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Supported Formats
Pro
Working with video is an Orbit Pro feature.
Orbit imports most common video files. It uses macOS's built-in video support to open footage, so as a rule of thumb: if your Mac can play a file, Orbit can usually import it. On import, footage is optimised to ProRes for smooth, frame-accurate scrubbing.
Best formats for QC
For dependable playback on any Mac, use ProRes, H.264, or HEVC in a .mov or .mp4 file.
Some formats are conditional — because their support comes from macOS itself, they can work on one Mac and fail on another depending on your macOS version and chip. If in doubt, convert to one of the recommended formats first.
Status key
✅ Supported everywhere · ⚠️ Conditional — may not work on every Mac · ❌ Not supported
Containers
| Container | Extension | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuickTime | .mov | ✅ | Recommended |
| MPEG-4 | .mp4 | ✅ | Recommended |
| iTunes Video | .m4v | ✅ | |
| Material Exchange Format | .mxf | ⚠️ | Opens only if the codec inside and your macOS version support it |
| MPEG transport stream | .ts / .m2ts | ⚠️ | Depends on the codec inside and your macOS version |
| AVI | .avi | ⚠️ | Opens only if it contains a supported codec |
| Matroska | .mkv | ❌ | macOS can't open Matroska files |
| WebM | .webm | ❌ | macOS can't open WebM files |
Video codecs
| Codec | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple ProRes (422 / 4444) | ✅ | Recommended — also Orbit's own playback format |
| H.264 / AVC | ✅ | Recommended |
| HEVC / H.265 (8/10-bit) | ✅ | Recommended |
| ProRes RAW | ⚠️ | May not decode on every Mac |
| AV1 | ⚠️ | Needs an M3 or later Mac for smooth playback |
| MPEG-2 | ⚠️ | Depends on your macOS version |
| VP8 / VP9 | ❌ | Not supported on macOS |
| Legacy QuickTime codecs | ❌ | DivX, Xvid, Cinepak, Sorenson, Motion JPEG, H.263 and similar were removed from macOS in 2019 |
If a file won't import
If Orbit can't open a file, it's almost always the container or codec. Convert it to ProRes or H.264 in a .mov or .mp4 — using QuickTime Player, Compressor, HandBrake, or your editing app's export — and import that instead.
See Video Importing & File Support to bring a clip in, and Video Optimisation for how footage is prepared for playback.