Different Types of Video Formats
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In today’s world, video is vital – but not all videos are created equal. There are various video file formats to choose between. Each of the video file types comes with its own pros and cons, which we’ll discuss in this article.
What is a video file format?
Video formats represent different ways of storing the data that makes up videos. One way of visualizing these formats is as containers. Different containers hold data in different ways. Some are better for certain situations, while others may be more appropriate in different situations. At the end of the day, the data being stored – that is, the visual and possibly audio data of the video being stored – is the same.
Video file formats exist because that data can be extensive and complicated. That is, video files can quickly become very large. This makes them hard and expensive to store and share. To solve this problem, developers created codecs, which are programs that encode the video data to make it easier to store and share. Different codecs turn the data into different types of video files. Video file name extensions are used to identify what codec has been used to encode a particular video file.
There are many different types of video files. However, only a few are popular enough to be considered standard. Many types are simply not common enough for most people to encounter them, so they are often not included in comparisons or lists.
Most common video formats
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14)
The most common video file format, MP4 is part of the MPEG family. While it doesn’t offer quite as high resolution as some other members of the MPEG group, its quality is good for the relatively small file size it creates. That balance of specs means that MP4 is the current digital standard across the web, and is also common for TV use. If you want to upload video content online, whether it be to YouTube, Instagram, or some other site, MP4 is probably your best bet.
Pros:
Supported on most devices.
Good balance of video and audio quality and file size.
Cons:
Compressing video files into the MP4 file format is relatively resource-intensive. Decompressing MP4 files, such as when watching them, can also require lots of resources. Older or less powerful machines may struggle to do both.
MOV (QuickTime File Format)
Apple’s unique file format, developed specifically for the QuickTime app. If you compare MOV files to MP4 files, you’ll likely notice an obvious difference. Not the file extension, but the size – MOV files are often quite large. This means they are usually avoided when sharing videos or uploading them to the web, as the large file sizes make for slow and expensive transfers and uploads. However, the large size also means that MOV files can maintain extremely high quality. Therefore, video editors often work in MOV so they can edit with high-quality footage. Of course, once you’re done editing, you might have to convert the MOV file into something more compressed, like MP4, but that’s the price of editing with high-quality footage! Fortunately, conversion tools like Movavi Video Converter make this switch easy.
Pros:
Great quality
Specifically designed for the Apple ecosystem
Cons:
Files are large, which can make storage and sharing difficult
AVI (Audio Video Interleave)
An older video file format developed in the 1990s. One unique feature about AVI files is the audio quality. As the name perhaps implies, AVI files are known for preserving excellent audio. This makes them great for editing or watching videos where the audio is really important — such as with music videos. You can even get lossless AVI files, which are usually the highest quality possible. If you’re planning on displaying your video on TV, or a site like Vimeo, AVI might be a good bet. However, the sheer size – potentially multiple gigabytes for a single minute of video – might make things difficult for those uploading or sharing their videos to the internet.
Pros:
Supported by most devices
High quality
Cons:
Large file sizes, especially if uncompressed
Not as universal as MP4
WMV (Windows Media Video)
Actually a family of video files, all created for devices running Windows. The family is comprised of multiple different codecs, and each codec results in a slightly different end product. In general, WMV files are known for having small files. That inevitably means some loss in quality, but often the reduction in file size is worth the minimal quality reduction. If you work on Windows, WMV may be a great choice. However, WMV is not the most common file format for sharing videos online, because it is often incompatible with devices running Apple, Linux, or other operating devices.
Pros:
File sizes are small
Quality is good despite the small file size
Cons:
Often incompatible with devices running Apple, Linux, or other non-Windows operating systems
FLV (Flash Video)
Developed by Adobe to be used with Adobe® Flash® Player. FLV files used to be the most popular type of video file format. However, that all came to an end in 2020, when Adobe officially discontinued Flash® Player. Without Flash® Player, FLV files usually couldn’t be run. In their place was an error message. As you can imagine, that forced many people to switch to other file formats, like MP4, which are still widely supported. Dedicated fans can still use FLV files with third-party video players, but otherwise this file format is unfortunately not really used anymore.
Pros:
Small file size
Compatible with Flash® Player
Cons:
Flash® Player is now discontinued, which means these video file types are often no longer supported or able to be played
WebM
Relatively new file format developed by Google for use on the web. It was released in 2019, a year before Flash® Player was discontinued. Google created WebM with the internet in mind. The idea was to make a video file format that was as small as possible, while still maintaining acceptable quality. The small file size means that WebM videos load quickly. This makes them excellent for any videos that might be watched online. People with weak internet connections particularly benefit from the small file sizes of WebM videos. The only problem is that WebM is still not widely supported. Certain browsers, like Safari, do not support the format, although you can download third-party plugins that overcome this issue.
Pros:
Very small file size
Optimized for the web, making it good for use cases like livestreaming
Open-source
Cons:
Not very widely supported
Less common video formats
AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition)
Developed for use in camcorders by Sony and Panasonic. Videos with this file format are extremely high-quality. However, the tradeoff is a larger file size. That means that MP4 is generally more popular today.
Pros:
Higher quality than many other video file formats, including MP4
Compatible with Blu-ray
Cons:
Larger file sizes
Many devices do not support it
MKV (Matroska Multimedia Container)
MKV is a free and open-source format. The draw of MKV is how powerful it is. It can support many different types of codecs. However, it itself is not widely supported. If you know that you’ll be playing your videos on a media player that supports MKV, such as VLC, then you can go ahead and use it. Otherwise, it might be best to stick with one of the more widely supported file formats.
Pros:
Open-source
Supports many different codecs, meaning it is very customizable and able to store multiple audio, image, and even subtitle tracks
Cons:
Many programs do not support it
MPEG-2
One of the early offerings in the MPEG group of video codecs, which includes famous names like MPEG-4 (MP4). MPEG-2 is usually used for burning movies to DVDs.
Pros:
Good for use on DVDs
Cons:
Outdated and generally replaced with MP4
Key terms to know when choosing a video format
Convert your videos on a PC and Mac with Movavi Video Converter
If you want to convert a video from one file format to another, a great option is Movavi Video Converter. It can process and convert dozens of video file formats, including all of the popular options discussed in this article – AVI, FLV, MKV, MP4, MPEG, WebM, WMV, and more. You can also use Movavi Video Converter to compress large video files to save space, perform basic edits on your videos, and even add subtitles. And if you’re working with a low-quality video, Movavi Video Converter’s AI upscaler tool can sharpen things up in a flash.
Summary
There’s no single perfect video file format. When choosing which one to work with, consider your specific needs, such as storage space and the device or devices you’ll be using to process and watch the video. Fortunately, tools like Movavi Video Converter make it easy to switch from one format to another, should the need arise.
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