.mov Video File Format
According to the Wikipedia page on the subject, "The QuickTime (.mov) file format functions as a multimedia container file that contains one or more tracks, each of which stores a particular type of data: audio, video, effects, or text (e.g. for subtitles). Each track either contains a digitally-encoded media stream (using a specific codec) or a data reference to the media stream located in another file. Tracks are maintained in a hierarchal data structure consisting of objects called atoms. An atom can be a parent to other atoms or it can contain media or edit data, but it cannot do both."
MOV files use both progressive encoding and streaming technology. Progressive encoding requires viewers to download a video file in its entirety before being able to view any of its content. Streaming technology enables viewers to watch portions of video footage without downloading the entire file, a nice feature that allows viewers to review footage after only a few seconds.
MOV files also use temporal compression, which reduces the amount of data stored within a sequence of frames by employing key frame technology. Rather than storing every pixel in each frame, temporal compression stores a key frame, the only the information which is changing between key frames. Quality of the footage can be significantly lower than progressive encoding formats as a result of temporal compression being used. Temporal compression also has the drawback of not allowing future editing of the file.
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