Video formats directly affect the quality, speed and streaming experience. With the advancement of digital devices and networks, it becomes a core need to develop advanced formats of video files for a smooth and better web experience. In this blog, we will discuss some of the most common video formats with amazing streaming results.
What are Video Formats?
The file type that stores data of your file is a file format. Formats have a direct impact of the performance and quality of the file, whether it is a media file, PDF file, Word file or any other data. It is also possible to change the current video format using a different video converter. However, video format is usually composed of two parts:
Container: This component of the file format stores and organizes data
Codecs: Codecs are responsible for the playback of media files
Top 5 Video Formats for Online Streaming
- MKV
- MP4
- MOV
- WebM
- AVI
MKV
MKV, also known as Matroska, is a popular format used to store and playback large media files and is usually used in professional editing. For example: movies, podcasts, TV series, documentaries, etc. MKV is the first preference of the users who don’t want to compromise on quality. It has the ability to save metadata like subtitles, texts or captions. It is known as a universal format as it is compatible with almost all video and audio coding formats.
Pros:
- Regularly updated by authorities
- Open-source file format
- You can store and preview numerous images
Cons:
- Limited in device support
- The compression process of MKV is relatively complex
MP4
Here is the most popular and versatile file format compatible with a variety of devices and operating systems. You can use it for multiple streaming services, including major ones, i.e. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Social networking or online streaming is the major use case of this file format.
Pros:
- MP4 compression doesn’t affect video quality
- Compatible with multiple media players
- Can store metadata with media file
Cons:
- Compression sometimes affects quality
- This format requires a lot of processing power
MOV
There is another file format, MOV, developed by Apple to support playback on iOS. Owing to the high quality of mthe edia file, it requires high processing power and more storage space compared to similar formats.
Pros:
- Other than iOS, you can use it for Mac or Windows
- Ideal for professional editing
- Can store time code, text, subtitles, video and audio separately
Cons:
- Doesn’t support all media player
- No support of files larger than 4GB for online streaming
WebM
WebM is an efficient tool for broadcasting multimedia content on a large scale. Its greatest strength is that it compresses the video file, retaining high-quality. If you stream video on YouTube or Streamlab, WebM is perfect for you. Also supports streaming of visual content on web browsers like Chrome or Edge.
Pros:
- High compression ratio
- Doesn’t consume lot of computing power for processing
- Perfect for online streaming
Cons:
- Majorly suitable for mobile
- No support for old devices and browsers
AVI
Here is AVI – another broad range format compatible with multiple media codecs and digital platforms. It can be used for web browsing on Windows, Mac and Linux. But due to large file size, it lacks sometimes. However, it is one of the best formats for storing and playing videos offline.
Pros:
- Support all frequently used media players, web browsers and OS
- Maintain the quality of both the video and audio track
- You can use this format in creating DVDs
Cons:
- Consumes more storage space
- Not so suitable for live streaming
- If the file is compressed beyond the supported limit the quality of the file may be lost
Conclusion:
This blog represents the latest file formats along with their pros and cons. This will give you detailed insight into the most popular file formats to support your online streaming workflow.