Studies have shown that Americans spend about 500 million hours watching videos online every single day. They watch these videos on YouTube, Facebook, and any number of other websites that are out there.
But despite America’s infatuation with watching online videos, most people don’t have the slightest clue as to which types of video file formats they’re looking at when they’re checking out a video. In fact, there are a lot of people who probably couldn’t name a single video file format if they were asked to do it.
Do you fall into this category? If you do, you should think about changing that by learning about all the different types of video file formats that are available these days. It might help you pick out the best video players for the videos you tend to watch online.
Most Popular Types of Video File Formats that exist today
MP4
Most people are well aware of what an MP3 is. Once upon a time, people used to download MP3 files to get their hands on their favorite songs and albums. These audio files were very popular throughout the 2000s and the early 2010s.
MP3s aren’t as popular as they used to be. But MP4s are still all the rage among those who watch videos online. Even though they’ve been around for 20 years now, it’s not that uncommon to come across MP4 files.
MP4s are video file formats that are recognized by most of the best media players. They can be used for audio files, video files, photos, and more. They’re also known for providing high-quality videos without producing huge file sizes. It has made them an ideal option for those trying to figure out which of the types of video file formats would work best for them.
Also Read – Best YouTube to Mp4 Converters Online
MOV
If you own an Apple computer or laptop, you’re likely familiar with MOV files. Apple designed MOV files from the ground up and made it possible for them to be played on their QuickTime player.
MOV files are capable of containing videos, audio, subtitles, and more. Apple also made it so that MOV files could be played on Windows computers if people wanted to do it.
The only downside of the MOV video file format is that MOV files tend to take up a ton of space on a computer’s hard drive. The quality of the videos found in MOV files is so good that these files chew up more memory than their counterparts. They can, therefore, have a negative impact on computer performance in some cases.
WMV
While Apple brought MOV files to life, it was Microsoft that was responsible for creating WMV files. They designed their WMV files to work on the best video players found on Windows computers and laptops.
Much like MP4s, WMV files have earned a reputation for delivering high-quality videos without taking up too much space. But the one thing that sets them apart from MP4s is that they provide better compression. This makes them great for those looking to take advantage of online video streaming.
Although Apple made it so that MOV files could be played on both Apple and Windows computers, WMV files won’t be compatible with Apple devices. But you can download the Windows Media Player on an Apple device to get WMV files to play for you.
FLV
The FLV video file format was put into place for the Adobe Flash Player. Over time, it has turned into one of the most popular types of video file formats, and it can now be played on just about all of the best media players.
FLV files have become an especially good option for those interested in adding video to an online video streaming platform like YouTube. These files are typically on the smaller side, and this makes it easy for people to download them.
If you ever have any issues playing FLV files on your computer, visit https://setapp.com/ to see how to enable the Adobe Flash Player plugin. You can do it quickly to get these files to play videos on your device.
WebM
Most of the other types of video file formats that we’ve talked about here today have been around for quite some time now. They have been developed over the years, but they’ve made their mark on the industry and have a long history within it.
The next two types of video file formats that we’re going to discuss are still on the newer side. The WebM video file format, for example, has only been around for about a decade. It’s an open-source video file format that Google introduced in 2010 to be used with HTML5.
Google created the WebM video file format in the hopes of allowing those on just about any device to watch videos. It’s a very forward-thinking format that is going to be used for years to come.
MKV
Much like the WebM video file format, the MKV format is still in its infancy stage compared to the other types of video file formats on this list. But it has the potential to stick around for the foreseeable future.
MKV video files can hold video, audio, and subtitles in a single file. They can also support almost any video and audio format that you would like, which makes them so much easier to use than other formats.
And on top of all that, MKV files are often referred to as being “future proof.” This means that they’ll update to avoid becoming outdated at any point. It could make them the best type of video file format one day.
Choose the Right Types of Video File Formats to Use From Now On
As you can see, there are so many types of video file formats out there right now. You should try to be more aware of which ones you’re using when you’re watching videos online.
You should also be conscious of which types of video file formats you decide to use when you’re creating videos that will be consumed online. There are some formats that will prove to work better for you than others.
Read more informative articles on video file formats by checking out the other tech-related posts that we’ve put up on our blog.
