If you have attempted to play .mov files on the default media player for Windows 10/11, you may have noticed that some of them can be played while others cannot. The reason for this is that .mov is merely a media container for embedding video, audio, or images into a file with .mov as the suffix. The default media player, such as Movies & TV app for Windows 10, can only read video codecs supported by your Windows computer, such as MPEG-4, H.264, VP8/9, WMV7/8/9, and others.
Unfortunately, the latest and popular codecs for 4K videos, such as H.265 and AV1, are not supported by Windows computers unless you install additional codecs. Therefore, if you encounter the “MOV won’t play” issue, there are three solutions to fix it.
Method 1: Install Extra Codec for Windows Computer
If you find that your .mov file won’t play, you can check the media info to see which video codec is not supported by the player. Then, search the codec, like HEVC, on the internet, download, and install it. After installation, you should be able to play the .mov files on Windows 10 or 11 computers. However, the problem with this method is that you need to install every codec that Windows does not support, and you may not even know the codec sometimes.
Method 2: Use a .mov Player Like 5KPlayer
5KPlayer is one of the top .mov players for Windows 10 and 11, which supports almost all the video codecs and will continuously update for the support of new video codecs. You can also use it to play other videos too. To use this method, download and install the .mov player on your Windows computer and drag and drop any .mov files to play. By the way, you can use 5KPlayer to check the media info just by a right-click.
Method 3: Change the Video Codec of .mov with a Converter
Another option for playing .mov files in any codec on Windows is to convert the codec to a commonly supported one like H.264. To do this, use a video converter like WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe. Drag the .mov file or files to it, choose .mov or .mp4 H.264 as the output, and then convert the .mov file for better compatibility. This is also a good option when the .mov file is too large, and it won’t play with the media players since you can directly compress the files.
In conclusion, playing .mov files on Windows 10/11 computers can be frustrating, but with these three methods, you should be able to play them with ease. Choose the method that works best for you and enjoy watching your .mov files hassle-free.