JSON

Video File Formats - JSON

Video file formats are standards for storing digital video and audio in containers. Various formats such as MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, and WebM each have distinct characteristics in compression, compatibility, and functionality. Choosing the optimal format for your use case allows you to balance video quality, file size, and playback environment.

video file format MP4 MKV AVI MOV WebM codec container

[
  {
    "code": "1",
    "slug": "mp4",
    "name": "MP4",
    "description": "The most widely used video file format.",
    "extension": ".mp4",
    "developer": "MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)",
    "releaseYear": 2001,
    "license": "Patent-encumbered",
    "supportedCodecs": [
      "H.264",
      "H.265/HEVC",
      "AV1",
      "MPEG-4"
    ],
    "compatibility": "Excellent",
    "bestFor": [
      "YouTube uploads",
      "Social media",
      "Mobile playback",
      "Streaming"
    ]
  },
  {
    "code": "2",
    "slug": "avi",
    "name": "AVI",
    "description": "A legacy video file format developed by Microsoft.",
    "extension": ".avi",
    "developer": "Microsoft",
    "releaseYear": 1992,
    "license": "Proprietary",
    "supportedCodecs": [
      "DivX",
      "Xvid",
      "H.264",
      "H.265",
      "MPEG-4"
    ],
    "compatibility": "Good (Windows)",
    "bestFor": [
      "Legacy compatibility",
      "Uncompressed video",
      "Windows environments"
    ]
  },
  {
    "code": "3",
    "slug": "mkv",
    "name": "MKV",
    "description": "An open-source, high-functionality video container format.",
    "extension": ".mkv",
    "developer": "Matroska/CoreCodec",
    "releaseYear": 2002,
    "license": "Open-source",
    "supportedCodecs": [
      "H.264",
      "H.265",
      "VP8",
      "VP9",
      "AV1",
      "DivX",
      "Xvid"
    ],
    "compatibility": "Good (PC-focused)",
    "bestFor": [
      "Media archiving",
      "Multi-language content",
      "Blu-ray backup",
      "Anime storage"
    ]
  },
  {
    "code": "4",
    "slug": "mov",
    "name": "MOV",
    "description": "A professional video format developed by Apple.",
    "extension": ".mov",
    "developer": "Apple",
    "releaseYear": 1991,
    "license": "Proprietary",
    "supportedCodecs": [
      "Apple ProRes",
      "H.264",
      "H.265",
      "MPEG-4"
    ],
    "compatibility": "Best on Apple devices",
    "bestFor": [
      "Professional editing",
      "Mac workflows",
      "High-quality preservation",
      "Post-production"
    ]
  },
  {
    "code": "5",
    "slug": "webm",
    "name": "WebM",
    "description": "An open-source video format optimized for the web.",
    "extension": ".webm",
    "developer": "Google",
    "releaseYear": 2010,
    "license": "Royalty-free",
    "supportedCodecs": [
      "VP8",
      "VP9",
      "AV1",
      "Vorbis",
      "Opus"
    ],
    "compatibility": "Modern browsers only",
    "bestFor": [
      "Web embedding",
      "HTML5 video",
      "Streaming",
      "Bandwidth-limited scenarios"
    ]
  }
]