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THE VIDEO FORMATS

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What is a CODEC?

A CODEC is a program that deals with transforming – encoding and decoding
– an analog signal (audio or video) into digital. This transformation takes place
by compressing the original signal which is made “lighter” at the end
of its easier storage and / or transmissibility. There are several CODECs and
consequently different video file formats, each with its own characteristics
peculiar.
The AVI format. AVI, which stands for Audio Video Interleave, is a container format

released by Microsoft in 1992 as the standard video format for the system
Windows operating. Plenty of compression codecs are supported, guaranteeing
a broad generality of use. Finally, it guarantees an excellent level of compatibility
with software for non-linear editing.
The MOV format. This is Apple’s proprietary video format, as well as the
main multimedia extension for Mac OS type systems. The main software
for viewing MOV format files is QuickTime. The MOV format is great
for multimedia products (eg CD-ROM).
Microsoft Windows Media formats. It is essentially an attempt by Microsoft to unify different video formats. These are WMV (or WMA) files. Among the advantages made available, the use of the MPEG-4 codec, which guarantees excellent performance even with relatively low bitrate levels. Furthermore, an excellent level of efficiency and quality is guaranteed with regard to internet video streaming operations.

The 3GP format. The 3GP format, rather modern, linked to the continuous technological evolution of mobile devices, indicates a type of file expressly designed to interface with video telephony services: for example for recording multimedia files via mobile phones or smartphones.

The MPEG-4 format. Shortened to MP4, it is a multimedia file format usually used for saving video and audio content in high quality, occupying a small space, ie good quality and “light” files at the same time.

The MPEG-2 format. Standard developed by the Moving Picture Expert Group, it is suitable for broadcast productions (NTSC, PAL). It is therefore aimed primarily at an audience of users such as televisions, satellite channels and DVD producers.

DV and HDV formats. As for the DV format, it is a fully digital video recording format very suitable for non-linear editing procedures.

The HDV format is the evolution in high definition and is the result of an agreement on the technical specifications between four giants such as Canon, JVC, Sharp and Sony. The most well-known video editing software have equipped themselves with adequate support for the HDV format. For other editing programs it may be necessary to resort to suitable plugins for compatibility.

The DivX format. DivX is a proprietary multimedia technology based on a variant of the MPEG-4 codec. Among other things, this technology includes a famous video compressor developed by DivX Inc. and used by many people around the world.

The peculiarity of DivX, in addition to its presence in several consumer electronics products, lies in its versatility in producing small files of long-lasting movies, leaving the image quality almost unchanged.

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What are the differences between AVI, RMVB, MKV and MP4?

Unlike what happens with audio files, the extension of video files says little about the encodings used. Each of them, from RMVB for extremely small files to MKV for extreme quality, has different types of encoding for audio, video and all the other necessary components of movies, so they are known as containers.

Container? Isn’t that a video codec? To understand them, the best example is that of a backpack. To attend a class, we have to bring a notebook, a case, books and other essentials for good use. Within a container we have a similar situation, with video encoding, audio encoding, subtitles and additional information on frame rate, audio channels, etc.

In our example, if we have the best notebook in the world with a bad pencil and a poorly written book, our experience will be drastically reduced, just like video containers. AVI, RMVB, MKV, each of them has different “levels” of quality depending on the coding of each of the components. Below is the list of currently used video encodings:

RMVB (Real Media Variable Bitrate, extension. Rmvb): Developed by Real Networks for RealPlayer, it has a variable bit rate. Although it is capable of generating a smaller file than the original RealMedia, the quality is the same, but it is far from good. Recommended for users who have a low-speed Internet connection or a data franchise.
RMVB

AVI (Audio Video Interleave, extension. Avi): container developed by Microsoft and currently supported by a variety of devices, from DVD players to smartphones. It uses DivX or XviD (High Loss Compression) encoding for video and generally MP3 for audio, which provides a reasonable video experience, but does not have native subtitle support.
Avi

MP4 (MPEG-4 part 14, extension. Mp4): In many ways, very similar to AVI, MP4 has the advantage of having native subtitle support (i.e. no subtitles in separate files), Xvid, DivX and powerful H. 264 for videos and ACC for audio (learn more about ACC). Users who want a balance between quality and compression generally prefer MP4, but it’s still not popular near AVI.
MP4

MKV(. Matroska Video, MKV Extension. MKV., Mks): Relatively new open source format preferred by users who want their movies to be of the highest quality possible regardless of download size. It is possible to encode all the elements in almost any format, from the frame rate per second and the quality of each image to the use of different encoders for video (DivX, XviD, H.264) and audio (ACC, DTS, Dolby Digital ), where Full HD (1080p) movies are rarely less than 10GB and reach up to almost 70GB in Remux quality.

These are not all video formats. MOV (Apple), WMV (Windows) and VOB (used on DVD) were not mentioned as they did not bring significant differences. The performance of each of them depends more on the compression rate itself than on the format itself, and machines that have hardware decoding can handle any format without major problems.

The 7 most common video file formats explained

To better understand its video file formats, let’s take a look at some of the most popular types on the market and their specific features.

1. AVI or WMV (Microsoft)

AVI video file formats are used to completely dominate the video market. However, the popularity of the format has declined recently, AVI videos are still common on the Internet. Microsoft replaced AVI with the WMV video file format in the mid-2000s.

The original WMV was designed exclusively for streaming applications. However, alternative WMV formats, reminiscent of WMV Screen and WMV Image, have been released for use with specialized video content.

Both AVI and WMV produce less compression than other competing formats, which means they provide better video quality. In contrast, they are large files.

Other benefits of AVI and WMV include its wide compatibility with PC and Mac operating systems. Among the disadvantages we can mention the impossibility of manually selecting the proportions of the rates, which can be quite bad for some users.

2. MOV and QT (Quicktime formats)

Like Microsoft’s AVI and WMV formats, Apple’s MOV and QT formats are compatible with both Apple and Microsoft platforms. The MOV has been specifically designed for feature films. Both MOV and QT are famous for supporting a wide variety of video content. These two video extensions are usually kept together.

Both formats use a multimedia container file, which is separated into a range of tracks. Users can dedicate all tracks to storing specific information (video, audio, effects and / or text). Another important advantage is that MOV and QT formats are also compatible with a large selection of codecs.

3. MKV

Derived from the Russian word matroska (doll), MKV is an extremely popular video file format for many reasons. First, it is open source. Second, it offers a multitude of additional features. And last but not least, it is compatible with almost all codecs.

The main disadvantage of the MKV format is that it is not compatible with certain programs and devices. But, if you are watching or distributing your video files in VLC, XBMC, PotPlayer or other MKV compatible video player, the high quality and versatility of this format make it an ideal choice.

4. MP4

Popularized by Apple on the iTunes Store, the MP4 is probably the closest to a universal standard. It not only stores video and audio files, but also text and still images. With a small file size and good quality, this format allows you to add interactive video and multimedia components.

Although this format offers less definition and fewer options than the MKV format, it is widely compatible with a range of the most prominent digital devices on the market.

5. AVCHD (advanced high definition video encoding)

The result of a collaboration between Panasonic and Sony, this video file format was expressly designed for digital video cameras. AVCHD takes advantage of H.264 / MPEG-4 video compression technology, which can compress video information into extraordinarily small sizes.

Perfect for people who record using their own video equipment, this format allows you to store hours of recording, using very little space, without sacrificing quality considerably. AVCHD is a standard definition and high definition variations. The latest edition of this format (AVCHD 2.0) supports 3D video.

6. FLV and SWF (Flash formats)

Flash Video has been around for a long time and is divided into two different formats. The first format (FLV) is very popular for streaming video on sites like YouTube and Google Video. FLV files are generally small and can be downloaded quickly.

SWF is the second dominant Flash format for displaying animated vector graphics online (an acronym for Shockwave Flash). It can be viewed as a Flash animation file.

Although Flash formats are famous for involving streaming video on the web, they are not compatible with iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads, which can cause major problems for Apple users.

7. RealVideo

Developed specifically for the Internet, this video format was developed by RealNetworks. The most striking feature of this format is that it works perfectly on low-bandwidth transmissions, but the video quality is compromised.

To view files in this format, you will need to install additional software. Therefore, when you decide to save and share your videos in a specific file format, choose the formats that can be played on multiple platforms.

Better understand the different video encoding formats

In a video, every file, audio and video, is a set of encrypted data (more or less compressed). The so-called codec is the tool used for coding. The type of encoding chosen determines the format obtained: video format and audio format. Simultaneous reading of image and sound is possible by encapsulating these sequences in a container file (defined by an extension).

The specific software is useful for analyzing and reproducing the contents of a video / audio file (format, container file, codec, weight, etc.).

Container files (not complete)

– MP4 (.mp4): audio and video standard for MPEG4

– AVI (.avi): can contain most video and audio formats.

– M2TS (.mts): standard for MPEG4 AVC / H264

– MOV (.mov): mainly contains Mpeg2, Mpeg4

– MPEG (.mpg): contains only MPEG formats

– M4V (.m4v): standard for iPod, PSP and online videos (eg iTunes) containing Mpeg4

– VOB (.vob): for DVD, generally contains Mpeg2 (video) and AC3 or DTS (audio)

– 3GP (.3gp or 3g2): for third generation mobile phones, contains Mpeg4

– ASF (.asf): Contains Microsoft Windows Media Video (WMV) format

– AIFF audio file (.aiff, .aif, .aifc) with uncompressed formats (PCM, IFF)

Video encoding formats (not complete)

– HDV (Mpeg2 4: 2: 0): 1440 × 1080 resolution with a ratio of 1.77 (16/9).

– HDV (Mpeg2 4: 2: 2): 1920 × 1080 resolution with a ratio of 1.77 (16/9).

– AVCHD (Mpeg4 AVC / H264): Highly compressed HD format.

– DV (DV-AVI): Lightly compressed standard for digitized video.

– MPEG1: resolution 352 × 240 (NTSC) or 352 × 288 (PAL / SECAM) for CD-ROM.

– MPEG2: DV quality video standard mainly for DVD.

– MPEG4: video standard for multimedia applications. The most common standard is Part 10: Mpeg4 AVC H264 (AVCHD)

– WMV (Windows Media Video): Microsoft feature and main format used by Windows Media Player

– FLV (Adobe Flash Video): Allows you to easily insert a video image on a WEB page, in a format that the Flash player can read.

– DivX: based on Mpeg4, makes it possible to compress strongly and suitable to save or save on DVD

– Xvid: free and open source software, using Mpeg4. Used almost exclusively to backup video files. Better quality than its competitor DivX.

– Animated GIF: animation of images in GIF format. Suitable for solid colors and small videos.

Image encoding formats (not exhaustive)

– BMP (bitmap): from Microsoft and IBM. It is composed of a large number of pixels and is not suitable for enlargement work.

– JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): Generally used for photos and other continuous images of HTML documents. It supports CMYK, RGB and grayscale modes, but no alpha channels. Unlike GIF, the JPEG format retains the color information of an RGB image. However, it compresses the file size by selectively deleting the data.

– RAW: High resolution uncompressed format that provides the best picture quality. This format is not standard: there are more than 200 types of RAW, including .crw, .cr2 (CANON), .nv2 (PANASONIC), .nef, .nrw (NIKON), .arw (SONY) …

– GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): Generally used to display indexed color graphics and images in HTML documents on the web. GIF is a compressed LZW format designed to reduce electronic transfer time and file size. Does not support alpha channels, but maintains the transparency of color-indexed images.

– PNG: royalty-free format. It was created as an alternative to GIF and is used to display images on the internet. This format uses a lossless compression process and retains all information regarding the color and alpha layers of an image.

– PSD (Photoshop format): very large, but recognized by other software.

– TGA (Targa format): Designed for systems using a Truevision video card, it is generally compatible with MS-DOS color applications. When you save an RGB image in TGA, you can select RLE encoding to compress the image and choose a pixel depth.

– TIFF (Tagged-Image File): to exchange files between applications and IT platforms. Flexible bitmap image format, it is compatible with almost all image editing, drawing and design applications. Maximum TIFF document size: 4 GB.

Audio encoding formats (not exhaustive)

– MP3 (MPEG 1/2 Audio Layer 3): compression format (lossy) developed by ISO.

– AIFF: format for Apple, uncompressed audio

– WAV (WAVE): uncompressed audio format developed by IBM and Microsoft

– WMA: audio data compression format (lossy), developed by Microsoft. It also allows protection of encryption against illegal copies.

– AAC (Advanced Audio Coding): Format used primarily on iPods

– DD + (D olby Digital Plus): high resolution format, with loss of compression

– DTHD (Dolby True HD): HD multi-channel audio format, lossless during compression and offering acoustic richness (up to 7.1)

– DTS HD (DTS HD Master Audio): High resolution audio format equivalent to DTHD.

– AC3: Dolby Digital format whose digital encoding standard is 5.1

– LPCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation) – highest quality, uncompressed, multi-channel HD audio format.

– FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec): Free Audio Format, Lossless Compression

Video formats: what are they, advantages and disadvantages

For example, file size doesn’t matter if you need to make a DVD, but it is crucial if you want to share the video on YouTube. A similar discussion could be held for overall quality and resolution, since preparing a video for display with a video projector is not the same as displaying it on a 3-inch screen. We have tried to deal with the most common video formats, treating the pros and cons of all. However, it should be noted that the number of formats available is very large and a complete book is required to cover all of them.

introduction to Video Formats

When image formats were displayed for the Internet, an unwritten rule was extended: The GIF format was for computer-generated images and the JPG format for images from “real life”, e.g. B. Photos. Unfortunately, no similar rules were imposed on videos: there are numerous formats and codecs, not to mention the fact that the requirements can vary depending on how the video is used. For example, file size doesn’t matter if you need to make a DVD, but it is crucial if you want to share the video on YouTube. A similar discussion could be held for overall quality and resolution, since preparing a video for display with a video projector is not the same as displaying it on a 3-inch screen.

We tried to deal with the most common video formats and deal with the advantages and disadvantages of each. However, it should be noted that the number of formats available is very large and a complete book is required to cover all of them.

Codec

A codec is a series of instructions for compressing and decompressing an audio or video file. There are many codecs for the most popular formats like AVI or QuickTime, which contain more than a dozen of them. Choosing the right one is the first step to getting a good result. One of the most pressing problems is definitely the selection of a codec that can also be used by the viewer on his computer. Otherwise you will not be able to watch the video. However, if the video is to be uploaded to MySpace or YouTube, this aspect is not relevant, since websites of this type have all or almost all codecs installed with which the video is converted into Flash FLV format.

The AVI format Audio Video Interleave was originally the Windows video format. For this reason, it can be played on all Microsoft operating systems from Windows 3.1 and on many Macs, provided the required codec is installed.

The “Microsoft MPEG-4 v2” codec offers the best combination of quality, small size and distribution in terms of the “installed base”, ie this codec is installed on many computers.

Thanks to the “Huffyyuv” codec, AVI files can also be saved losslessly or without compression. Both options are intended for static purposes, certainly not for transferring video over the Internet, since the resulting files are very large.

The “DivX 3” format was introduced as the “pirated version of the MPEG-4 v3 codec from Microsoft”. The installation of this codec generally overwrites the Microsoft MPEG 4 v1 and v2 codecs without notifying the user. The Divx4 version was released without special notice, but was legal, while the fifth version legitimized the format worldwide. The current version is DivX 6.8.

DivX is basically an AVI codec. Files created with this codec can use the DivX extension. They are high quality and small, but of course the viewer must have the codec installed.

This format is compatible with DivX certified hardware, including many lounge players.

Keyframe

The use of keyframes is similar to that of control points for 3D graphics.

The term “keyframe” is used when creating an animated video or combining animations and recorded videos. The term can have different meanings depending on the context. When creating an animation, Keyframe defines the frames in which the most important transitions are located.

Which video format is better?

Surely, like me, you have often wondered which video format is best for recording, editing and exporting for YouTube or social networks. And there is not a single format for everything, but many, too many! Let’s see which ones you need for each task.

In what format to record on camera

The semi or professional video cameras that we can find in the market have recording options in the most common formats, in addition to some RAW formats that we can find in cameras with higher segments. For example, the BlackMagic 6K is capable of recording on Blackmag
ic RAW, the new format developed by BlackMagic Design.

It is always recommended to use the least compressed formats possible as long as we are going to work intensively with the color of that video. This is like a photograph: we will always have much more leeway with a RAW photo than with a compressed JPG photo.

For this reason, the cameras include slightly more compressed formats, such as ProRes, H.264 or H.265. ProRes is a mid-range format that offers a good balance of image quality and size and allows for color correction without loss of quality, making it suitable for professional environments. But undoubtedly the fastest and most suitable for ordinary mortals is the H.264. H.264 is the JPG of video, an off-road format accepted by the vast majority of online video players and services.

H.264 problem? That when editing is a resource eater, since the CPU has to decompress the signal. But if you have a fairly powerful PC you should have no problem. Oh, by the way, there are video editors capable of decoding H.264 and H.265 using the GPU, not at the software level, but at the GPU level. For example, in DaVinci Resole Studio we can activate this option by going to the preferences and in Decoding we activate Use hardware acceleration and NVIDIA or the graphics card we are using. I tell you that the speed jump is dramatic.

Also, there are some cameras capable of recording in H.265 format. For example, we can record in H.265 (also known as HEVC) on the Panasonic GH5, but only in a very specific recording format. It is noteworthy that this mode in the Panasonic allows HDR through HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma or high dynamic range). So if you have a monitor compatible with this system, use the original color space of these Rec2020 HLG clips, since selecting this color space in DaVinci Resolve you can get images with a great dynamic range, or change the color space later. to Rec709 to recover light levels of this standard space.

Okay, and up to this point the big question: in what format do we record? It depends. It is not the same if you are recording a short film than a video for YouTube. In my personal experience, for YouTube I do not complicate my life and use more or less standard configurations. In fact, right now I’m recording this using the GH5 H.264’s preset with 8bit color at 25fps and 100mb and with the Cinelike D color profile, not V-Log or anything like that, but Cinelike D. Note that YouTube then compresses the video, I do not see much sense in recording with more bitrate or more color depth, so I use this simple and busy preset.

VIDEO CONVERSION SOFTWARE

Then there are other formats like MP4 or AVCHD, but basically they use a lower bit rate.

But it may be the case that we want to record a movie with our GH5. In that case I do recommend going to more “professional” profiles so to speak. Keep in mind that each camera is a world, but as a general rule, when we are recording something with a more cinematic aspiration, I recommend going to the highest quality option that the camera gives. There are cameras that allow you to record in RAW, so we will need tons of storage. For example, in the GH5 the highest quality preset is 4K at 400 megabits per second with a color depth of 10 bits. Take chestnut. That is, 50 megabytes per second at 10 bit color, absolutely crazy.

In fact, it is so crazy that any SD card is not worth it, because if we use one that has a low writing speed, we will run out of buffers and stop recording. So it is essential to use special cards that allow this recording speed, for example I have the 128GB Sony M Series, which allow a writing speed of 150 Megabytes per second. Be careful, here we are mixing megabytes and megabits. In the camera preset we will see 400 megabits, that is, the mbps in lowercase, while the card shows it in Megabytes, with the MB in uppercase.

Video File Formats – Everything you need to know about video formats

Digital videos can be saved in files of different formats. Each one corresponds to a specific extension of the file that contains it. There are many types of video formats. Here are some of the most used. Each type of file also supports a different compression codec at all times.

-AVI (Audio Video Interleaved = Audio and Video Interleaved)

It is the standard format for storing digital video.
When video is captured from a digital camera to the computer, it is usually stored in this format with the DV (Digital Video) codec.
The AVI file can contain video with excellent quality. However, the weight of the file is always very high.
Supports different compression codecs such as CinePak, Intel Indeo 5, DV, etc. The codecs with more compression capacity and acceptable quality are DivX and XviD.
The AVI format can be displayed with most players: Windows Media, QuickTime, etc. as long as the appropriate codecs for each type of player are installed on the computer.
It is ideal for saving original videos that have been captured from the digital camera (encoded with DV).
It is not advisable to publish them on the Internet in this format due to their enormous weight.
The CinePak, Intel Indeo, DV codecs, etc. They do not offer great compression. The DivX and XviD codecs, on the other hand, achieve optimal compression although they are usually used primarily for the coding of long-term films.

-MPEG (Moving Pictures Expert Group = Movie Expert Group)

It is a standard format for digital video compression.
They are * .MPG or * .MPEG extension files.
Supports different types of compression codecs: MPEG-1 (CD quality), MPEG-2 (DVD quality), MPEG-3 (MP3 audio oriented) and MPEG-4 (more web oriented).
They play with Windows Media Player and QuickTime.

-MOV

It is the video and audio format developed by Apple.
It uses its own codec that evolves in versions quite quickly.
These types of files can also have * .QT extension
It is recommended to use the QuickTime player. There is a free version of it that can be downloaded from the Internet.
It is ideal for posting videos on the Internet for its reasonable quality / weight.
Support streaming

-WMV

It has been recently developed by Microsoft.
It uses the MPEG-4 codec for video compression.
It can also have * .ASF extension
It can only be viewed with an updated version of Windows Media 7 or higher. This application is integrated into Windows.
It is ideal for posting videos on the Internet for reasonable quality / weight.
Support streaming

-RM

It is the proposal of Real Networks for video files.
Use your own codec to compress the audio.
This type of files has * .RM and * .RAM extension.
It is displayed with a specific player: Real Player. There is a free version of it that can be downloaded from the Internet.
It can be used to publish videos on the Internet for its acceptable quality / weight.
Support streaming

-FLV

It is a format used by the Adobe Flash player to view video on the Internet.
It uses the Sorenson Spark codec and the On2 VP6 codec. Both allow high visual quality with reduced bitrates.
They are * .FLV extension files.
They can be played from different local players: MPlayer, VLC media player, Riva, Xine, etc.
Recommended option for the web for its accessibility. When viewed through the Flash player, it is accessible from most operating systems and web browsers.
The best known video repositories on the Internet use this format for the dissemination of videos: YouTube, Google Video, iFilm, etc.
Allows you to configure different video parameters to achieve acceptable quality / weight.
Support streaming