QuickTime Video, DV

Action Plan: Quicktime File Format - QuickTime Video, DV

Last Updated 2/4/2014

Description:  A multimedia container file which can contain audio, video, effects and subtitles. A propriatary Apple, Inc. format with specifications avalible here, it is made up "atoms," the basic unit of data comprising a quicktime file. QTFF is the basis for the MPEG-4 format.

Codec: DV is a digital video format which is used with certain camcorders. DV video can be packed into a QuickTime .Mov wrapper using this encoding. DV metadata is preserved in the QuickTime wrapper. Use QuickTime Pro to view DV encoded files at full resolution (the basic version of quicktime halves the resolution).

Software:  Apple Quicktime Pro is used for saving or converting individual QTFF files. .Mov files can be played with VLC media player , iTunes , Windows Media Player and many others. MediaInfo is useful for identification of codecs and file characteristics.

Long Term Preservation Plan: The Quicktime File File Format is a propratary non-open source format. While widely used, it has since been eclipsed in popularity by file-types such as its direct successor MPEG-4. Apple has been moving away from .mov and its long-term future is uncertain. Yet the format remains popular and every major browser can support it. Migration is not at present recommended.

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