Main video file extension
Main video file extension
Before starting the video editing section, you should know which are the most common digital video formats and their most frequent uses.
MP4
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is the most common type of video file format. As Apple’s preferred format, MP4 can also be played on most other devices. It uses the MPEG-4 encoding algorithm to store video and audio files, and text, but offers lower definition than the others. The MP4 format works well for videos posted on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MOV
The MOV (QuickTime Movie) format stores high-quality video, audio and effects, but these files tend to be quite large Developed for the QuickTime player by Apple, MOV files use MPEG-4 encoding for playback in QuickTime for Windows. The MOV format is compatible with Facebook and YouTube, and works well for viewing on TVs.
WMV
WMV (Windows Media Viewer) files offer good video quality and large file sizes like MOV. Microsoft developed WMV for Windows Media Player. YouTube supports WMV, and Apple users can watch these videos, but they must download Windows Media Player for Apple. Remember that you cannot select your own aspect ratio in WMV.
AVI
The AVI (Audio Video Interleave) format works well with almost all web browsers on Windows, Mac and Linux machines. Developed by Microsoft, the AVI format offers the highest quality, but also large file sizes. It is compatible with YouTube and works well for viewing on TVs.
AVCHD
This format (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) is specific for high resolution video. Created for Panasonic and Sony camcorders, these files are compressed for easy storage without losing definition.
FLV, F4V y SWF
Flash FLV, F4V and SWF (Shockwave Flash) video formats are designed for Flash Player, but are commonly used to stream videos on YouTube. Flash is not supported on iOS devices.
MKV
Developed in Russia, the Matroska Multimedia Container format is free and open source. It is compatible with almost any codec, but is not compatible with many programmes. The MKV format is a smart choice if you expect your video to be viewed on a TV or computer using an open source media player such as VLC or Miro.
WEBM o HTML5
These formats are best for video embedded on your personal or business website. They are small files, so they load very quickly and stream easily.
MPEG-2
If you want to burn your video to DVD, MPEG-2 format with an H.262 codec is the way to go.
