MOV to Images Converter
Convert QuickTime and iPhone MOV video into still images. Handles H.264 and HEVC footage.
How to use
- 1Upload your MOV file from iPhone, QuickTime, or a camera.
- 2Set how many images to extract.
- 3Pick your format and click Extract Frames.
- 4Download all images as a ZIP.
The HEVC problem
MOV is Apple’s QuickTime container and it can hold several different codecs. Which one your file uses is the single biggest factor in whether it will decode, and for iPhone footage it comes down to one camera setting.
Under Settings > Camera > Formats, "High Efficiency" records HEVC (H.265) and "Most Compatible" records H.264. High Efficiency is the default on every iPhone from the 7 onward. HEVC files are roughly half the size for the same quality, which is why Apple chose it, but browser support is inconsistent and frequently depends on hardware decoding being present.
Safari handles HEVC reliably. Chrome and Edge may or may not, depending on the machine. Firefox generally does not. If an iPhone MOV loads on a Mac but not on a Windows PC, HEVC is almost always the reason.
| Codec in MOV | Safari | Chrome / Edge | Firefox |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HEVC / H.265 | Yes | Hardware dependent | No |
| ProRes | No | No | No |
| Motion JPEG | Partial | Partial | Partial |
Identifying and converting your file
On a Mac, open the file in QuickTime Player and choose Window > Show Movie Inspector - the format line names the codec directly. On Windows, right-click the file, open Properties, and check the Details tab. VLC shows the same information under Tools > Codec Information on any platform.
If you have HEVC and need it to work everywhere, there are two routes. Change the camera setting to Most Compatible for future recordings. For footage you already have, re-encode to H.264 with HandBrake - the "Fast 1080p30" preset is a sensible default and preserves more than enough quality for still extraction.
A simpler workaround for one-off files: open the MOV in Safari on a Mac and extract there, since Safari decodes HEVC natively.
Professional camera formats
MOV files from cinema and broadcast cameras often use codecs no browser can decode. ProRes in its various flavours, DNxHD, and Motion JPEG are all common in professional workflows and none of them will load.
These formats are designed for editing rather than delivery - they use light compression to stay fast to scrub and forgiving to grade, at the cost of enormous file sizes. There is no browser support for any of them and there is unlikely ever to be. Transcode to H.264 first. If you are working with 10-bit or 4:2:2 log footage, apply your colour transform during the transcode, or the extracted frames will look flat and washed out.
FAQ
Why will my iPhone MOV not load?
It is almost certainly HEVC, which iPhones record by default under the High Efficiency setting. Try Safari, or re-encode to H.264 with HandBrake.
How do I stop my iPhone recording HEVC?
Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible. This records H.264 instead, which every browser decodes, at the cost of roughly double the file size.
Can I extract frames from ProRes?
No browser can decode ProRes, so it will not load. Transcode to H.264 first - and if the footage is log or 10-bit, apply your colour transform during the transcode.
Does MOV or MP4 give better image quality?
Neither. Both are containers, and image quality is determined by the codec and bitrate inside them. The same H.264 stream in a MOV and an MP4 produces identical frames.