Skip to content
All video conversions

RM to MOV converter

Convert RM to MOV in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I want MOV
Quality

Applies only when the video has to be re-encoded. A straight copy keeps the original quality.

Advanced 2
Always re-encode Rebuilds the picture as H.264 (VP9 for WebM) even when it could be copied. Fixes files that won’t play on older TVs and PCs.

Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B

Related conversions

Other ways to convert RM

Convert other formats to MOV

Read more about the RM format and the MOV format, or see every video tool and all video conversions.

Should you convert RM to MOV?

Yes, when a device or app needs MOV. MOV can’t carry the RealVideo video found in RM files, so the picture is re-encoded as H.264, HEVC (H.265) or ProRes, which takes about as long as the clip on a recent laptop.

MOV also plays in far more places: Apple devices and most editors; some Windows PCs, Android phones and upload forms struggle with it.

RM is RealNetworks’ streaming video format from the dial-up era; MOV is Apple’s video container, usually H.264 or HEVC from an iPhone. Keep MOV for editing on a Mac; convert a copy to MP4 for sharing.

RM and MOV compared
Property RM MOV
Usually contains RealVideo with RealAudio (Cook) audio H.264 or HEVC video with AAC audio, or ProRes from editors
Support A legacy format Mainly an Apple format
Plays on VLC and RealPlayer; nothing modern supports it Apple devices and most editors; some Windows PCs, Android phones and upload forms struggle with it
Best for Nothing today; convert old downloads and archives Recording and editing video on Apple devices
Introduced 1997 1991

How to convert RM to MOV

  1. 01

    Add your RM

    Drop your RM video onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.

  2. 02

    Check the settings

    The output is already set to MOV. Change the quality if you want to; the defaults suit most files.

  3. 03

    Save the MOV

    Press convert and save the MOV. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when RM becomes MOV

Re-encoded, at a quality you choose

Because the video has to be compressed again, a little detail is lost. The default quality keeps the difference invisible; choose High for footage you’ll edit further.

Expect a larger file

MOV generally takes more room than RM. If the file has to fit an upload limit, check the size once it’s converted. RM: Small, and low quality by modern standards. MOV: A minute of 4K iPhone video is roughly 170–400 MB.

A one-time engine download

RM is read by FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, a 31 MB download the first time. It is slower than your browser’s built-in video decoder, but nothing is uploaded and the engine stays cached for next time.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of RM and MOV, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Video files are big, and uploading one just to change its container can take longer than the conversion itself. Your browser can read and write these formats, so the file never has to leave your device.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • About the RM. RMVB files use variable bitrate and play at the wrong speed in some tools; converting gives a normal, steady MP4.
  • About the MOV. A MOV from an iPhone is usually an ordinary H.264 or HEVC video that can move into MP4 without re-encoding; a MOV exported from an editor may be ProRes and ten times larger.
  • MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM are handled by your browser’s own video engine, often with hardware help. AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG and the other older formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, and are slower.

Questions

Does converting RM to MOV lose quality?

The video is re-encoded, so a little detail is lost, but the default quality is set high enough that it doesn’t show.

Will a MOV play on my phone?

MOV mainly an Apple format: Apple devices and most editors; some Windows PCs, Android phones and upload forms struggle with it. QuickTime and Photos on a Mac, VLC anywhere; Windows needs HEVC support for iPhone recordings.

Read more about this

Other tools