How can I convert movies and TV shows downloaded from iTunes from m4v to mp4?? Or can I even do that given they are copy protected?
--- Question from MacRumors Forums
You may also have the above problem. Here the article would introduces you two powerful iTunes M4V Converters and guides you how to convert iTunes M4V to MP4. What is more, you will learn what is M4V format and the main differences of the two powerful M4V converters.
What is M4V? Why we need to convert iTunes M4V to MP4?
To answer the above question, first we need to know what is M4V? M4V is a file container format developed by Apple and is very close to MP4 format but protected with Apple's FairPlay DRM copyright policy. Apple puts the DRM protected M4V on its iTunes to encode movies, TV episodes, music videos, etc which means a M4V movie purchased or rented from iTunes Store is only allowed to be played on Apple devices because of Digital Rights Management. But if you want to put the DRM M4V videos on third-party players, you have to remove the DRM protection form the M4V movies firstly and then convert the movies to popular video formats, like MP4, MOV, AVI, etc.
M4V is a video container format developed by Apple from the MP4 standard - M4V is very similar to the MP4 format. The main difference is that M4V supports DRM copy protection - such as for copyrighted material viewed with Apple TV. There's also a 'Share' option in the player when you open a.mov file in QuickTime Player.
You can convert HEIF and HEVC media by exporting to a different format from an Apple or third-party app. For example: If you open an HEIF image in Photos or Preview on your Mac, you can choose File Export, then choose a format such as JPEG or PNG before saving.
DVDFab DRM Removal for Apple comes out to help you remove DRM from your purchased or rented iTunes videos and convert these M4V videos to MP4. DVDFab DRM Removal for Apple For videos, it outputs unprotected MP4; for music and audiobooks, it outputs unprotected M4A.
So, you may ask if there is any way to record iTunes M4V and convert the M4V to MP4 video format. The answer is yes.
iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra introduced support for these new, industry-standard media formats:
HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) for photos
HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), also known as H.265, for videos
Video games for macbook air. HEIF and HEVC offer better compression than JPEG and H.264, so they use less storage space on your devices and iCloud Photos, while preserving the same visual quality.
To fully view, edit, or duplicate HEIF and HEVC media on your device, upgrade to the latest version of iOS 11 or later or macOS High Sierra or later.
Capturing this media
When using iOS 11 or later, the following devices can capture media in HEIF or HEVC format. Other devices can view, edit, or duplicate this media with limitations, if using iOS 11 or later or macOS High Sierra or later.
Though capturing in HEIF and HEVC format is recommended, you can set these devices to capture media using the older formats, which are more broadly compatible with other devices and operating systems:
Go to Settings > Camera.
Tap Formats.
Tap Most Compatible. This setting is available only on devices that can capture media in HEIF or HEVC format, and only when using iOS 11 or later.
All new photos and videos will now use JPEG or H.264 format. To return to using the space-saving HEIF and HEVC formats, choose High Efficiency.
Working with this media
Support for HEIF and HEVC is built into iOS 11 and later and macOS High Sierra and later, letting you view, edit, or duplicate this media in a variety of apps, including Photos, iMovie, and QuickTime Player.
Convert Mp4 To Apple Quicktime
On some older devices, support for HEVC is affected by the resolution and frame rate (fps) of the video. Resolutions of 1080p or lower and frame rates of 60 fps or lower are more broadly compatible with older devices. To reduce the resolution and frame rate that your capture device uses for recording video, go to Settings > Camera > Record Video, as well as Settings > Camera > Record Slo-mo.
Convert Mp4 To Apple Video
If you're using iCloud Photos with iOS 10 or macOS Sierra, you might see a warning icon in the upper-right corner of the photo or video, or you might see an alert message. To fully view, edit, or duplicate HEIF and HEVC media on your device, upgrade to iOS 11 or later or macOS High Sierra or later.
Sharing this media
iCloud Photos preserves media in its original format, resolution, and frame rate. If your device can't fully view, edit, or duplicate HEIF or HEVC media in iCloud Photos, or displays it at a lower resolution, upgrade to iOS 11 or later or macOS High Sierra or later.
When you share media using other methods, such as AirDrop, Messages, or email, it might be shared in a more compatible format, such as JPEG or H.264, depending on whether the receiving device supports the newer media format.
Converting this media
You can convert HEIF and HEVC media by exporting to a different format from an Apple or third-party app. For example:
Apple Quicktime Convert Mov To Mp4
If you open an HEIF image in Photos or Preview on your Mac, you can choose File > Export, then choose a format such as JPEG or PNG before saving.
If you open an HEVC video in QuickTime Player on your Mac, you can choose File > Export As, then save to H.264 by making sure the HEVC checkbox isn’t selected.
Importing this media via USB
When you import HEIF or HEVC media from an attached iOS device to Photos, Image Capture, or a PC, the media might be converted to JPEG or H.264.
Convert Mp4 To Apple Format
You can change this import behavior in iOS 11 or later. Go to Settings > Photos. In the TRANSFER TO MAC OR PC section, tap Keep Originals to prevent the media from being converted to JPEG or H.264 when importing.