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Help me understand mp4/mpeg-4...I am confused about this issue

by absbica
4 replies
So if you use Camtasia, everything exported is an mp4 in the latest version. It uses the h.264 codec and makes the file type .mp4

If you use Final cut Pro, you can encode with the h.264 codec, but the file type using Quicktime Conversion is .mov

you can choose the mpeg-4 export option, but it limits its size to 320x240 vga.

On ANY of those YouTube type video sites out there that offer the various download options (mp4, wmv, flv, etc...) next to the video...is the mp4 option meant more for the ipod then your standard "large" video like 720x480?

I am confused.

thanks,
Bryan
#confused #issue #mp4 or mpeg4i #understand
  • Profile picture of the author xiaophil
    Hi Bryan,

    I think it may be helpful to separate the notions of encoding and container formats.

    Things like MP4, MOV and AVI are just container formats which don't actually specify the way the data inside is encoded.

    H.264 (MPEG4 AVC), MJPEG, DivX etc are encoding/decoding (codec) standards which specify how the data is compressed.

    Containers can hold different kinds of encoded data. The only way to know what it contains is to open it, hence the effect sometime of an application being happy to open a file only to say it can't decode it.

    A container itself isn't usually meant for any particular platform but can target a device (like your iPod example) by using the appropriate codecs and native device resolution.


    Phil
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Motley
    Let me google that for you
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  • Profile picture of the author Craig Fenton
    Hi Bryan:

    For video uploading sites many (YouTube converts to FLV or Flash) to save space and download/play time use file extensions that compress the video.

    Think of it as the same as MP3/Wave for audio. MP3 can be 1/10 the size of a wave file but you give up fidelity but gain speed and space saving.

    With FLV (Flash) you can gain the same file saving and quickness but you do lose the quality compared to an MPEG.

    In an optimum world an MPEG is a great extension to have videos created and watched because they were the standard at one time. This means you don't have to worry about software to make/play them. Many extensions are not that common. For example several video editing programs will have an extension when yo ucreate something that they don't want universal. Their goal is that you can only use their product for it.

    Always know that MPEG is good and Flash is becoming more and more popular. There are now free Flash players so that uploading/viewing are not a problem.

    There software that converts to and from most video formats costs between 40 and 100 dollars depending on features, if that is something you may require.

    Hope this helps and good luck!
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