Not long ago, watching video files on our mobile phones was a challenge. The slow Internet connection and the large size of the multimedia file make viewing it on our Smartphones really annoying – and that’s why the 3GP file was born.
What is 3GP?
3GP3GP or technically known as 3GPP file format, is a multimedia-based format and developed by Third Generation Partnership Project or 3GPP. That is why it was given this popular 3GP name. The 3GP (Third Generation Partnership Project) is the result of cooperation between various companies and telecommunications associations worldwide. 3GP is also the best answer to the problems that people have in viewing multimedia files on their smartphones that are enabled with 3G.
Specifically designed for mobile phones, 3GP is a simplified version of MP4. Compared to the bulky and PC-based MP4 format, 3GP is smaller than making it more convenient to watch videos on mobile devices. There are two types of 3GP format; The first is 3GP with a .3GP file extension and the second is 3G2 that carries the .3G2 extension.
Fun facts about 3GP
3GP was made to reduce broadband utilization and storage requirements in mobile phones.
Although this format is made for 3G phones, a 3G gadget is not required to enable it before viewing the file.
3GP files are made for GSM-based phones, while 3G2 is used for CDMA-based phones.
A 3GP file includes text that can be opened using Notepad or any other text editor.
It is not possible to manually change the .3gp file extension to any other format, for this you need a real conversion of the file format.
2G and 4G phones are compatible with 3GP playback.
Pros:
The main advantage of the 3GP format is that it is its small size. This especially benefits users who usually save and view video files on their Smartphones. And due to its small size, uploading or downloading a video in 3GP format will only take a few seconds or minutes, depending on the size of the file.
Cons:
Since 3GPs compress video and audio transmission in a single file, video resolution and quality also decreases. Compared to other formats, users may notice a big difference in audio quality, screen resolution, playback time and all others.
3GP compatible devices
As mentioned at the beginning, all 3G-capable mobile phones can support 3GP files. Similarly, Smartphones enabled with 2G and 4G, but with some limitations. The maximum size for playing a file depends on the gadget’s memory. But on computers and laptops, all 3GP files can be played according to the installed media player.
PlayStation 3 also supports 3GP, which will play the imported audio from the CD that is configured to decode the MPEG-4 AAC format. On the other hand, Nintendo DSi also supports 3GP files saved on the SD card. When transferring 3GP files, we advise you to use removable storage devices, such as USB sticks and memory cards.
How to play 3GP files?
Media player logo Windows Media Player – this Microsoft media player is preset and can play 3GP. Although, you need to install software such as Haali Media Splitter and FFDShow.
Media player classicMedia Player Classic – another alternative would be the free Media Player Classic software. It is an attenuated version of the aforementioned software that can play 3GP files.
QuickTime player logoQuickTime – for Mac users, QuickTime can be used to open 3GP. More recent versions do not need additional codecs to be installed, although in most cases some complementary types might be required.
VLC player logoVLC Media Player – another free software on the list that can play 3GP files is the VLC player. This program is compatible with 3GP and AAC audio, but unfortunately it cannot decode 3GP with AMR audio.
