Identifying and converting digital video file formats can be confusing and frustrating because of the large number of file types used in the industry and the strange names used to identify them. Here is an easy-to-use guide to help you deal with the 40 or so types of formats that today's digital videos can be saved in.
It's not widely known, but digital video files actually have two layers. The outer layer is called the container. The container is also called a "wrapper," because it wraps together all the different subfiles that work together as a video. The inner layer of subfiles is called the codec. Codecs usually consist of a video file plus an audio file. When you play back the video on your computer, personal music player, cell phone, or DVD player, the codec files work together inside the container to give you a seamless viewing experience.
The names of the five most common container formats are probably familiar to you. They are AVI, MPEG-4, ASF (which is actually WMV), Flash, QuickTime, and 3GPP. There are many more obscure container types, but most of the time you'll be dealing with one of the "Big 5."
Usually, you only need to know what type of container file your video is stored in to tell you whether you can play it on your playback device. Occasionally, however, one of the codec files inside the container will be written in a format that your player software doesn't recognize. When this happens, your playback device will reject the video file even though it is supposed to play that type of file. If you run into this problem a lot, your best bet is to purchase video converter software that supports the highest number of container and codec types you can find, and use it to convert the files into a format that your player recognizes.
Here is a look at the "Big 5" container formats and their pros and cons:
* AVI - These files have the.avi extension. AVI is a very common format in video cameras, particularly inexpensive models such as the Flip. AVI works acceptably well for playing back on a personal computer because it's widely used, so most playback programs support it. AVI's biggest problems are needing a large file size to maintain quality, and wild variations in the codec formats inside the AVI container. It's very common for a player to reject an AVI file, even though it's supposed to play AVI files, because one of the codec files inside the AVI container is written in a code that the player doesn't recognize.
* MPEG-4 - These files have the.mpg or.mp4 extension. There are many types of MPEG files, but MPEG-4 is the most common. MPEG-4 is the best format for playing back files on a personal computer because it's such a common format and is supported by virtually all playback software programs. Although the quality is similar to that of AVI, the file size is much smaller than an AVI file. Codec problems are must less common in MPEG files than AVI files. MPEG is the closest thing to a universal video format on the market today.
* ASF (WMV) - ASF files have the.wmv extension, and are more commonly known as WMV files, even though WMV is actually a codec name, not a container name. WMV stands for Windows Media Video and is a proprietary file format owned by Microsoft. This means you will either need Windows Media Player installed on your computer, or you will need to convert the WMV file into a format that your player recognizes. Windows Media Player is available for Windows or Mac free of charge. ASF/WMV files are suitable for computer playback or for uploading to the internet.
* Flash - These files have the.flv extension and are used almost exclusively for uploading to the internet. If you've ever watched a YouTube video, you've seen Flash video in action. The file size is tiny, it streams over the internet into your browser quickly, and the quality is usually poor. The playback software for Flash is a proprietary program by Adobe that comes pre-installed on most browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox. Codec problems can occur with Flash, but they are usually easy to fix by updating your browser to the latest version.
* QuickTime - These files have the.mov extension. They require the proprietary QuickTime player software developed by Apple, which is available for both Mac and Windows free of charge. The MPEG-4 container is a non-proprietary version of the QuickTime container, so if a codec works in MPEG-4, it generally will work in QuickTime too. QuickTime is a virtually trouble-free video format that works well for playback on your computer or streaming over the internet.
* 3GPP - These files have the.3gp extension and are formatted exclusively for playback on a handheld device like a cell phone, smart phone, or personal desk assistant. 3GPP works great when recorded on a handheld device and then played back. The video quality will vary depending on the quality of the device that recorded it, and can range from poor to excellent, similar to the differences in photos taken with cell phone cameras. QuickTime will play back 3GPP files on a computer, but very few other player programs will handle 3GPP files. Conversion software is usually needed to transfer videos between a computer and a handheld device in a playable format.
Dustin H. Pitcher is a freelance writer, technology specialist, and graphic designer with ten years of experience in print and multimedia. Visit his blog and learn more about the AVS4you Video Converter.
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