Video formats and their application

The abundance of video formats, which number about fifty, puts any user before choosing which format to use. And in this issue, you can not say that any option is better than others, because for different purposes, different video formats are used.

However, the consideration of the concept of video format is impossible without considering the concept of codecs. A codec is something like a microprogram that converts information in order to keep it and play it easier. However, the basic structure of the file (it is also called a container) is practically unchanged, and therefore for all files is the same. The most popular codecs in recent years are DivX, MPEG2, XviD and H.264. It is from the use of a certain codec that the future video format depends.

The XviD codec is the main MPEG4 codec. Thanks to this codec, high image quality is achieved even in the most dynamic scenes. Of course, many other video formats provide not the worst image, however, this format allows you to create excellent quality, despite the relatively small file size. Another advantage is the free distribution of the codec. Of course, the need for a license rarely stopped Russian release, however, it is still quieter to work with free versions.

DivX is the most popular codec. Widely used in the era of videocassettes. However, with the fifth version, the license for its use became paid. Unlike the previous two, the main application of the MPEG2 codec is digital television. The reason for this is the high speed of processing information of this kind. In addition, it is often used when recording video discs and when compressing video files.

So, we looked at the most popular video codecs, and now let's go directly to the video formats. The most used, in principle and logically, are the simplest ones, namely AVI, MP4, MKV and TS.

AVI is the most widely used video format. The scope of its application is almost limitless. It is the basis of some other formats. The deciphering of its abbreviation is literally translated, as alternation of audio and video. Its main advantage is the ability to combine several video streams, as well as adding other streams, up to the text information. When creating this video format, many different codecs are used, which explains its versatility.

MKV or Matroska Video is also one of the most famous containers and, incidentally, is freely distributed. Such video formats, like this one, are capable of storing a huge amount of information, starting from ordinary video streams and ending with a special division into chapters. The openness of the code allows you to edit it manually, which is used by many programmers of the world. This format in recent years has been rapidly gaining an audience of regular users.

However, video formats are not an integral structure, they can be changed. Now changing the format of the video is, roughly speaking, a trifling matter. Even a beginner can cope with it. Since literally every user on the computer is loaded with any prog to change the format of the video. And most often, these are programs for changing the format of not only video, but many files, so they become popular.