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Quick Tip: Three Ways To Convert Videos on a Mac

Quick Tip: Three Ways To Convert Videos on a Mac

on Feb 13th 2013 with 8 comments
Tutorial Details
  • Topics: Productivity, Media
  • Difficulty: Beginner
  • Estimated Completion Time: 5 Minutes

If you deal with video editing, you probably find yourself needing to convert video files on a daily basis. Fortunately, OS X offers many ways to do this quickly and painlessly. Lets look at three of them.

1. Quicktime

First, OS X ships with QuickTime 10. QuickTime is the default media player on OS X, and from it you can export video to a specific destination format like iTunes, or optimize a video for the web. You can also use the regular export dialog to export to a more general format.

Selecting Export To Will Allow You To Export To A Specific Format Destination
Selecting “Export To” Will Allow You To Export To A Specific Format Destination
You Will Get A Dialog Giving You Options For The Format Destination You Selected
You Will Get A Dialog Giving You Options For The Format Destination You Selected
Selecting Export Will Allow You To Set More General Format Options
Selecting “Export” Will Allow You To Set More General Format Options

2. Finder

Using QuickTime is an easy way to convert videos, but there is an even quicker way. If you right click on a video file inside of Finder, you will see the option to Encode Selected Video Files. That’s right, QuickTime’s video conversion is built right into Finder in OS X Mountain Lion.

Right Clicking A Video File Will Allow You To Convert From Within Finder
Right Clicking A Video File Will Allow You To Convert From Within Finder

That’s right, QuickTime’s video conversion is built right into Finder in OS X Mountain Lion.

The Encode Media Dialog Will Open Allowing You To Set The Format And Quality Settings
The “Encode Media” Dialog Will Open Allowing You To Set The Format And Quality Settings

Selecting this option will open the Encode Media window where you can select the settings you want for the new video file and click continue to convert the file.

3. App Store

Finally, if you want to see what other Apps are available to use to convert your video files, you can select a file, right-click and go to Open With to see a list of apps on your Mac that can open the file. You’ll see an option at the bottom called App Store. This will open the App Store and you can see the available Apps that can understand the file format. From here you can quickly see any Apps that can be used to convert the file.

Selecting App Store from the Open With Drop Down Will Open The App Store And Show You Apps Available For The File Format
Selecting “App Store” from the “Open With” Drop Down Will Open The App Store And Show You Apps Available For The File Format
You Can Then Install Any Free Or Paid Video Converter App
You Can Then Install Any Free Or Paid Video Converter App

Conclusion

With QuickTime and Finder’s built in converting, OS X offers you easy and built in video conversion. And with the App Store, you can find an app that offers you almost any level of control for converting, at any price level.

 
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Robert Anthony is an audio producer, graphic designer and self appointed Apple Evangelist. When not spreading the good news of Apple and freedom from the bondage of lesser operating systems, Robert can be found in his design studio or strolling around Lady Bird Lake in Austin Texas, where he currently lives and has no plans of leaving from.  

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  • http://joshfabean.com/ Fabean

    My favorite is Handbreak, free and works great.

  • mrxxiv

    You can use iMovie if you want to shape it up as well, and then convert with it.

    • Robert Anthony
      Author

      Thanks for the tip mrxxiv!

      I decided to not include iMovie as I figured if someone knows enough to use iMovie they probably already know a bit more about video than the average everyday user. Pretty much every way of converting video that is built into OS X, including iMovie, uses QuickTime. This just saves people from possibly being intimidated by iMovie’s interface for a simple video conversion.

    • Robert Anthony
      Author

      Thanks for the input mrxxiv! I decided not to include iMove in the list, figuring if someone knows how to use iMovie this Quick Tip might be a bit below their level. But you are right in that iMovie is a great video converter as it uses QuickTime just like the examples above.

  • Burak Erdem

    I’m using OS X ML 10.8.2 and when I right click on a video file inside of Finder, “Encode Selected Video Files” setting is hidden in “Services” menu item.

    • Robert Anthony

      Hi Burak, that’s interesting. I wonder if it’s one of the “over 200 new features” lol? Thanks for letting everyone know, in case anyone is still on 10.8.2.

  • Spoeken

    Miro videoconverter is fantastic. And free! I use it when I need to convert videos for web.

    • Robert Anthony

      Thanks for the tip, Spoeken!