Choosing Video File Formats
Once you complete the final draft of your video, you will need to save your file in a format appropriate for online distribution. The two most common file types are .wmv and .mp4.
The .mp4 format is most frequently recommended as the most reliable for quality image and audio. File compression for .mp4 (or .mpeg) has improved over the years, making the files easy to open and download. Depending upon the editing package, the saving options may vary.
Online video sharing sites, such as YouTube and others, recommend uploading videos in a .mpeg or .mp4 format.
The following offers a description of the video file saving options and features:
.mp4 This format is widely used because it works with many different kinds of video software. Apple‘s iTunes uses .mp4 video files for video distribution. These are considered to have the best image quality.
.wmv Windows Media Video files are easily compressed and can be opened in Windows Media Player, Roxio and more. This format is most often used for files that viewers must download to see, but it is not compliant with DVD software.
.avi This is a commonly used format and most media players will play .avi files. However, it can get complicated because the ability to play this type of file depends on how it was encoded. It is common for media players to support only parts of the "codecs," so files may play only video with no audio, or vice versa.
.mov This format is compatible with both Apple and Microsoft, but most commonly used to store movie files on Macs. It is used with QuickTime multimedia player.
.flv This format is commonly used with Adobe Flash files. Non-Adobe players will support it, however, and it can be used with QuickTime
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Production environment
Production equipment
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