The article lists 10 different video file formats and why they fail to playback properly on your Mac (Catalina included). Whatever the reason is, we'd always recommend an all-in-one tool for you to solve the problems. Furthermore, there're both step-by-step tutorial and video tutorial guiding you through the amazing Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate).
The Mac offers a few options for video players, and all of them are pretty great, but VLC still gets the gold medal for video playback because it just works better than the competition. Feb 15, 2018 - Unless you need the highest resolution possible, making video files smaller is better for everyone. How do you easily reduce the size of a video? We'll take a look at. VLC (Windows, Mac, Linux); Shotcut (Windows, Mac, Linux); QuickTime Player (Mac). Click Convert/Save to bring up conversion options.
Part 1. 10 Q & A to Common Video Formats Fail to Playback
1. AVI
- Description: AVI is a multimedia container that contains both audio and video data. It allows synchronous audio-with-video playback. AVI files support multiple streaming audio and video.
- Causes of Failed Playback: QuickTime does not support AVI natively. The codec (i.e. DivX) used in compression done on the Windows operating systems (or other systems apart from Mac) are not also supported by QuickTime.
- Solution: Try to install Perian (a QuickTime component) or other add-on/plug-in. Make sure that your QuickTime player is up-to-date (from QuickTime X to QuickTime 7) and is compatible for add-on/plug-in.
2. FLV
- Description: FLV, similar to other containers, is also used to store both video and audio data. The way it's encoded is very similar to the SWF file format.
- Causes of Failed Playback: The media file format is either invalid or not supported by the currently installed player. The other reason's probably that you have not installed the Flash player.
- Solution: You can download and install the Adoble Flash Player for every different browsers that you use, convert it to an MOV file format or playback using alternative video players.
3. SWF
- Description: SWF is a container commonly used to store animated or flash-based video graphics. It's preferred because the actual file size is very small.
- Causes of Failed Playback: If you haven't, you'll need to download and install the Flash Player/Shockwave Player for the browser/s that you use. It's the most straightforward solution.
- Solution: It can also be due to the browser's settings, extensions or outdated Flash player. Try adjusting the settings or update your player before going through the hassle of a file conversion.
4. WMV
- Description: WMV is a native file format introducted by Microsoft. It's naturally supported and made compatible with all of the Windows-operating or based system, program and software.
- Causes of Failed Playback: The main reason would be the video codec used for compression is not supported or recognized. Therefore, you'll need to download the required codec.
- Solution: Download and install the required codec - Flip4Mac component. If the problem persists, you might want to check out the recommended solutions.
5. MKV
- Description: MKV is an open source, standard container used to store a range of video, audio, image or subtitle in a single file. The WebM file extension also uses the MKV format as a basis.
- Causes of Failed Playback: QuickTime does not support MKV natively. On top of that, the file size is larger than other popular file format. The codec used to store the data is also commonly not supported.
- Solution: You can try to install Perian (a QuickTime component) or other add-on/plug-in. Make sure that your QuickTime player is up-to-date (from QuickTime X to QuickTime 7) and is compatible for add-on/plug-in.
6. AVCHD
- Description: AVCHD is a high definition video format commonly used for storing videos recorded on camcorders in the extension of a MTS or M2TS file format.
- Causes of Failed Playback: It's not within the list of supported file format unless you try to rewrap it or upload the file through iMovie (which automatically converts it into the AIC format).
- Solution: QuickTime can't playback the files that's stored in the memory card of a camcorder or the AVCHD codec. You'll need to either convert it to an MOV file or install the codec. Alternatively, try moving or copying the files over to your local directory and then right-click to open the files individually rather than the usual double-click.
7. DivX
- Description: The DivX can be used as a codec as well a container. As an extension out of the AVI file format, it also supports multiple video, audio and subtitle tracks.
- Causes of Failed Playback: It's a matter of getting the right codec installed for a smooth playback. Otherwise, simply download another player that supports the file format. Currently, QuickTime does not support the DivX codec natively.
- Solution: Try to install DivX codec (a QuickTime component) or other add-on/plug-in. Make sure that your QuickTime player is up-to-date (from QuickTime X to QuickTime 7) and is compatible for add-on/plug-in.
8. MOV
- Description: MOV is a native file format introducted by Apple. It's naturally supported and made compatible with all of the Mac-operating or based system, program and software. It's also playable on iOS devices.
- Causes of Failed Playback: The data stored might have been encoded with incompatible codec. The other possibility is that you'll need to upgrade your player. There's also the chance of the file being damaged or corrupted.
- Solution: Before you come to a conclusion of ditching your current player, try to install the required component, add-on/plug-in (i.e. MPEG2 or Perian). Make sure that your QuickTime player is up-to-date (from QuickTime X to QuickTime 7) and is compatible for add-on/plug-in.
9. MTS
- Description: MTS is an extension that's commonly used for storing high definition videos recorded on DVDs or AVCHD camcorders.
- Causes of Failed Playback: Similar to the AVCHD, you'll be required to convert them in advance to an MOV or other compatible formats. The easier way out, however, is to use another video player that suppports the MTS.
- Solution: You can either download and install the required codec, convert it QuickTime-compatible formats or simply use a different video player that support the video file.
10. VOB
- Description: VOB is a container that's used to store multiplexed streams of video, audio, subtitles as well as DVD menus and etc. Practically, all DVD movies are stored in VOB file formats.
- Causes of Failed Playback: It might have been encrypted or require additional add-ons/plug-ins to support the playback. Please also ensure that it's a video file and not burned as a data copy.
- Solution: The codec used to compressed the video file is not supported by QuickTime. In order to be able to playback the video file, you'll need to install the required component, add-on/plug-in (i.e. MPEG2 or Perian). Please also ensure that your QuickTime player is up-to-date (from QuickTime X to QuickTime 7) and is compatible for add-on/plug-in.
Part 2. Recommended All-in-One Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate)
The Wondershare UniConverter for Mac (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate for Mac) supports a wider range of input and output formats. In addition to that, the ultra-fast, file conversion also consists of the best recommended or optimized settings. Other than the built-in editor, you can conveniently download online videos as well as create or burn a DVD using the same software.
Wondershare UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate)
- Convert video to over 1000 formats, including MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV, MOV and more
- Convert to optimized preset for almost all of the devices.
- 30X faster conversion speed than any conventional converters.
- Edit, enhance & personalize your video files
- Burn and customize your DVD with free DVD menu templates
- Download or record videos from 10,000+ video sharing sites
- Versatile toolbox combines fix video metadata, GIF maker, cast video to TV, VR converter and screen recorder
- Industry-leading APEXTRANS technology converts videos with zero quality loss or video compression
- Supported OS: Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista, Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14, 10.13, 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7, 10.6
Security Verified, 5,942,222 people have downloaded it
- Convert Video
- Edit Video
- Burn DVD
- Download Video
- Transfer Video
- More Tools
Quick Tutorial on How to Use Wondershare Video Converter Utimate
Step 1 The UniConverter (originally Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate) supports batch conversion, hence you can simply upload all the files that needed to be converted. All you have to do is drag-and-drop them onto the program. The files uploaded will be neatly displayed just as the screenshot shows.
Step 2 If you want to edit the just imported video, hit the editing buttons under the thumbnail of the imported video. This all-in-one onverter provides you with clipping, cropping, merging and other functions. After editing the video, you can have an instant preview of your edited video. Just play your talents to make a video masterpiece.
Step 3 Click the icon in the Target section to get a drop-down list, where offers a huge variety of supported output formats neatly categorized into Recently, Video, Audio and Device. you can select either based on the brand or model of your portable devices or specific file type.
Step 4 Now just click Convert in the lower-right to start video conversion.
You can also refer to the video tutorial below.
Music and video come in a baffling variety of formats — so much so that sometimes you stare at a file's extension and wonder what it even is. Plus, there's player compatibility, device compatibility, playback quality, and 99 other reasons why you may need to change the format of a media file. That's why we've put together a guide on how to convert video, music, and video to music — and as a bonus, how to download an MP3 track from a YouTube video.
How to convert video to audio
Converting video to audio — MP4 to MP3, for example — means not so much converting the video file as extracting the audio track from it. That comes in handy when you want to turn your collection of music videos into a playlist to put on an iPod, or distil the sound from a video you took at a concert, or maybe use your favorite song as a ringtone for your iPhone.
macOS comes with built-in media encoding functionality that lets you convert video to audio right in the Finder. There's a similar feature in QuickTime, too. The downside is it's fairly limited in that you can't pick what the resulting audio file will be, because it generates an M4A track by default. The default macOS video to audio converter works like this:
- Right-click on the file.
- Select Services in the drop-down menu, and then Encode Selected Video Files.
- Select Audio Only as a Setting in the window that opens and click Continue.
The M4A file will show up in the same location as the original video and will have the same name.
While M4A works well for iTunes, you might want a little more control over the audio format you're getting. The most common scenario is converting video to MP3, and that's where Mac's built-in converter falls flat. Fortunately, there's a whole range of third-party apps that do the job. Our all-time favorite is Permute: it lets you convert just about any video to just about any audio with a simple drag-and-drop. Plus, it has iPhone ringtone as one of the options, so if you absolutely insist on a custom ringtone, you can finally have it without going through the quest of generating it in iTunes.
Anyway, here's how to convert MP4 to MP3, for example:
- Open media converter and drag-and-drop the video file into the app.
- Pick MP3 in the drop-down menu in the upper right corner.
- Hit Start.
Permute is super fast, so you should have your audio in the same folder as the video file in no time. Go ahead and feed it some of your movies to see how well it works (you can try Permute converter free of charge for a week when you join Setapp, a subscription for Mac apps.)
How to convert video and music to another media format?
'MKV to MP4', 'FLAC to MP3', 'M4A to MP3' — chances are you typed one of those into Google search at some point, because media file formats can be a pain. Some are way too space-consuming, like FLACs, which can be 10 times bigger than equivalent MP3s. Others are unsupported by your Mac's built-in video player, like MKV. No matter the specific case, you're going to need an audio or video converter to transform the file into a friendlier, more widely used format, which is typically MP4 for video and MP3 for music.
Luckily, Permute has your back here as well. It can convert a video or audio file to a different format the same way it turns video into audio. In case you skipped the previous section, this is how you can convert music and movies with this media converter:
- Open an app and drag-and-drop your file into it.
- Select the resulting file format in the upper right corner.
- Click Start.
Permute supports a few dozen video formats and over 10 for audio, which means it can handle pretty much any media file you throw at it. And by the way, if you're unsure which format you need in the end because all you want is for the file to open on your iPhone or Apple TV, Permute has you covered. You just pick 'Apple TV' or 'iPhone' as the resulting format and the app will figure out the rest. Long story short, make sure you give it a try, because a media converter simply doesn't get better than this.
In case you're just looking for a way to open a video with an uncommon extension, a more advanced player like Elmedia Player can be enough. It supports an impressive array of video and audio formats, so if your file can be played Elmedia will probably play it. Both Elmedia Player and Permute are free to try on Setapp, a subscription service with some 100+ Mac apps and a free trial week. After signing up, you'll get access to all the apps right away.
How to convert a YouTube video to MP3
YouTube is a goldmine of music videos, and many people still use it as their primary source of music, even though subscriptions like Spotify are taking over. If you're one of them, at some point you probably looked for a 'YouTube video converter' — an app that would let you skim music from your favorite videos on YouTube in the form of MP3 files. While the term is technically incorrect, because you'd be downloading the audio track from an online video rather than actually converting that video, there are a few good Mac apps that can help you out. Specifically, Elmedia Player, the multifunctional media player we mentioned earlier, and Downie, a simple downloads app for Mac.
Important: Before downloading any content from YouTube, make sure you're not violating YouTube's copyright policy.
So, let's take a quick look at how this works in both apps so you can decide which one suits you better.
Downie is pretty easy to figure out, and it does the job well. To convert and download YouTube videos to MP3, just do this:
- Open the downloader.
- Select Extract Audio Only in the Settings in your menu bar.
- Drag-and-drop the link to the video into the app.
Voila! Downie saves the track to Downloads as an MP3 file for your listening pleasure.
Elmedia Player might be a little less straightforward, but on the bright side, it gives you more options as to saving and playing all kinds of online media, so it's definitely worth giving a shot.
But the easiest way to extract the audio track from a YouTube video is Elmedia Player app:
- Open the app and switch to Browser mode (click Window in the menu bar and checkmark Browser in the drop-down menu).
- Paste the YouTube link into the built-in browser and hit Enter.
- Go to the Audio tab in the menu underneath your video.
- You'll see the audio track right there. Hit Download next to it.
The big plus of Elmedia Player is that you can keep browsing YouTube within the app after you're done downloading, which can streamline the process when you need to save multiple tracks in one sitting.
Both Downie and Elmedia Player are Setapp apps, which means you can try them for free, since the first week of the service is on the house. Plus, there are no feature limitations or in-app purchases on Setapp, so it's by far the best way to try the full capabilities of Elmedia Player and Downie without reaching for your wallet. You can just sign up for a free and then see how it goes.
Well, that's it: now you're all set to transform music and video files the way you want. Install your new helpful tools and enjoy media content to your heart's content.