Digital Video Formats Explained: An Expert’s Guide for Content Creators

One of the more subtle, albeit significant, aspects of getting a video to perform well on a given platform is its video extension format. There are several digital video formats, and each of them offers its own set of pros and cons. As such, the format best suited for the platform where you plan to post your video will depend on which advantages you’re looking for and which cons you’d rather avoid. 

To help you get a better idea of all the different video formats, what they offer, and which is the best bet for your next video, take a look at our easy-to-follow guide below.

What Is a Video Format?

A video’s file format is the specific way it contains all the various information it comprises (audio, video, images, subtitles, metadata, etc.). The file extension identifies digital video formats they are labeled with, such as WMV, MP4, and MOV. 

Between the different types of videos, file formats are primarily distinguished by compression, compatibility, encoding, and file size. It’s important to know when any of these factors matter more than any other, so it’s a good idea to get the details of various video file formats explained before you start producing your content and sharing it online.

Video Codec Format Explained

Before diving into the various digital video formats available, there is another element of a video file that is important to know about — video codecs. 

The term “codec” itself is a combination of the words “compressor” and “decompressor,” the two functions that a codec serves. Video codecs compress the components of the video container to reduce file size until the video is loaded for playing or editing, which is when the codec decompresses those files. 

Particular codecs compress the video file in a way that causes it to lose quality. These are referred to as “lossy” codecs. Others are referred to as “lossless,” which means they can compress a video in a way that involves no loss in quality. 

With that in mind, it may sound like lossless codecs are always the best option, but there are times when a lossy codec may be preferred due to its smaller file size.

7 Types of Digital Video Formats

Every video creator should understand the most common video file formats and their pros and cons. In doing so, they will always know the best form for the platform they produce your videos for. To help you with your own video creation decisions, take a look at the following list of video file formats:

1. MP4

The most common digital video format, MP4 offers relatively small file sizes for high-quality videos. The format also provides broad compatibility, as it is the standard video format on the internet and TV. Suppose you’re posting on social media platforms or YouTube. In that case, you generally can’t go wrong with MP4, but remember that these videos can tax your computer’s resources and are occasionally tricky to edit. 

2. AVI

If you’re ranking the types of video formats quality-first, AVI is likely at the top of that list. This video format has been around for nearly 30 years. Very few options can compare to it when it comes to pristine audio and video quality. 

However, that quality comes at the cost of large file sizes, which makes the format less than ideal for posting on streaming sites. In addition, AVI cannot generate subtitles, which might make it unusable depending on the videos you’re creating and the audiences you’re developing your content for.

3. MKV

MKV is another video file format that offers superior audio and video quality with the caveat of large file size, much like the AVI file format. Something that distinguishes the MKV format from others, though, is that it offers the ability to carry more than one codec at the same time. Unlike AVI files, MKV files can have subtitles, which is one of the many reasons why the format is growing in popularity.  

4. MOV 

Apple created the MOV video format specifically for their hardware and software. Over the years, it has become the preferred file format for video editing. A MOV video can easily be separated for editing while still offering excellent quality. The format’s biggest drawback is that not all devices can play MOV files. 

5. WebM

Google designed the WebM video file format specifically for internet browsers, and it boasts an impressively high level of quality, considering its tiny file size. While that can be a great thing on the browsers with which the format is compatible, WebM is not compatible with all browsers. That can prove problematic if you’re looking to get your video out to as wide an audience as possible. 

6. WMV

Initially developed by Microsoft as the follow-up to the AVI format, WMV is now playable on any device compatible with Windows Media Player. There are several outstanding elements to WMV, including incredible compression, high video quality, and small file size, but unfortunately, there is still a lack of support for the format from other video players. 

7. AVCHD

This video file format was initially designed to record video with Sony and Panasonic camcorders. It offers lossless compression with tiny file sizes, superior-quality audio and video, and plenty of other information in each file. It may sound like a dream come true, but there is one issue. The format only works on Sony, as mentioned above and Panasonic products.

Enhance Digital Video Formats with Subtitles Using Sonix

Now that you can determine the exact video file format best suited for producing and sharing your videos, you should consider improving your content’s accessibility and bringing it to a broader audience with the help of subtitles. 

However, you don’t want to put that in the hands of a slow or unreliable transcriber, and you probably don’t want to spend too much money on it, either. Thankfully, Sonix offers fast and accurate audio transcription service at an affordable price. Take a look at all we have to offer to learn more.