MXF is a “container” or “wrapper” format which supports a number of different streams of coded “essence”, encoded with any of a variety of codecs, together with a metadata wrapper which describes the material contained within the MXF file. MXF has been designed to address a number of problems with non-professional formats. MXF file format is not compatible with many programs. So you may have problem to play, edit or use these format. So the MXF/P2 MXF files from Panasonic HVX200/HPX300, Canon C300/C500/XF305/XF300/XF105/XF100, Sony EX camera, etc are also included. How to play MXF files? MXF files cannot be accepted by Windows Media Player and Mac QuickTime naturally. If you wanna play MXF files, you need find an media player that can supports playing .mxf files as well as be compatible with the Mac or Windows OS.
Mac Free MXF Converter. Mac Free MXF Converter is a good camcorder assistant for Canon XF series, Panasonic P2 camcorders and some of Sony. Mac Free MXF Converter is a good. Design edited MXF files; adopt. It can convert mxf files to. Aug 06, 2021 The Best MXF Player for Mac. Why is it so difficult to play MXF files on Mac? MXF is a professional-grade container format for video and audio data. It is characterized by an unusual data structure, which makes the format more suitable for commercial applications - for example, in the TV industry. It is also frequently found on camcorders.
U2USoft Blu-ray Player Software, (For Mac User: U2USoft Mac Blu-ray Player) was designed for helping you to play Blu-ray movies and it is a universal media player. It can not only play Blu-ray disc, Blu-ray Folder or its ISO files on Mac, but also supports you to play other popular video files, such as M4V, MP4, MXF, MTS, MKV, AVI, FLV, MPEG, etc. Moreover, it is Multilanguage supported and easy handled with user-friendly interface, the interface languages it supports includes English, French, German and Japanese. In addition, U2USoft Blu-ray Player is powerful and distinguished application which can directly play Blu-ray, MXF/P2 MXF and other files without any quality loss. Therefore, with this blessing tool, you are available to enjoy your favorite Blu-ray movies devices and you can freely utilize Blu-ray Player Software as free MXF/P2 MXF Player. The following guide aims to tell you how to play MXF/P2 MXF files on Windows 10/8/7 or Mac with the U2USoft Blu-ray Player Software.
Step 1: Install and luanch U2USoft Blu-ray Player Software
Download U2USoft Blu-ray Player Software and then run it, then you will see the following screenshot. We provide you an intuitive interface which is very easy to operate.
Step 2: Add MXF/P2 MXF files to the this MXF/P2 MXF Player
You are allowed to add MXF/P2 MXF files you want to enjoy by clicking the “Open File”.
Step 3: Adjust videos
If you want to do some changes for your MXF/P2 MXF files, like screen size, language, video track, subtitle track, skin, etc, you just need press related button and you will satisfied with the results.
Step 4: Take snapshot
Plus, with the “Snapshot” function, you can capture your favorite Blu-ray images and save in the format of JPEG, PNG, and BMP.
Step 5: Start to play MXF/P2 MXF videos.
After all above settings, you can click “Play” button to play MXF/P2 MXF videos on Windows 10/8/7 or Mac now.
Compared to the widely used MP4, MOV, MKV, and AVI video files, MXF is less commonly seen in everyday life. When you have an MXF video on Mac or Windows computer, chances are that you cannot open it, play it back on a media player, nor can you import it to iMovie and such to edit. In these cases, you can convert MXF to MP4, the most compatible video format for playing, editing, and sharing.
Before we jump to the tutorials for a high-quality 1:1 conversion, a little background knowledge on MXF and container format will be helpful.
What is an MXF file?
MXF (Material Exchange Format) is a video container format, with .mxf as its file extension. It is generally produced by professional camcorders, such as Sony XDCAM, VENICE, Panasonic DVCPRO, Canon C300 Mark II, XC10, XF-705, Arri Alexa Mini LF, etc.
A container is like a box inside which you can put video stream, audio stream, metadata and subtitles if supported. Converting MXF to MP4 is like swapping the box from MXF to MP4, and reencoding the media stream when needed.
With professional converters, you can rest assured for the MXF to be changed into MP4, at high quality, with audio and subtitles preserved.
How to Convert MXF to MP4 Using VideoProc Converter
The easiest way to convert MXF to MP4, while maintaining the original quality is using VideoProc Converter. It is a dedicated Video Processing tool developed by Digiarty, Inc., a leading tech company focusing on multimedia solutions.
VideoProc Converter supports 370+ formats, popular or rare, and can remux or transcode them into the format you want: MP4, MOV, MKV, encoded in HEVC, H264, ProRes, etc.
VideoProc Converter Highlighted Features
- Full-level GPU acceleration to boost up the encoding speed during conversion, tapping upon the full possibility of your hardware.
- Option to split and edit video: MXF file can be super large, 200G is not news. If you want a certain test, you can use VideoProc Converter to split the MXF file, and use the cut-up smaller portion to convert MXF to MP4.
- Manage codec settings before conversion: Depending on specific usage, you might want to change the bitrate, resolution, FPS, enable 2-Pass Encoding, etc.
- High quality and batch task: Compress to MP4 at the original quality, with option to queue multiple MXF files to convert in batch.
Follow the steps below to change MXF to MP4:
Step 1. Download and install VideoProc Converter for Windows or for Mac.
Step 2. Go to Video from the main interface, and import the MFX video.
- You can drag and drop the video file, or click +Video to import it.
- For multi-task, you can import MXF files and convert them in one go.
Tips:
If you want to convert one MXF file into multiple versions of MP4, for instance, one landscape video and one square video, you can manage codec settings to change the aspect ratio and resolution of the video. Adding the same MXF file into the converter twice for batch tasks.
Mxf File Viewer
Step 3. Select MP4 as the output format.
Depending on different usage, you can use the presets in VideoProc Converter. They are pre-configured for various situations using the most suitable parameters.
- For general usage, say, you merely want to open an MXF file for playback, you can use MP4 H264 as the target format.
- If you plan to play MXF files on TV, iPhone, and tablet, you can select the corresponding device and choose MP4 preset.
- Besides MP4, you can also choose ProRes (editing-friendly codec), as many users plan to edit MXF files.
Step 4. Hit RUN to convert MXF to MP4.
Tips:
Before hitting the RUN button, tick Use High Quality Engine to ensure maximum stability during the conversion.
If you want to convert the video without re-encoding, you can tick the box in front of Auto Copy to remux the file.
How to Convert MXF to MP4 Using Online Converter
If you have a single MXF sample file, small in size, and you cannot open the MXF on Mac or Windows, online converters are good choices. These tools usually have file size limitations, thus less desirable for large MXF files from recorders and camcorders.
The best 4 MXF online converters are as follows:
- CloudConvert
- Convertio
- FreeFileConvert
- OnlineConvert
CloudConvert
CloudConvert is an online converter for video, audio, image and document conversion. It is founded by Lunaweb GmbH, located in Germany. CloudConvert started its operation in 2012, with online converting tools catering for end users and corporate customers.
Convert MXF to MP4 Using CloudConvert
Step 1. Visit cloudconvert.com and import your MXF file.
Step 2. Select MP4 as the output format from the drop-down menu.
Step 3. Click the wrench icon to manage transcoding settings.
Tips:
You can select video codec such as x265 or x265 for MP4.
Cloudconvert only supports Constant Rate Factor (CRF), you can use recommended values from 15-35 or leave it as the default 23. A lower value generates higher quality, and hence a larger file size and longer conversion time.
If you want a higher quality of the video, while being able to control the file size, use professional video converter VideoProc Converter, which supports 2-Pass Encoding.
Step 4. Click Convert to change MXF to MP4.
The online converter will start to upload your MXF file to the server, converting it over the cloud, and providing you an MP4 file ready to download.
Cloudconvert allows for 25 conversions every day, and the file size is limited to 1GB per file. If your file is larger than 1GB, you need a package or subscription, starting from $9 with 500 conversions per day.Else you will see a 'File Too Large' error.
Convertio
Convertio is another trust-worthy MXF to MP4 converter online. It supports 300+ types of files for conversion, and is used by more than 10 million users worldwide. Convertio also has a chrome extension to convert files from one format into another.
Convert MXF to MP4 Using Convertio
Step 1. Visit Convertio.co and drag-n-drop the MXF file into the browser.
Step 2. Enter MP4 as the format to convert to.
Step 3. Click the gear icon if you want to manage detailed settings.
You can use video codec such as H.264, H.265, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VP9 and XVID in Convertio.
Step 4. Click Convert or save the output file to DropBox or Google Drive.
For free accounts, convertio allows for a maximum of 100MB file size. For paid users, there are plans of $9.99 for 500MB, $14.99 for 1GB, $25.99 for unlimited file size. Based on your MXF file size, you can choose plans accordingly, or use other video converters listed in this article.
FreeFileConvert
FreeFileConvert online tool has been around since 2008, supporting 8000+ types of media files and documents. It remains free to use since day one, and allows users to convert 5 files every time, with a combined size up to 300MB. If your MXF file is smaller than that, you can use FreeFileConvert to change MXF to MP4.
Mxf Player Mac Free Trial
The steps are the same as using other online conversion tools, except that this tool doesn't have codec settings. Based on our test, it uses MPEG-4 as the video codec for MP4 output. Another thing to notice is, the uploaded files must be of the same extension for every batch task. For instance, you cannot upload MXF and MOV at the same time for MP4 conversion in a batch.
After conversion, you can delete the video file from its server.
OnlineConvert
Like FreeFileConvert, the OnlineConvert tool also uses MPEG-4 for the video stream in MXF to MP4 conversion. You can upload the MXF file from the local drive to its server, or import the file from DropBox or Google Drive.
Before starting the conversion, you can set parameters for the output video, such as video bitrate, frame rate, audio channel, etc. You can also opt to crop, rotate or flip the video upon transcoding.
OnlineConvert supports 100MB file size per time, if your MXF file is larger than that, you will be directed to an upgrade page, plans are starting from $7.99 for 1GB. Compared to other converters, the plan is less competitive if you only want to transcode MXF to MP4. If you also have other file types to convert, such as digital books or PDF, the plan could be a bargain then.
How to Convert MXF to MP4 via VLC
If you happen to have VLC installed on your computer as the media player, you can use it as a converter to change .mxf to MP4 video file. This free open-source player has a transcoding option hidden in the menu, follow the tutorial below:
Step 1. Launch VLC and go to menu > Media > Convert/Save.
The shortcut for the Convert/Save Window is Ctrl+R.
Step 2. Add the MXF file from your local disk by clicking the Add button, and click Open.
Step 3. At the bottom right corner, select Convert (shortcut Alt+O) from the dropdown menu.
Step 4. In the Profile section, choose Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4).
Step 5. Designate a destination folder for the output video.
Step 6. Click Start to convert MXF file to MP4.
VLC works nicely for most of the time with common files. However, since video streams and other data wrapped in the MXF file can be very different, errors may crop up from time to time.
There are users complaining VLC doesn't support the Closed Captioning in MXF, or the audio is choppy or missing after conversion, or the video goes black.
If changing video output preferences to Direct3d or OpenGL cannot fix certain errors, you can follow the tutorial in part 1 and use the professional video converter to better handle MXF conversion.
How to Convert MXF to MP4 Using Adobe Media Encoder
Although Adobe Premiere and After Effects support MXF officially, there are MXF files importing errors from time to time. If you are searching methods to transcode MXF to MP4 for video editing in Premiere Pro CC, CS6, CS5, etc, you can use Adobe Media Encoder.
Manually Convert MXF to MP4 by Adding Files to the Queue
Step 1. Launch Adobe Media Encoder, and add the MXF video by clicking + at the top left corner.
Step 2. Choose the video from your local folder, and add it to the queue.
Step 3. Select MP4 as the export preset for the video.
Step 4. Select an output folder location.
You can repeat Step 3-4 to add multiple video files to the queue.
Step 5. Click the Green Play icon to start conversion.
Automatically Convert MXF to MP4 with Watch Folder in Media Encoder
If you have lots of MXF files to deal with from day to day, you can create a watch folder. As its name suggests, this watch folder basically watches out whenever you add a file into it, and executes the conversion or any task pre-designated by you.
For instance, you can create a folder on the desktop, set it as a watch folder in Media Encoder, and designate the output format as MP4. Whenever you add new video files into that folder on the desktop (MXF files for this case), Media Encoder can detect it and add it to the queue for the MXF to MP4 conversion.
Step 1. Create a watch folder in Media Encoder.
The watch folder panel is at the bottom right section of the main screen.
Click the + icon to select a folder from your Mac/Windows computer as the watch folder. You can also create a new folder on your computer, and designate it as the watch folder.
Step 2. Choose the desired codec and preset for the output video.
In this case, use MPEG-4 or H264 for MP4 video. For presets, choose one that is suitable for your situation. For instance, you can choose YouTube 1080p if your source video is 1080p, and you intend to upload the video to YouTube after conversion.
You can add multiple presets for the watch folder. If you do so, Media Encoder will output the video into several versions as defined by the presets.
Step 3. Add MXF video to the watch folder, and you shall see it appears in the queue at the top right corner.
Step 4. Click the Green Play button to start conversion.
FAQs
What Program Opens MXF Files?
If the MXF file on your computer is displayed as an unknown file type, don't worry, it is simply a video file that can be opened by media players, video converters, or certain video editing software.
If you want to playback the MXF file, you can use the VLC media player to open it. For maximum compatibility, you can use VideoProc Converter to open it and convert the MXF file to MP4.
How to Edit an MXF File in iMovie?
iMovie doesn't support MXF files well. Some Sony users complain that iMovie won't import the MXF file from the camcorder, or the audio is missing. To edit an MXF file in iMovie efficiently, you can use VideoProc Converter to convert MXF to MP4, or better still, remux the MXF to ProRes, which is an editing-friendly codec.