Video containers, what are video containers?
Many users confuse concepts like “format” and “container” of a file. You can often hear a phrase like “AVI files”. This expression is only partially true, since AVI is in fact a registered file format. However, an AVI file can store uncompressed video, DV, MPEG-4, DivX, Xvid, and even MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video. Also, an AVI file can, for example, contain only audio. That is, AVI files are containers for storing various types of data.
A container is a file with an extension that is used to store digitally converted analog information. Some containers can store service information. So, for example, a video file can include captions that are not part of the video image, but normal text. Various players have the ability to enable or disable the display of titles in the frame. In other words, a container is a file of a certain standard, which can simultaneously contain several different types of information.
Here is a list of the most common audio and video storage containers:
-AVI. This type of file is the most common, however, it has a number of limitations. For example, it may contain only one stereo audio track, so it is not suitable for storing movies with surround sound or movies with multilingual soundtracks. However, this container is still the most common.
-OGG (OGM). The container was originally designed to store audio, but it was later discovered that it could hold video and title information. The container was primarily designed to transmit data over the Internet, so it is not very suitable for storing audio and video information. In some cases, you will not be able to rewind a video or audio track to the desired location.
-MKV. This container, which appeared relatively recently, significantly outperforms AVI files in its capabilities. In addition to video and audio information, an MKV container can store title information, as well as navigation menus (similar to DVD menus) and links to movie chapters. MKV container can be packed with video and audio of various formats, which will possibly make this kind of container go mainstream. However, at present, the playback of MKV files is supported by a small number of devices, and in order to play such files on a computer, you need to install software modules. MP4 is used in various portable devices. Special are that can separate the streams. of information of different types.
-MP4. This container was developed by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group). It is designed to store video, audio information, and some types of animation. The container supports various audio compression formats, including multichannel. Often the container
-QuickTime. This container is primarily designed for use on Apple computing platforms. MOV files contain compressed video and sound, and the video quality and resolution can be very high. Of course, Quick Time containers can be used on PC computing platforms, for this you need to install the appropriate software. However, many programs do not support working with files of this format or do not work correctly with it.
