Category: video

WHAT IS THE BEST WEB VIDEO FORMAT?

mp4, mov, mkv, avi, mpeg … Formats, containers and codecs how to choose? Is there a video format that is compatible with all browsers and on all media? And if it exists, what is it? The answer is in this article.

video container

All these questions we asked ourselves at the beginning of our activity in Kalyzée. First, the issue of the best format seemed rather complicated to us as it had to take into account distribution mode (transmission, pseudo-transmission), browser compatibility (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer) with its various versions and navigation support (desktop) , tablet and mobile computers).

video containers

The competition between Apple, Google, Microsoft and Adobe, all the major players in the choice of video formats, does not help at all; everyone is trying to pull the rug to himself. We all remember Steve Jobs’ resounding choice, in April 2010, to stop using flash (Adobe) on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. A brave (not to say bloated) decision with a Flash present on 99% of desktops!

WHAT IS DIGITAL VIDEO?

A digital video is a file that contains images, audio and text (metadata) placed in a container. In this container, images, audio and text are compressed because the transmission network infrastructure cannot support the load of built-in audio-visual transmissions. We can say that digital video files are audiovisual zip files. Compression and decompression of these files are done using codecs.

The container is a file format that contains audio and video streams, codec information and metadata.
A codec (acronym coding-decode) is an algorithm for compressing / decompressing a digital audio-visual signal.

CONTAINER AND VIDEO FORMAT

The format of a video file is specified with the name of its container (MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV, MKV, ASF, etc.). There are about twenty containers, the most important of which are listed below. These containers have been developed over time by various companies and communities to adapt to technological developments. A container can enclose several audio and video tracks. Metadata can be: title, abstract, keywords, credits, chapters, subtitles, etc.

Which are the best settings to “vlog” like a PRO?

The word “vlog” comes from the contraction of the Vidéo Blog. Vlogging is an increasingly popular video format, especially on YouTube. Some “youtubers” have made it their true brand and have millions of followers and billions of visits. The basic idea of ​​this format is the regular production, with full autonomy, of a video showing its author on screen. When you create a vlog, you are basically a screenwriter, director, actor, and editor! It is important to plan your “setup” to get the best possible images quickly and easily.

Vlog configuration

Configure vlog.

# 1 ROOM

Implementing a vlog “setup” begins with choosing the camera. On paper, you can use any type of camera with a video mode to create a vlog: from a smartphone to a medium format. It all depends on the format you want to achieve and the type of image you want. For example, the use of a smartphone is ideal for having an ultra-mobile solution capable of live transmission. On the other hand, the use of a 24×36 mm hybrid allows for an image with a more cinematographic representation. Either way, it is better to choose a solution that has a good video mode (ideally 4K) and a very good auto focus. For the optical part, it is preferred to choose the wide angle, for example being able to film with extended arms. For added convenience, a camera with a tiltable screen in selfie mode provides video opp feedback and controls easier framing while recording. The camera must also be compatible with at least one external audio recording system and must therefore be equipped with a microphone jack. In all cases, camera selection affects the choice of accessories to use.

video and microphone for yuotubers

Compact Expert: These devices are interesting for creating nomadic vlogs. They are small, lightweight and offer advanced features in terms of recording and ergonomics. They also offer very good image quality.

# 2 SOUND

Audio is a basic element of all types of video, including vlogging. Although all cameras are equipped with small internal microphones (usually with stereo recording), it is preferable to choose an external microphone. It allows to improve the recording quality, focus the recording on the voice of “vlogger” and limit the presence of sound from the environment. External microphones are usually connected to the camera. These microphones are also suitable for mobile or studio setup.

# 3 THE LIGHT

Light is also an element that should not be overlooked when logging. Using one or more artificial light sources ensures consistency in the representation of the image in different shooting situations.

For nomad configurations, there are small adjustable LED panels in power and, for some, in color temperature, which can be attached to the camera.
Aputure Amaran AL-MX – Rotolight Neo II – Screwed P1

For studio setups it is possible to choose an LED torch system with light amplifiers installed on light racks.

# 4 Get started

Nomadic vlogging requires excellent camera grip. In fact, the device is often kept within reach for long periods of time. Therefore, it is important to choose a suitable handle. Compact and lightweight countertops are a good solution. Folded back, they turn into a really comfortable handle for freehand.

The evolution of YouTube video formats

In describing the technologies and applications dedicated to video viewing, a very specific terminology is used that is unknown to most people.

video formats

Following this document, we briefly describe the most important terms, as follows:

By encoder we mean a program encoding and decoding a specific analog form, for example a video (an example of a encoder is Sorenson Spark),
The term form means the set of rules and conventions used to encode digital information, such as video (an example of a form is Mpeg-4)
By playback program, we mean the specific application used to access a service, such as watching a video (an example of a playback program is Flashplayer).
The term plugin refers to an autonomous program that interacts with another program, the main program, to extend the functions of the main program itself.

A historical analysis

YouTube is a web platform that allows you to watch and share videos online. Youtube is constantly evolving and with a continuous series of changes within the platform.

In this article we will explain the various video formats and their features, encoders, playback programs and add-ons that have been used since 2005, the date YouTube was founded, until today.

webm

Since 2009, the reference technologies used by the site are HTML5 for Wed and Mpeg-4 pages with H264 encoder for video. Previously, the site used Macromedia Flashplayer 7 with video encoder Sorenson Spark H.264. The features of this player are similar to many other players such as Windows Media Player, RealPlayer or Apple QuickTime Player. On the other hand, this player had a downside as it required the installation of an add-on, which could be Adobe Flash Player or Gnash. To date, Youtube accepts videos in WMV, AVI, QTTF, ogg and MPEG formats (3gp, MPEG-1, MP4e M4v)

Since March 2008, YouTube has been able to see some “high quality” (HQ) videos. After the last interface changes, this functionality is activated by clicking the “View” button located below the video viewing window. This functionality can also be activated for high quality videos by adding the “& fmt = 18” string to the end of the video address.

In November 2008, the ability to view high definition video (720p) was added, ie better quality video than the high quality mentioned above (HQ). If there is a function, just click the HD button on the playback line or add the “& fmt = 22” string at the end of the video address.

In November 2009, HD functionality was upgraded from 1280 × 720 (known as 720p) to 1920 × 1080 full HD (known as 1080p), compatible with HD cameras and monitors. In any case, a video that is loaded with high definition is always possible to play even in the lowest definition.

Support for 4K video resolution (4096 × 3072 pixels) was also implemented in July 2010.

The available definitions are as follows:

144p (176 × 144): low quality for portable devices.
240p (320 × 240) – High quality for portable devices.
360p (480 × 360/640 × 360);
480p (640 × 480/854 × 480) – equivalent to that of a DVD video.
720p (1280 × 720);
1080p (1920 × 1080): equivalent to that of a Blu-ray disc.
1440p (2560 × 1440);
2160p (3840 × 2160);
4K (4096 × 3072): used in digital cinema.
8K (7680 × 4320) – “extremely high definition”, experimentally digital video format.
Since July 2009, YouTube has been able to upload stereoscopic (3D) videos and display them through its playback program in a variety of ways, both with embossed (old two-color lenses) and with a 3D screen with IR transmitter and active glasses . .

Sorenson Codecs

Figure 1.2 Sonseron
This encoder (also known as Sorenson Video Codec, Sorenson Video Quantizer or SVQ) is a proprietary digital video encoder, invented by Sorenson Media Inc. This encoder is used in Apple’s QuickTime Player and Adobe Flash.

There are three different Sorenson encoders:

Sorenson Video: Two editions of Sorenson Video have been released. The first version first appeared on QuickTime 3 on March 30, 1998. The second compatible version was released with QuickTime 4 in 1999, which included minor improvements and optimizations to the Edition Edition, and then coded the videos.

What is the WebM format?

WebM is a container form (with the extension * .webm) for multimedia files, therefore video and audio files. VP8 and VP9 video encoders, as well as Vorbis and Opus audio encoders, are used within the container form. As announced at the Google I / 0 2010 conference, WebM was originally designed as an alternative to the MP4 format with the H.264 encoder. The latter is free for consumers who use it to watch videos, while developers who want to work with the encoder must pay for the license. Instead, WebM is an open source project that anyone can work with without having to pay.

webm video

WebM was created for use with HTML5. VP8 and VP9 encoders are designed so that even with significant compression, decompression requires minimal computing power. The goal is to be able to watch real-time videos from the Internet from all devices (desktops, tablets, smartphones or multimedia devices such as smart TVs). So it’s no surprise that YouTube, as a subsidiary of Google, has turned all videos into WebM format, regardless of the original file format. However, YouTube still supports H.264 for those who can’t play WebM.

WebM has become a political problem in the Internet community. While Google is trying to impose this format on audio and video in all its forms, other competing companies, such as Apple and Microsoft, still insist on other formats, such as MP4. The main reason is the problem of patents: both software companies are part of the MPEG LA patent group, retaining the patents of the encoders they use and collecting license fees. Google is trying to overcome these patents with WebM.

This has already caused legal problems in the past: the controversy was the VP8 encoder. Many companies have criticized the fact that the coder did not take into account their patents. Google has reached an agreement with MPEG LA, but Nokia, which is not part of the patent team, is violating their rights. However, the first lawsuit filed by the company in a lawsuit against an HTC competitor that identified V8 devices was rejected by the Mannheim District Court.

webm format

WebM is compatible with some of the main browsers: Chrome, Chromium, Firefox and Opera do not require more features to play the format. Microsoft Edge needs an additional addition. Safari can also be customized to play WebM, at least on the desktop version. Instead, it becomes annoying for iPhone and iPad users, who need to install additional software to play video on their devices.

The most popular program for playing WebM files is probably the VLC player. This program is also available for iOS devices, so Winamp and Kodi also have the ability to play WebM. Windows Media Player 12 can also play WebM. However, to do this you need to install the WebM Media Foundation. WebM video playback can also work on Internet Explorer.

WebM vs MP4: advantages and disadvantages
While WebM is still a relatively new form, MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) and H.264 have been used for many years. This has turned the previous format and its encoder into a standard: in fact, you will find very few applications that are not compatible with MP4. In addition to Internet services and software for PC and Mac, there are also many devices (eg cameras) that can manage MP4. The high degree of acceptance makes the format interesting for both the manufacturer and the user.

However, Google earns points for WebM’s open source character: there are no costs for the manufacturer and developer to use the form, and this applies to the end user. The software is then distributed through the open BSD license.

The issue of the license to be used for MP4 and H.264 is unclear: most users, even those who create professional videos, do not know if they already have a valid license to purchase hardware and software or if they have The videos will find license fees. By using WebM you avoid all this confusion. However, MPEG LA announced in 2010 that the use of the H.264 encoder will be free in the future, provided that the videos produced are made available to users for free.

COMPRESSION AND VIDEO FORMATS

COMPRESSION AND VIDEO FORMATS

In the world of digital video production and distribution, few topics are as complicated and confusing as the choice of format to use.

There are many reasons.

First of all, it must be said that not all video formats are compatible with all digital platforms.

This can lead to major problems with the input, output, upload and download of the required files.

Therefore, one cannot generally speak of the “best video format”.

video formats

A lot depends on what you need and which platform you should use.

Second, video formats can cause big problems because there are so many of them.

And to make things even more complicated, a large number of these formats are now largely out of date.

In this article I will reveal everything I know about this topic.

I have to be honest: for me, like most filmmakers, this has always been a difficult topic.

I still remember the hours I spent with my editor trying to figure out which video format could best be sent to the manufacturer.

video formats

I will never forget the call in the middle of the night from one of the most famous Mediaset producers who yelled at me: “Hello Francesco, you cannot see the file you just sent me.”

I hung up and after banging my head against the wall, I called the editor to tell him what had happened.

Finally, you need to realize that a video format is more than its file extension.

The term “video format” per se confuses people because it contains two different components: the codec and the container.

With that premise, we can get to the heart of this article, which, believe me, was really hard to write.

1) Let’s start with the vocabulary

First, here is a list of the most commonly used words:

A) FRAME / RATE SPF

The number of frames per second.

I recently wrote an article on this topic, which you can find here.

B) VIDEO SIZE

This data is used to measure the width and height of the video.

The most common measurements are (in pixels):

426 x 240 (240p)
640 x 360 (360p)
854 x 480 (480p)
1280 x 720 (720p)
1920 x 1080 (1080p)
2560 x 1440 (1440p)
3840 x 2160 (2160p)

C) PROPORTIONS

The aspect ratio of an image describes the proportional relationship between width and height.

D) CODEC

Codecs are programs that digitally encode and decode data, making it easy to store and reproduce.

When it comes to codecs, it basically means that our video file has been compressed.

After compression, this file must be stored in a container, which we will discuss later.

There are different types of codecs, e.g. B. the recording codec.

This is the software that your camcorder uses to compress your movie files.

Then there is the export codec, which is instead the format we assigned to our output video.

Finally we have the codec for the master in which we will save our final project.

The most common codecs are:

MJPEG
MPEG-4
H264
H265
WMV
PRO RES
DNxHD

Let’s see them together:

MPEG-4

The ‘MPEG-4 is one of the most popular codecs in the world.

It was introduced in late 1998 and is mainly used for applications such as video telephony or digital television, for streaming films over the Internet and for storing CD-ROMs.

The advantage of MPEG-4 is, in fact, the ability to compress a two-hour video on a CD for a high quality result.

Thanks to this, MPEG-4 has become very popular with users around the world.

Today, MPEG-4 is compatible with a wide range of devices, from satellite television to cell phones.

H264

The H264 is part of the latest generation of codecs and offers high quality videos with relatively low bit rates.

The standard offers up to double MPEG-4 compression.

In addition to improving the quality of perception, the H.264 standard can deliver high quality DVD-Videos with less than 1 Mbit / s.

Personally, I use H264 for the videos that I upload to YouTube.

H265

L ‘H265, also known as High Efficiency Video Coding or HEVC, is the latest in a long line of video codecs.

Like its predecessor, the H264, the H265 was developed by the ITU-T Video Coding Expert Group for the broadcasting industry.

Compression is great for H264, but is used for resolutions of SD, HD and 4K films.

What is bitrate?

Good and technological days surely you have heard the word bitrate when an expert talks about videos in digital format, but if you don’t know what is what it consists of we tell you the same as the resolution and the final format of digital video another factor determinants to obtain an excellent image quality is the bitrate specifically the bit rate is the flow or the data rate, that is the amount of information when playing a video that reads on our computer per second.

For that reason and in the same way that happens with the size of the image how much the greater the data flow the greater the quality of the material in fact the bit rate can be even more decisive than the size of the image to define its quality the breed even though we have a great video size if the data flow is poor the material will be of poor quality by example a 352 x 288 resolution vcd with 1150 kilobits per second will be of higher quality than one of 720 x 576 resolution and 300 kilobits per second in this example.

 

If one of them has a screen size the greater its bandwidth is scarce because this data stores the information referred to the luminaire and the color of the video for that reason. When the flow of data is poor the computer will have to group a lot of pixels that contain the same information this generates a redundancy that affects the video quality but as always it is better to put a practical example.

Now we are going to lower the bit rate to this video that is the number of ones and zeros that are being used to encode it and as you can imagine youtube is going to change this as soon as we upload it to the channel but you cannot put the details again in the video, so even though you are watching it at the highest quality allowed between what you’re seeing is a version limited.

 

Right now we have a reasonable bit rate although it’s almost not looks so bad with modern rating and some details may be missed but still you can perfectly see what is going on now let’s add a few stars all of a sudden all those bits are not getting using to represent me but the opposite actually are used to keep track of everything around me now we add many more stars As you can see, the more things there are in the background, the more demanding the video with the bitrate we add a few more right now no matter how much I tried the encoder to optimize my face or skin tone just not it has enough if you look it’s not about if there are many or few stars but of movement if we freeze this whole scenario and what we treat as a background the quality of the video will return and if we upload again the bitrate we will have an ops video quality

What types of formats exist in digital video?

What types of formats exist in digital video?

Who has not ever wondered what H264 means or what is an Mp4, Mkv or Avi file. These are some of the questions that we all ask ourselves when we are talking about digital video in some of the applications that we see online to find out which format or format has more quality or how I can convert a file to another file.

What in my measure can contribute is to shed light on the distinctions that exist when we talk about video formats within the different types that are applied to digital video and that there are three important parts to distinguish between them on the Internet or on a DVD:

The video and its codec (As the video has so much weight, it must always be encoded and subsequently decoded). They are simply mathematical algorithms to compress and decompress the video file.
Audio and its different formats or containers.
The file that contains the audio and the video. The container
Let’s go to see which are the most popular and try to explain them:

Digital Video Formats

MPEG: Moving Pictures Expert Group (Mpeg1, Mpeg2, Mp4 or Mpeg4)
AVI: It is the standard format but the one with the most weight. (Xvid or Divx)
WINDOWS MEDIA: Format developed by Microsoft. (. Mp4 or .asf)
MOV: Format developed by Apple. Quicktime required to read it. Low weight.Ideal for Web (.m4v or .mov)
FLV: Adobe Flash format. Use Sorensen Spark codec. (.flv)
Digital Audio Formats

Mp3 or MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3: Tablet with imperceptible signal loss for humans. (1Mb / Min)
Aiff: Audio Interchange File Format. It has no compression and uses PCM modulation so they are very heavy (10 Mb / Min.)
AAC: Advanced Audio Coding. Mpeg-2 compression. Indicated for surround or surround sounds
Windows Media Audio: The worst quality of all the previous ones, is the Windows format.
Digital Video and Audio Container Formats

.mp4
.mov
.avi
.mkv
.flv
.swf
.m4v

The truth is that it is a whole world and more when the big companies live thinking only about leading their own markets and not from the point of view of the user whom they have had abandoned for years. Obviously these are not all there are but I have wanted to include the best known.

But if we are talking about a file or files that any dvd may have or downloaded from the Internet in any format or container such as Mp4, mkv, avi with greater or lesser quality, it must be remembered that what is important is the amount of information that they contain, is say the Mbs this video is exported to.

It is as if we have a 16 ton truck and we put a box of oranges inside it when it can carry 1000 boxes of oranges. what we are going to see is oranges but with a very low quality.

I hope I have shed some light on this world of digital video and how the next time you face such a file you will be able to understand what each of the things attached to it means. I have to admit that it is not easy, but with that global vision and knowing what each one means, you feel better when facing it.

Things we may not know about the MOV format

Things we may not know about the MOV format

MOV format is a type of multimedia file that works with the QuickTime player. Although many do not know it or do not remember, there was a time when it was the only audiovisual archive at the time, but it did compete with other types of formats, such as AVI, FLV, etc. The truth is that although it is no longer as popular as before, it provides some advantages over other files with similar characteristics because it is easily editable and integrates well with other programs.

The first appearance of this type of format was in the early 1990s, when the Apple company began using the QT player discussed earlier. Said player has evolved over time, becoming more complex and increasing its functions, but the file is if it has been kept quite simple. Precisely this simplicity gives you an advantage over other similar file types.

A MOV file is made up of multiple tracks that store various types of information. Similar to professional audio tape recordings, MOV files can be divided and edited without having to rewrite the code, which if done with other files, the audio and video components of the files are stored on tracks. separate and can be modified. The effects are also put on their own tracks and allow editors to add and change things without touching the video track.

There’s also a separate text track that allows editors to integrate things like subtitles, and without having to change anything else in the file. The truth is that this type of file has been with us longer than any other file that is used for the same purpose. For this reason, it has been very popular for years. The QuickTime player remains free to distribute after all these years, which is still one point in its favor.

However, one of the biggest advantages it has is surely its ability to integrate into other programs. This is particularly useful in presentations with other programs, where MOV files can easily become part of the presentation and add multimedia features. We can also find this in the MOV format on streaming web pages, although this is an advantage that practically all other files have.

Some of its disadvantages, which other formats take advantage of, are that files are usually larger in size than other formats. Being playable only by QuickTime, it limits it in a certain way so that it can be played anywhere and on any computer (if it does not have QT we cannot see it). Even so, there are many people who still prefer this format and use it for almost everything. The truth is that with so many formats to choose from, it is already a matter of taste.

Advantages of using an AVI file

Advantages of using an AVI file

The AVI format is one of the most popular and versatile in computers worldwide. It is widely used for video editing and to offer presentation videos of many games. Today, we will see what is an AVI file? and what are the advantages of using this type of format.

AVI files

AVI (Audio Video Interlieve) files are also known as interleaved audio and video files. These were created by Microsoft, to simultaneously contain audio and video files.

That is, they are storage files where the video and the accompanying sound are saved so that it can be played by different applications. Its extension is .avi and they are made up of a header and a series of data files containing the information necessary for effective multimedia reproduction.

These files require the players to have the appropriate codecs to be able to execute them, since by means of these the player programs can read fragments of files individually, which will then be stored in buffer to show them on the screen without interruption.

Advantages of using an AVI file

Among the main advantages of using AVI files, we have the following:

-The main advantage is that, currently, almost all multimedia players have the codecs necessary to play this type of file, so we can say that it is a universal file.

-AVI files can contain several audio files for the same video file, offering the user the possibility (in many cases) to choose the audio quality they prefer to enjoy their multimedia files.
-They have the possibility of storing the data of the files they contain, thus, during the compression process, medium and even light files can be generated, without losing image quality.
-AVI files are compatible with a huge variety of popular codecs, such as: XviD, DivX and h.264, which greatly increases their versatility.