WHICH VIDEO FORMAT IS BEST AND WHY: A DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Not all video fans understand how some video formats differ from others. And in vain! After all, if you accidentally or intentionally install the wrong extension in the video editor while saving the project, then serious difficulties with the clip playback can arise. In this article, you will learn about the features of popular extensions and when and which one to choose.
What video format is better?
Learn about the characteristics of the formats, then you can watch videos on any device!
WHAT IS FORMAT
The format is the structure used to store data. Its designation is an identifier, separated by a period at the end of the name: .wmv, .avi, .mp4, etc.
For a video file, the media container and codec are responsible for the extension. When recording or rendering a movie, the data, including individual frames and an audio track, is compressed and placed in a special container. For later playback, the same video codec is used, which can decode information and display it in its original (or almost original) form. The media container itself cannot determine how the data is encoded, but it works fine with certain codecs. It also stores meta information about the object: size, duration, author, etc.
Both codecs and multimedia containers are involved in the recording and playback process, but the format is indicated precisely by the type of container used: AVI, MPEG-4, MKV and others. Codecs also have their own names: H.264, DivX, Theora. But most of the time they are distributed in packages, and the description does not indicate their names, but the media containers with which they work. This is a simplified answer to the question of what is a format. A more complex one involves many terms that are unnecessary for the average user.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONTAINERS?
In the simplest cases, they only store video and audio streams. In more complex ones, you can save multiple video tracks, synced subtitles, and chapter marks for quick navigation through content.
When choosing which format is best for converting video, you need to remember that certain media containers are used for minimal compression to get an accurate image, but this often results in a large size. Others compress the material more, saving space on the media. Some of them support tracks that are only compressed in specific ways. For example, MPEG-4 Part 14 works with files compressed with H.265 / HEVC, H.264 / AVC, and MPEG-4 Part 2.
WHICH VIDEO FORMAT IS BEST?
Almost any of the extensions have their own advantages, otherwise their existence would be meaningless. But when creating your own movie or, for example, choosing a movie to watch, you have to rely on two components: opportunity and prevalence.
Choose the format according to the device you will see the video on
Capacities mean the number of video tracks that will be stored there, subtitles, chapters, and more. The prevalence depends on the probability that a movie will run on a device without installing additional codecs. If you directly answer the question of which video format is better, then the answer will be one of the three most common: AVI, MKV or MP4.
