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We hope by explaining different video formats that you are able to better understand the type of format that would work best for your podcast. There are many video file formats available for distributing media across the Internet. The “MP4” format is the most commonly used in the industry. The format is supported by most portable media players, Internet-connected TVs and software based media players. We recommend MP4 format for the widest possible distribution Below is a list of the most common video formats with a brief description and note on usage: MP4 (MPEG-4)MP4 is currently the most widely supported video format playable by most portable audio players, Internet-connected TVs, and software based media players. MP4 is a video format based on Apple’s QuickTime video format and is essentially identical to the Apple QuickTimeMOV format, with additional features. MP4 video format most commonly contains AAC encoded audio and H.264 encoded video. File extensions: .mp4 M4V (Apple’s iTunes implementation of MP4)M4V is a non-standard file extension of the MP4 (MPEG-4) format (see above) popularized by Apple’s iPod, iPhone and the iTunes Store. M4V is essentially identical to the MP4 except it has additional capabilities added by Apple. Since the file extension of .m4v was popularized by iTunes, the media opens in the iTunes application rather than by the default media player. The consumer of the media will typically be presented a “Save As” dialog if the iTunes application is not installed on the computer. The M4V format also allows for the inclusion of Apple’s FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM). Note: Even though the .m4v and .mp4 file extensions are essentially interchangeable, we do not recommend using the .m4v file extension due to the unpredictable behavior with how the media will play on the consumer’s computer. File extensions: .m4v FLV (Flash video)FLV is a format used to deliver video across the Internet using Adobe Flash Player embedded in hardware devices and Web browsers. It is commonly paired with a HTML embed using a Flash Player (Flash Players use the .swf file extension). YouTube has one of the most popular HTML embed codes that use FLV formatted video with their own custom Flash player. Note: Flash video is typically used to complement a podcast and is typically only used on websites. The FLV format is not recommended for syndication through a podcast feed. File extensions: .flv, .f4v Ogg (Theora)Ogg Theora, not to be confused with the Ogg Vorbis audio format, is a (royalty-free) video format maintained by Xiph.Org Foundation. Even though the media file contains both Theora video-based on VP3 and Vorbis Audio, we simply refer to it as Ogg Theora to eliminate confusion. Ogg Theora is not a widely popular format and is unable to be played by most portable media players and Internet connected TVs. The Ogg Theora format is unrestricted by software patents. As a result, the format is very popular among open source software developers and is commonly used in gaming applications. The Ogg Theora format is embraced by the open source and Linux community. If you are creating content for this community, it is highly recommended that you distribute versions of your media in the Ogg format, in addition to MP4. File extensions: .ogv, .ogx Note: Since 2007, the Xiph.Org Foundation recommends that .ogg file extension only be used for audio only Ogg Vorbis media. WMV (Microsoft Video Media)The WMV is a proprietary video format developed by Microsoft. The WMV format can support Digital Rights Management (DRM). The WMV format is most commonly found in Microsoft products and select portable media players.
File extensions: .wmv WebM (Google Sponsored Media Format)WebM is an (royalty-free) video format maintained by Webm.org and sponsored by Google. The video media file contains VP8 video and Ogg Vorbis audio. It is very similar, but not identical, to Ogg Theora video. WebM format is unrestricted by software patents. All users are granted a worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free patent license. The format was announced in 2010 and has already gained wide acceptance as a video format for future versions of Google Chrome, Firefox 4, Internet Explorer 9 and Safari Web browsers, as well as Adobe Flash, WinAmp, Miro media players and the open source FFMpeg video editing tool. File extensions: .webm 3GP and 3G2 (Mobile H.263)3GP and 3G2 are video formats typically found on portable media devices such as Android, Blackberry and other smartphones. The video media file contains either Mpeg-4 part 2, H.263 or a variation of H.264. Playback of such a format on a desktop computer typically requires additional updates or software for playback. 3GP and 3G2 media files are not typically used for Internet media distribution. This format is usually converted to one of the other formats above for the maximum device distribution. File extensions: .3gp, .3g2 Other common formats not supported for podcastingThere are many more video formats, including MPEG (.mpg/.mpeg) and MOV (.mov), which are not used for podcasting. These formats are considered “raw”, meaning they contain the original recording and are not compressed or optimized for the Web in any way. In most all cases, a raw recording converted to a Web-friendly version is 10-50 times smaller in size, making the Web-friendly version the ideal choice for both bandwidth and speed of delivery. We live in an era in which information is shared faster than it has ever been before. We’ve witnessed the rise of social media. We’ve seen traditional media’s attempts to compete for the attention of a public barraged with information. And, it has been the video format that has, most often, been favored to cross the divide towards the general public. But, with so much video content and with the growth of the industries that help produce it, the public has also come to expect the best quality. Today we will try to have the most popular video file formats explained, their pros, their cons, as well as when and where they can be best used. What Are the Benefits of Different Video Formats?Yes, the technology involved in creating videos has evolved over the years. It’s now much easier to film quality videos, edit them and render them to a format that is widely supported. The public has come to expect and demand the best. Why then hasn’t one video format, in particular, emerged as the industry standard? The short answer is that even though numerous formats exist, the most well known of them have slightly different traits. These make some more helpful than others in certain situations. For example, some of them are preferred because of various types of video formats quality. Others are popular because of the wide distribution, their compatibility, their technical requirements, or, simply, the difficulty involved with using them. Here are some of the best-known video formats together with their best and worst traits.
AVIIf any format has ever stood in the vicinity of becoming the accepted “industry standard” than that may have been AVI. Short for Audio Video Interleave, the AVI format was developed by Microsoft during the early part of the 1990s. ProsOne of its main advantages has always been the fact that AVI remains very widely supported. This is in no small part due to the fact that, from the beginning, AVI was the default video format for some of the world’s most important camera brands. It’s also worth mentioning the fact that both PC and Mac devices support the format. The AVI codecs help compress the AVI file size while sacrificing little of the video quality. It’s no wonder why the format has retained its popularity. ConsWhile there are few noteworthy shortcomings, it is good to note that uncompressed AVI files are indeed of a very large size. The same codec used to compress the files must be used in order to retrieve and to play them. And, while Youtube, the biggest video sharing platform in the world, does recommend that its users upload MP4 files, the AVI format is itself supported by the website together with the file extensions MOV, WMV, FLV, 3GP, MPEGPS, WebM, and the aforementioned MP4 (MPEG4). Source: ‘Computers’ – Duane Storey via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) MP4The MP4, short for the less catchy title of MPEG-4 Part 14, is an extremely popular video format that was greatly inspired by the QuickTime File Format. Much of its current notoriety can be attributed to the fact that it was developed and, later, used to great effect by Apple. In fact, the MP4 format was embraced by the iTunes platform at was arguably the Apple company’s peak in terms of worldwide notoriety. ProsOne of its main advantages is the fact that the video format is used on numerous video players besides iTunes, such as VLC, Windows Media Player, or GOM Player. Therefore, MP4 files will play on the majority of well-known media players. Being championed by the behemoth video-sharing platform that is Youtube has no doubt helped. But, the support is justified by what the format has had to offer. For example, closed caption file formats, which help with the video subtitles, can be easily integrated over an MP4 video. The quality is also beyond reproach. The MP4 format is helpful in streaming video over the internet while losing little of its quality in the process. MP4 files are able to produce videos of near DVD like quality and the format is compatible with most modern technology. Video sharing platforms often actively encourage users to upload their files in MP4 format for these very reasons. Besides this, the fact that it supports 3D objects make it of great use in developing presentations. ConsWhile few, one of the downsides of using this format has to do with the process of editing these types of files. It is not infrequent for MP4 files that are imported to cause the video software to crash. Therefore, while the MP4 format may sit at the top of the list in a number of areas, it can hardly be referred to as the best video format for editing. Together with avi, mp4 has been the most widely spread file extension for several years. This bares the question. Which one is of better quality, AVI or MP4? While the race is narrow and yet to be fully run, MP4 may slightly outrank the AVI format. This is because of the fact that the MP4 format does include a number of more modern features that the older AVI container was simply not designed to have. Source: ‘Cameraman’- AndreP11 via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) WEBMWith its development stages sponsored by tech giant Google, the WEBM format was created with the distinct goal of being used on websites. And, so it did. When used together with HTML5 specification, WEBM creates videos of very small file sizes. This greatly simplified the streaming of the videos. And, in many ways, for several years, it changed the manner in which numerous websites were designed. ProsFirst of all, WEBM is an open-source, royalty-free format. It is widely used for HTML5 and Chromecast. It produces good quality videos and it is widely used on many popular websites such as Youtube and Wikimedia. And, while mostly used for video streaming, WEBM can also be edited in video software tools such as Corel VideoStudio. In fact, WEBM is still used by some of the best free editing software. ConsThe obvious drawback with the format has to do with its decline in popularity which has coincided with the performance improvement of many platforms. Also, web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome do not support it and WEBM files cannot play on a wide variety of portable devices. AVCHDAn acronym for Advanced Video Coding, ACVHD is the creation of giant electronic companies Sony and Panasonic who partnered for the development of this video format. The goal was to create a file-based format that would allow the playback of high-definition video. It was widely considered to be a success. As a result of the high visual standard it offers, it has long been the go-to standard for pro videographers. ProsAVCHD is the video format used for a number of high-end hardware products including those manufactured by Canon, Hitachi or Sony. Another advantage of AVCHD is that it supports 3D videos. ConsAlthough of a high technical standard, AVCHD is not quite as widely supported as its closest rival, the MP4 video format. Also, it does not support the very popular 4K format. And, getting the videos from your camera onto your computer for editing may prove to be a slower process than with other formats. Still, professional video editing software has tended to take a shine towards it over time. FLVFLV, short for Flash Video Format, is the container file format created to be used in conjunction with the computer software Adobe Flash Player. Essentially, the goal of the video format is to facilitate the simple delivery of high-quality video format over the internet. ProsThe great thing about Flash is that it comes to the help of websites looking to add animation and interactive content. The process is simple and, ultimately, can be of great effect. In its heyday, Flash was also used for simple games. ConsThe downside, of course, stems from the fact that the FLV format has come to be less and less popular in recent years. Creating FLV content can take up a lot of time and be rather costly. Another downside is the fact that Flash content cannot be played on devices using iOS, greatly restricting its potential to gain new fans. MOVThe MOV or QuickTime file format was developed by Apple specifically with the target of it being used by those seeking to easily edit videos. The movies created could be separated into numerous tracks that allow the storage of different types of data. ProsIts greatest asset is its simplicity. The MOV format benefits from a smooth, attractive design that should help even its newest users edit their videos to a high standard. Furthermore, MOV can also be easily used in conjunction with other formats. ConsSome of its drawbacks, however, have to do with the relatively large files it creates as compared to formats such as AVI. In some ways, MP4 can be seen as a descendent of the MOV file, using similar lossy compression standards. This fact usually makes it a more preferable option to its descendant. WMVWhen Microsoft developed Windows Media Video (MPV) their belief was that the new format would come to dominate the world of online video streaming. Its connection to the Windows brand has certainly increased its visibility. ProsWMV’s biggest talking point was the drastically reduced size of saved files which could be easily transferred through means such as e-mails. ConsOn the other hand, the main disadvantage with the small WMV files is the way in which the image quality is retained after compression. Furthermore, as the video format was created with Windows in mind, it is not easy to find media players capable of running WMV files in other operating systems. MKVMKV, short for matroshka (a reference to the Russian traditional stacking dolls) aims to be an open-source competitor for video-formats such as AVI or MP4. It was developed by MCF (Multimedia Container Format) and received its big break in 2014 when Windows announced plans to support the MKV format out of the box and offer technical support for it. ProsMKV files can support lossless quality and the single files can contain an unlimited number of images, videos or audio. Since it is an open-source project, it supports a variety of available codecs. ConsWhile it doesn’t have too many outright issues, Matroshka is still not widely supported, the project is still in its initial stages of evolution and it is considered by many to be more complicated to use than AVI or MP4. Conclusions: What is the best video format for you at the moment?Which video format is the best quality? The word is still out on one video format to stand before all others. This is because simply put, the various video formats take care of different consumer needs. Having said that, some of the formats we analyzed start the race with a tiny advantage, being tailor-made for one particular use.
All in all, there has not been one single video format that has become an industry standard for the very reason that they can, usually, be distinguished from one another through the issues they solve. And, while technology will no doubt improve, leaving consumers demanding ever increased standards, many of the most popular video formats currently will remain of considerable importance for years to come. |
Which file format is a royalty-free, open video and audio format that is sponsored by google?
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