Wondering How to Change a Video Format?

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Use this free video converter online to easily change the format of your video. You can convert video files online to popular media formats. If you need a wider range of output formats, try a desktop converter from Movavi.

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How to change a video file type

Edited by Joey Edits

December 5, 2024

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Most users feel the need at some point to change a video file type – for example, to view a movie or clip on a mobile device or upload them to the Internet. Want to know how to convert videos? Keep reading! In this article, you’ll find out about the most common problems you can encounter working with video files and will learn how to convert a video with a desktop app and with an online video converter.

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Movavi Video Converter enables you to handle any of these issues in seconds. You don’t have to know anything about video formats and features. The software has an intuitive English language interface, so changing the format of videos is easy even if you're a newcomer to video editing and conversion.

How to convert video files with Movavi Video Converter

Don’t know how to change a video format? With Movavi Video Converter, it’s a matter of a few clicks! To change the format of your video, just download the program for your Windows PC or Mac and follow the simple guide below. If you prefer to watch video instructions, here’s a short movie about file conversion.

Here’s how to change the format of a video.

Step 1. Download and install the software

Click one of the buttons below to get the installation file. Open it and follow the on-screen instructions. Then, the program will launch automatically.

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Step 2. Add a file to the program

Just click Add Media and select Add Video. On your hard drive, locate the file or files you want to convert, then click Open to add them to the conversion queue.

Step 3. Choose a new format

In the lower portion of the interface, choose the desired output format for your video. You can locate the appropriate preset using the search box or browse the Video, Devices, and Audio tabs.

Step 4. Compress the video (optional)

If you want to reduce the size of the output file, click the file size value. Then adjust the File size slider as needed – the app will change the bitrate to reach the indicated size. You can click Convert sample to compress a part of your video and preview the result.

Step 5. Edit your video file (optional)

Movavi Video Converter offers many editing options. Hit Edit and use the tools you need. Use the Trim tab to cut out unwanted segments. In the Effects tab, you can choose a filter for your video. Open the Subtitles tab to add a subtitles file from your computer or to download subtitles from the Internet. When you’ve made the necessary changes, hit Save and Close.

Step 6. Start the conversion

Click Convert in the bottom right corner to start the encoding process. When the file is ready, the folder with the output file will open automatically.

Great! Now you know how to change a video format in a couple of clicks.

WHY CHANGE VIDEO FILE FORMAT?

Here are some issues you can solve by changing video file types.

Your device doesn’t open a file?

The chances are that your device doesn’t recognize the video file type. Try converting the video file to a format supported by your device – with a special tool.

The file is played with distortions?

This may be due to a too large file size or an incorrect audio codec used. Just reduce the size of your file or change the codec using a handy conversion app.

Videos take up too much space?

All you need is to compress the videos so that they fit on your smartphone, tablet, or USB stick. Just use the right kind of app and go on with working remotely.

Changing video formats

Movavi Video Converter supports all popular video and audio formats: AVI, MP4 (MPEG-4), MOV, 3GP, FLV, MKV, WMV, MP3, WAV, and more. In addition to encoding video into other formats, the program lets you rip DVDs (convert VOB files) into regular digital files. If there are multiple audio tracks and subtitle tracks on the disc, you can easily select the ones you need in the output files before you start the conversion.

Saving videos for mobile devices

Smartphone / tablet / media player owners often face the problem of unsupported multimedia formats. If you don’t have a dedicated program to do this, you need to learn all sorts of specialized information like video resolution, aspect ratio, video codecs, etc. Luckily for you, there’s Movavi Video Converter, which offers more than 200 ready-made presets for a wide range of mobile devices, including the newest models of Apple iPod, iPhone, iPad, Samsung, Nokia, Sony PSP, Android phones, Windows Phone 8, and more. All you have to do is select your device from the list and click Convert.

Preparing video for uploading online

Want to show a video clip to your friends on Facebook or YouTube or maybe embed a video into your blog post? Fortunately, there is no need to learn all the technical stuff about web‑compatible formats because Movavi Video Converter can automatically choose the right options for your footage. The program includes ready-made presets for multiple websites. Plus, the Windows version of Video Converter can help you upload your converted videos to iTunes using the built-in application:

How to upload a video to iTunes directly from Movavi Video Converter

Movavi Video Converter

The ideal way to get your media in the format you need!

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Frequently asked questions

▶️ How to convert video files to MP4?

Use Movavi Video Converter. Here’s a guide on how to convert videos to MP4 using this video conversion software.

Download, install, and launch the MP4 files converter.
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Click Add Media and choose Add Video. Select the files for conversion and hit Open.
Choose the appropriate output format.
Click Convert.

▶️ How to convert videos on Mac?

Changing a video format on Mac is easy with Movavi Video Converter.

Download the video format converter for Mac.
Download Movavi Video Converter for Mac
Run the app and go to Add Media > Add Video. Select the files for conversion.
Choose a target format.
Hit Convert.

▶️ How to change the format of a video online?

Here’re some online video file converters you can use: Zamzar, FreeConvert.com, CloudConvert. Simply upload your file and convert it to a video in MP4 or another format. But keep in mind that online converters can process only small files and usually have limitations on the number of conversions per day. Most online converters also don’t support batch conversion.

▶️ What's the best video format?

The answer to this question depends on the purpose of your video. If you want it to be available on the majority of today’s devices, MP4 is undoubtedly the best choice. M2TS is best for Blu-ray players. The Matroska video format lets you insert multiple subtitle tracks, which is great for anyone studying languages. And QuickTime works great for Apple devices.

▶️ What is the smallest high-quality video format?

There may be multiple answers to this question since everything depends on the compression method and your experience. Generally, the H.264 video codec is considered one of the best in terms of size and quality. So, if you want the best quality with a small file size, you can choose any container that supports H.264, such as MP4, AVI, or MKV. We recommend using MP4 since it’s widely supported by players, devices, and websites.

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