If you’re unsure, an MP4 will work for just about any platform. If you’re creating a video for a client, always check to see if they have any specific file type needs. Occasionally, you may need to use a different container depending on where you plan to host your video. When exporting a video for the web, MP4 will be your best bet!

When it’s time to export your video after editing, you’ll most likely be tasked with choosing a file type (container). Modern video editors will be happy to accept all kinds of containers, especially from well-known camera brands. mov to the memory card, however, our Canon camcorders can do AVCHD or MP4, which can be changed in the camera settings menu. Oftentimes, your video camera will determine the container for your original video file as well. avi, but there are many more.Īudio actually uses its own codecs. Popular video (visuals only) containers include. It’s common for a container to be called a file extension since they are often seen at the end of file names (e.g. A container is the file that contains your video, audio streams, and any closed caption files as well. When talking about video file types, most people are referring to file containers. Larger files on their own may be no problem, but when multiplied by the size of the audience, it can cause bandwidth problems that affect internet service providers and users. Be aware that the higher the bit rate, the larger the file size. The higher the bit rate, the less compression, which results in higher quality overall. It is also important to note the bit rate, which refers to the amount of data stored for each second of media that is played. The most common codec includes h.264, which is often used for high-definition digital video and distribution of video content.

The codec of your original video file is often determined by your camera or screen recorder, which you may or may not have control over in your camera settings. Compression is your friend! In order to compress a video, your file must also have a corresponding codec. It gives you much smaller file sizes with minimal quality loss. While the word “compression” can conjure images of pixelated video, the process is both necessary and efficient with modern digital cameras. It can digitize and compress an audio or video signal for transmission and convert an incoming signal to audio or video for reception. You may have heard the phrase video codec when referring to video files.Ī codec is simply the software that compresses your video so it can be stored and played back. Let’s dig into this and try to simplify things by the end of this post! Codecs (for compression) While there are a plethora of video file types, which consist of codecs and containers, choosing the right one doesn’t have to be complicated - but it certainly can be.

Video file type for mac