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Wrapping your head around concepts like video formats and codecs can feel genuinely scary with big collections of anomalous letters and numbers like MP4, MOV, and H.264 being thrown around; it's enough to make anyone’s head explode, even us more experienced editors!
While initially intimidating, understanding these vital technical concepts for creating and sharing high-quality videos can save you many headaches later. Whether you want to become a successful videographer, YouTuber, or simply edit videos for fun, learning video formats and codecs is necessary to get the most out of your hard work.
This beginner's guide breaks down these big, scary, complex topics into simple terms, giving you a solid baseline to build upon. Once you understand the basics, even new developments will make much more sense when swimming in the nebulous world of digital formats, so let's dive in!
Before we get bogged down in technical jargon, let's cover the basic role that video formats and codecs play in video making.
In simple terms, video formats refer to the "containers" that hold video data. A container is exactly as it sounds. It’s like a specific place for all of the data to be held in. Popular formats include MP4, MOV, and AVI files.
Codecs, on the other hand, refer to how the video stream itself is compressed and encoded. It’s essentially how the stuff/data is laid out in that box ‘container.’ Common codecs are H.264 and H.265.
Understanding the formats and codecs used in your video pipeline is crucial because:
Codecs are responsible for compressing and encoding this data so the files don't get gigantic in size (and oh boy they can get chonky).
Think of encoding as translating the raw video into a special formatted secret code that can be stored, sent online, and then decoded later by video players. It's a bit like if your friend spoke Spanish, and you only understood English. Encoding would be translating your English speech into Spanish that your friend understands.
On the other end, decoding happens when that Spanish speech gets translated back into English you understand. This encoding and decoding of video is what codecs handle behind the scenes.
Compression is all about shrinking the file size by finding duplicate or unnecessary data and throwing it out. If you filmed a 10-minute static shot of a blue sky, you wouldn't need to store 10 minutes of identical blue pixel data; the codec can just say "blue sky for the next 10 minutes" to massively cut down the file size.
Using encoding and compression is crucial because RAW high-resolution video files are massive! Uncompressed, 1 minute of HD video could be 5GB or more in size! Not to mention 4k and above. The best codecs shrink files massively while also retaining quality.
Now that the video is efficiently encoded and compressed by the codec, it needs to be wrapped up neatly in a file for storage and sharing. Here is where video containers come in.
You can think of containers like different formats for wrapping a package. Just like you might use a cardboard box, padded envelope or gift wrap to package an item, video containers wrap up the encoded video streams in different ways depending on their use.
You're probably familiar with image file formats, like JPG and PNG files. Similarly, video files also use special formats. Some of the most common packaging formats are MP4, MOV and AVI containers. Software video players know how to open up these different container types to access the tasty video data goodness inside.
Let's explore the most common video formats beginning editors will usually encounter and their key applications.
Here are the containers and corresponding codecs you'll most commonly work with:
Beyond these formats, others are used in specific industries or applications:
As a beginner, MP4 and MOV formats likely cover most of your early video distribution needs.
If you had to pick one format for sharing videos online and across devices, MP4 is the most versatile choice. Here’s why:
For new video editors, MP4 is the safe bet. It handles the widest range of use cases and platforms with minimal fuss.
The MOV and AVI formats have been around for decades and still have relevant uses today:
MOV:
AVI:
Understanding their legacy support and versatility gives you more format options, especially if working with older footage.
As you advance in the video-making world, you may encounter more niche-use formats like:
Stick with MP4 and MOV for now. But take note of these emerging formats’ existences and applications.
Beyond containers, the other crucial concept is understanding video codecs for compression/encoding. Let’s decode this!
If you take one codec with you on your video editing journey, make it H.264. Here’s why it makes the cut:
While newer codecs exist, H.264's device support makes it a beginner's safest choice.
H.265 (or HEVC) is the successor to H.264, aimed at 4K and HDR content. Benefits include:
It’s geared for future 4K usage, but H.264 still rules widespread HD playback.
MPEG-4 is another codec with a range of applications you’ll encounter:
It still powers many online streaming platforms but H.264 is eating its HD lunch!
Creating and sharing video comes with some format compatibility considerations:
Containers and codecs also intersect with broadcast specifications like:
Getting into these super specific details is less important starting out, especially when making things for yourself. It’s always helpful to learn about what broadcasting conventions exist when working with specific platforms!
Beyond standards, thinking about compatibility across target platforms is crucial:
Always test your videos across what devices you intend for them to be watched on prevents playback issues from potentially ruining your viewing experience!
As you manipulate footage and apply effects in the editing process, there’s often temporary video degradation you aim to recover in the final output:
High compression saves space but can result in:
Experimenting and finding the right balance when exporting your footage, as well as keeping the highest quality ‘master footage’ safe, minimises any permanent damage. NEVER DELETE OR COMPRESS YOUR ORIGINAL FOOTAGE.
Edit-friendly formats retain maximum data for flexibility:
Use these to remove any quality loss for your final FINAL export to distribution formats.
Sharing your edited videos widely involves exporting to target platforms' recommended formats:
Match your export format to the playback environment.
Optimise encodes for quality without overdoing impractical file sizes:
Find the best quality/filesize balance for your needs!
Despite everyone’s best efforts, we will usually encounter some format compatibility hurdles at some point.
Here are some fast troubleshooting solutions:
Testing on target devices catches issues before sharing final cuts!
Hopefully, this beginner’s guide has demystified key concepts like video formats and codecs for you. But if delving into the technical side feels overwhelming at first, powerful yet easy-to-use video editors like Lightworks can smooth the learning curve.
Lightworks simplifies working with different formats and codecs thanks to:
We handle the complicated heavy lifting so you can focus on the best bit: editing!
As you progress from first video edits towards crafting compelling stories, Lightworks enables you to:
Download our free version now to make Lightworks part of your journey!
