

It is compatible across different versions of QuickTimePlayer, both for Mac and Windows. MOV files contain videos, audio, subtitles, timecodes and other media types. It was designed to support the QuickTime player. MOV is a popular video file format designed by Apple. Additionally, MP4 provides high quality video while maintaining relatively small file sizes. An MP4 format can store audio files, video files, still images, and text. Most digital platforms and devices support MP4. MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is one of the earliest digital video file formats introduced in 2001. Let’s briefly review and understand the common formats in the market and their features.

To choose the best digital video format for your needs, first you must understand the difference between them. Afterwards the encoded video and audio are synchronized and stored in a media container-the file format.Ĩ Common Video File Formats, Codecs, and Containers When creating a video, a video codec encodes and compresses the video while the audio codec does the same with sound. A codec encodes and decodes multimedia data such as audio and video. A video format is the container that stores audio, video, subtitles and any other metadata. Read on to learn how to choose the right format for you.Ī container and a codec are two components of any video file. For example, a video format for web development will be different from the format you use for your social media. If you want your videos to perform well on any platform, you must understand how each video format works. SourceĪny video clip you watch on your smartphone, computer, TV or tablet has a specific type of file format. The opinions expressed are their own and do not represent IEEE’s position nor that of the Computer Society nor its Leadership. Disclaimer: The author is completely responsible for the content of this article.
