A format is a wrapper, not the video itself
The extension at the end of a file name, .mp4, .mov, .webm, .mkv, names the container: the wrapper that holds the picture, the sound and a little timing information. The picture inside is compressed with a codec such as H.264, H.265, VP9 or AV1, and the sound with one like AAC, Opus or MP3.
That distinction is what makes conversion fast. When the new container supports the codecs already inside your file, ClipLime moves the streams across untouched instead of re-compressing them. Turning an H.264 MOV into an MP4 this way takes seconds and the result is identical, frame for frame.
Which format should you choose?
- MP4, the safe default. Phones, TVs, browsers, social networks and editing apps all accept H.264 MP4 files.
- WebM, built for the web. VP9 video with Opus audio gives small files for websites and HTML5 players, but Apple editing apps won't import it.
- MOV: Apple's container, preferred by Final Cut Pro, iMovie and QuickTime. It holds the same H.264 and AAC streams as an MP4.
- MKV, a flexible container that accepts almost any codec. Great for archiving, though many phones and editors can't open it.
- MP3, WAV, M4A, keep only the soundtrack. For OGG, FLAC or a choice of bitrates, use Extract Audio.
Same as original, High quality or Balanced?
Same as original copies every stream the new format can hold. If one doesn't fit: VP9 video going into an MP4, for example, only that stream is re-encoded, at a bitrate matched to the source so it keeps its look.
High quality re-encodes everything into the format's standard codecs. Use it when a device refuses to play a file, or to turn H.265 into H.264 for older computers. Balanced does the same at a lower bitrate for a much smaller file, which suits clips you're about to share.
Each stream in the summary is labelled Copied or Re-encoded before you press the button, so there are no surprises about speed or quality.
iPhone videos, H.265 and rotation
Recent iPhones record H.265 (HEVC) video inside a MOV file. Converting it to MP4 with Same as original keeps the H.265 stream, quick and lossless, but some older Windows PCs and TVs can't play it. Choose High quality to get H.264 that plays everywhere; that needs a browser able to decode H.265, such as Safari or Chrome and Edge on recent Macs and Windows PCs.
Portrait phone videos stay upright. MP4 and MOV keep the rotation flag as it is; WebM and MKV can't store it, so the picture is re-encoded the right way up.
Looking for something slightly different?
- A looping animation for chats and docs: Video to GIF.
- A smaller file rather than a different one: the video compressor.
- Only part of the video: the video trimmer.
- The codecs and bitrate of a file before you convert: Video Info.