M4V Effortlessly?
17 July 2023 Senior Product Manager
Summary
Learn about the M4V video format, conversion options, and video file editing. Gain the knowledge needed for seamless M4V video management.
M4V files are a standard video format based on the second version of MPEG-4 encoding, developed by Apple Inc. This file format is primarily used to store videos downloaded from the Apple iTunes store, such as TV episodes, music videos, and movies. The M4V format is similar to the MP4 format, both of which are digital multimedia container formats based on the MPEG-4 standard. But Apple’s FairPlay DRM (Digital Rights Management) can be used in the M4V format to protect the copyright of video files, which prevents anyone from trying to view or copy these files on devices not made by Apple (such as iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.).
The difference between M4V and MP4
M4V is very similar to MP4 files in that both are multimedia containers that can store multiple data types, but there are some differences between them.
The main differences between them are:
- Encoding
From a technical point of view, the difference between M4V and MP4 is mainly the encoder used. While MP4 files can hold MPEG-4, HEVC, or H.264, M4V files always employ the H.264 codec. In terms of video quality, there won’t be much difference between the two, but the file size may vary, as files encoded with the H.264 codec tend to be larger.
- compatibility
Unlike M4V files, MP4 files do not have any type of DRM (Digital Rights Management) and thus can run on any type of device including Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones, Android devices, game consoles, etc., not just Apple-developed device of. As for M4V files, it’s more limited, usually only available on Apple devices, and opens by default in iTunes or QuickTime Player.
- popularity
When discussing which video format is the most popular and widely used, there is no comparison between M4V and MP4. MP4 has been widely used for many years and is supported on almost all platforms. The M4V file format is also popular with users, but the popularity cannot be compared with the MP4 format.
If we want to open M4V files, we need a professional multimedia player. Another thing to note is that if the M4V file to be opened is protected by FairPlay DRM (Digital Rights Management), then iTunes needs to be installed on your computer or device, and your Apple ID is the one used to purchase/rent the video. To open an M4V file that is not protected by FairPlay DRM, you only need to double-click the video to open it with the default player. Of course, you can also use other multimedia players to open it.
| Programs that can open M4V files | |
|---|---|
| Windows | Microsoft Windows Media Player |
| itunes | |
| Corel VideoStudio 2020 | |
| VideoLAN VLC Media Player | |
| Nullsoft Winamp | |
| Mac | itunes |
| QuickTime Player | |
| Eltima Elmedia Player | |
| VideoLAN VLC Media Player | |
| Linux | VideoLAN VLC Media Player |
Through the above introduction, I believe you already have a certain understanding of the M4V video format, then enter the focus of this article, we will tell you how to convert M4V to MP4 format.
Renee Video Editor Pro It is a comprehensive video editing software that integrates the three major functions of video editing, screen recording, and format conversion. The software supports batch conversion of video files, and supports all mainstream video formats and audio, such as M4V, MP4, AVI, RMVB, MP3, AAC and FLV, etc., and supports mutual conversion between them. In terms of video editing functions, users can freely choose various editing tools such as cutting, cropping, adding background music, subtitles, and special effects. The video editing interface of this software is simple, and the operation steps are very simple, even novices can quickly get started. Renee Video Editor Pro supports 32-bit and 64-bit Windows operating systems.
Renee Video Editor Pro– Professional Video and Audio Converter
Convert formats Supports batch conversion of all formats, such as MP4, MP3, WAV, WMV, RMVB, etc.
Customize the settings Frequency, High Bit Rate, Block Video/Audio Channel, etc.
Easy to use Just 3 simple steps to complete the conversion quickly.
Multifunction Edit the video et record the screen.
Free to try Free (non commercial use only).
Convert formats Supports batch conversion of all formats, such as MP4, MP3, WAV, WMV, RMVB, etc.
Customize the settings Frequency, High Bit Rate, Block Video/Audio Channel, etc.
Easy to use Just 3 simple steps to complete the conversion quickly.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open Renee Video Editor Pro and select (Video Editing Tool).
② Click (Add File) to import the M4V video file to be converted.
③ Then select the video file format to be converted in the (Output Format) column (such as MP4 format), the software supports all common formats; select the output file location in (Output Folder), and the converted video file will be saved to this folder. Finally, click the (Start) button to complete the conversion operation.
As one of the most popular third-party media players, VLC Media Player not only can play various media files and discs, but also has a very powerful function of converting video/audio formats. You can use the player in various Convert between supported video files. Although there are not many supported formats, it can also meet the needs of most people.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
①Download and open the VLC software, click (Media) > (Convert/Save) in the menu bar.
② Click (Add) in the new window to select the M4V file to be converted, and after completing the selection, click (Convert/Save) below.
③ Finally, in the “Configuration File” option, select the video format to be converted (for example: Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4)), and in the “Target File”, select the save location, and finally, click (Start) .
In addition to converting the M4V format through the above-mentioned video conversion software, you can also try to use the M4V online conversion tool. Although the function of the online conversion tool is relatively simple, it is easy to use and can be used without downloading software, which saves time to a certain extent. However, it is not as good as professional video conversion software in terms of conversion speed and quality.
There are some obvious limitations of M4V online conversion tools:
- Only non-DRM protected M4V files can be converted.
- Online conversion tools have limitations on the size of converted files, and larger files may not support uploading and conversion.
- Usually there is only a simple conversion function, and may not provide editing and batch conversion functions.
- The quality of the output file using online conversion is mediocre, usually it is not possible to choose the converted video quality.
- The upload and conversion speed of the online conversion tool is affected by the network connection, if your network speed is slow, you need to wait for a long time.
Cloud Convert is a versatile conversion tool that can quickly convert M4V to MP4, AVI, FLV, MP3, M4A and other video or audio formats, and it is free to convert. The conversion tool supports conversion of more than 200 formats, and also supports editing audio and video codecs, video aspect ratio, resolution, and other parameters. Plus, it offers some simple video editing features. So, if you want to convert video formats online, Cloud Convert is a good choice.
Online conversion link: https://cloudconvert.com/m4v-to-mp4
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open the Cloud Convert online link in the browser, click (Select File) to upload the M4V video to be converted. Also, you can add M4V video files to convert from URL, Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive. The conversion tool supports batch conversion, and you can upload multiple video files at the same time.
② After uploading, you can choose the video format to convert. Then you can click (settings icon) to change the video parameters as needed. Finally, click (Convert) to start the conversion, and click (Download) to download it to your computer after the conversion is complete.
Here is another simple and easy-to-use online video conversion tool—ACONVERT.COM, where you can quickly convert M4V formats and support converting them to AVI, MPG, MKV, VOB or GIF formats. In addition to converting video formats, it can also convert PDFs, documents, e-books, images, audio and compressed files, etc.
Online conversion link: https://www.aconvert.com/en/video/
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open the conversion link of ACONVERT.COM in the browser and enter the video format conversion page.
② On the “Convert Video Files Online” interface, click (Select Files) to upload the M4V files to the website, and then select the video format to be converted in the “Target Format”. If you need to modify the video parameters or edit the video, you can choose in the “Options” (change the size, bit rate or frame rate), and then perform simple editing settings on the video. Finally, click the (Start Conversion) button, wait for the conversion to complete, and then download the file to the local.
In addition to converting M4V videos, if you also want to edit videos before conversion, it is recommended that you use Renee Video Editor Pro for editing. The software has a variety of video editing functions, which can meet the editing needs of most people, and the operation interface is simple, which is very suitable for novice users. With Renee Video Editor Pro, you can edit or merge video clips, crop/rotate/flip videos, and add video effects, transition effects, subtitles and other editing operations.
1. Cut video files
If you have dissatisfied fragments in the M4V video file, you can use the “cut function” in Renee Video Editor Pro to remove them.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Download and install Renee Video Editor Pro, then open the software and select (Video Editing Tool).
② After entering the video editing interface, click (Add File) to import the M4V video.
③ Click (Cut) to enter the cut page, where you can manually drag the slider to set the start and end time of the video. After setting, click (OK) > (Start) to export it.
2. Merge video files
With Renee Video Editor Pro, you can also quickly merge multiple video files, and it supports merging with other different formats.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Download and install Renee Video Editor Pro, then open the software and select (Video Editing Tool).
② After entering the video editing interface, click (Add Files) to import the M4V files (or video files in other formats) to be merged. Then check the (Merge all files into one) option to merge all imported files into one file.
Optional operation: You can also add some transition effects between the merged videos, click the (+) sign in the “No Transition” after the video, and choose to add your favorite transition effects.
③ After completing the above operations, select the required file format in the output format column, and then click the (Start) button to save.
3. Crop/flip/rotate video files
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open the software, click (Video Editing Tools) > (Add Files) to import M4V video files.
② Click (Rotate and Crop), and after entering the page, you can choose (rotate 90 degrees to the right), (mirror left and right) and (mirror up and down) according to your preferences. In addition, you can also manually adjust the size of the video cropping area.
4. Add video effects
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Download and open Renee Video Editor Pro, select (Video Editing Tool).
② After entering the video editing interface, click (Add File) to import M4V video files.
③ Click (Special Effects), and at the bottom of the video preview window, you can select (Add Filter Effects), (Add Zoom Effects) and (Add Volume Effects) to edit accordingly.
5. Add video watermark
Sometimes in order to prevent the video from being stolen or altered, we need to add our own exclusive watermark to the video.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Download and open Renee Video Editor Pro, select (Video Editing Tool).
② After entering the video editing interface, click (Add File) to import M4V video files.
③ After entering the (Watermark) editing page, you can choose (Add Text Watermark), (Add Image Watermark), (Add Video Watermark), (Add Graphic Watermark), or (Remove Watermark).
6. Add background music to video
In video production, we often add background music to the video, which can better enhance the atmosphere.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Download and open Renee Video Editor Pro, select (Video Editing Tool).
② After entering the video editing interface, click (Add File) to import M4V video files.
③ Click (Music), and after entering the editing interface, you can choose (Add Audio to Video), (Add Sound to Video) and (Reset). In addition to adding music files or dubbing the video, you can also check (Remove original video audio) to remove the original video sound.
7. Add subtitles to the video
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Download and open Renee Video Editor Pro, select (Video Editing Tool).
② After entering the video editing interface, click (Add File) to import M4V video files.
③ Click (Subtitle), select the position of the subtitle, and then click the (+) button in the lower left corner to select (Load Subtitle File) or (Create Subtitle File).
④ If you choose (Create subtitle file), you can edit the subtitle in the pop-up “Notepad”. Just click on the corresponding subtitles. After adding subtitles, you can choose the appropriate subtitle color, font and effect.
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