Codecs_Table_Bible
Container Format Video Codec Audio Codec Bit Depth Color Space Chroma Subsampling Color Standard Bitrate Mode Compression Type Audio Tracks Video Tracks Subtitle Tracks Notes
.ai AIFF 16/24-bit CBR/VBR Lossless Variable Uncompressed, high-quality audio used in professional environments
.avi MPEG-4 MP3 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 601 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Up to 2 1 No Older format, less e cient compression (e.g., professional video production, broadcast TV)
. ac FLAC 16/24-bit CBR Lossless Variable Compressed, lossless audio
. v H.264 (AVC) MP3/AAC 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Single audio track 1 Typically no subtitle support Legacy for streaming, low bitrate (e.g., older web video formats, used in HTML5 video) (widely supported, standard for web streaming and Blu-ray)
.mkv AV1 Opus 10-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 2020 VBR Inter-frame Up to 16 audio tracks Up to 16 video tracks Supports multiple internal subtitle tracks (e.g., SRT, SSA) Highly adaptable for future use, high compression, royalty-free (e.g., future web standards, Net ix 4K streaming) (next-generation royalty-free codec, optimized for high compression e ciency) (highly e cient codec, optimized for web and low-latency applications like voice)
.mkv Dolby Vision AAC/PCM 12-bit YUV/RGB 4:2:2 / 4:4:4 Rec. 2020 / DCI-P3 / HDR10 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Up to 16 audio tracks Up to 16 video tracks Supports multiple internal subtitle tracks (e.g., SRT, SSA) High dynamic range support, HDR10, Dolby Vision (HDR format for premium visual quality, supported on compatible 4K and UHD devices)
.mkv VP9 Opus 8/10-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 2020 / Rec. 709 VBR/CBR Inter-frame Up to 16 audio tracks Up to 16 video tracks Supports multiple internal subtitle tracks (e.g., SRT, SSA) Common in open-source video, HDR supported (e.g., YouTube, Chrome browser videos) (open-source alternative to H.265, used in web applications like YouTube) (highly e cient codec, optimized for web and low-latency applications like voice)
.mov CineForm PCM 10/12-bit YUV/RGB 4:2:2 / 4:4:4 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 / DCI-P3 VBR Intra-frame Up to 32 audio tracks 1 video track Supports internal subtitle tracks E cient for high-quality editing and mastering (uncompressed audio, typically used in professional editing)
.mov DNxHD PCM 10-bit YUV/RGB 4:4:4 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 CBR Intra-frame Up to 32 audio tracks 1 video track Supports internal subtitle tracks Common format in professional editing for editing and post-production (uncompressed audio, typically used in professional editing)
.mov H.264 PCM/ALAC 8/10-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 / Log / Rec. 2020 CBR Intra-frame Up to 32 audio tracks 1 video track Supports internal subtitle tracks Apple formats, higher delity (e.g., Dolby Vision compatible devices, 4K HDR10 content)
.mov ProRes PCM 10/12-bit YUV/RGB 4:2:2 / 4:4:4 Rec. 709 / Log / Rec. 2020 / DCI-P3 CBR Intra-frame Up to 32 audio tracks 1 video track Supports internal subtitle tracks Professional editing, lossless quality (e.g., Final Cut Pro, Apple ProRes work ows) (uncompressed audio, typically used in professional editing)
.mov ProRes RAW PCM 12-bit YUV/RGB 4:4:4 Rec. 2020 / Log / DCI-P3 CBR Intra-frame Up to 32 audio tracks 1 video track Supports internal subtitle tracks RAW format for high dynamic range and color grading exibility (uncompressed audio, typically used in professional editing)
.mp3 MP3 16-bit CBR/VBR Lossy Stereo (2 channels) Compressed, lossy audio (CBR/VBR)
.mp4 H.264 AAC/MP3 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 / Rec. 601 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Up to 8 audio tracks 1 video track Supports internal subtitle tracks (e.g., SRT, TTML) and external les Widely used in social media (e.g., early open-source projects, less common today)
.mp4 H.264 (AVC) AAC 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 / Rec. 601 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Up to 8 audio tracks 1 video track Supports internal subtitle tracks (e.g., SRT, TTML) and external les Standard for streaming, e cient compression (e.g., YouTube, Net ix streaming) (widely supported, standard for web streaming and Blu-ray) (default audio codec for most streaming platforms, provides high-quality lossy compression)
.mp4 H.265 (HEVC) AAC 8/10-bit YUV 4:2:0 / 4:2:2 Rec. 2020 / Rec. 709 / Rec. 601 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Up to 8 audio tracks 1 video track Supports internal subtitle tracks (e.g., SRT, TTML) and external les Better compression, supports HDR (e.g., 4K Blu-ray, Net ix 4K HDR content) (supports higher compression and HDR, commonly used for 4K and UHD) (default audio codec for most streaming platforms, provides high-quality lossy compression)
.mpg MPEG-2 MP2/AC3/PCM 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 / 4:2:2 Rec. 601 / Rec. 709 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Variable 1 Variable Widely used in DVDs, broadcast TV, supports SD to HD resolutions
.ari ARRIRAW / ProRes PCM 12-bit ARRI Wide Gamut 4:4:4 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 VBR / CBR RAW / Intra-frame Up to 8 audio tracks 1 video track No Used in high-end cinema production, supports both uncompressed (ARRIRAW) and compressed (ProRes) work ows
.ogg Theora Vorbis 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 VBR Inter-frame Up to 2 audio tracks Up to 2 video tracks Typically no subtitle support Open-source, less common in modern applications (open-source alternative to AAC, used in older web and multimedia platforms)
.mxf AVC-Intra PCM 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 CBR Intra-frame Up to 16 1 No Professional use, lossless quality, editing (uncompressed audio, typically used in professional editing)
.mov CineForm PCM 10/12-bit YUV/RGB 4:2:2 / 4:4:4 Rec. 2020 / Rec. 709 VBR Intra-frame Up to 16 1 No High resolution, professional editing format (uncompressed audio, typically used in professional editing)
.mxf DNxHR PCM 10/12-bit YUV/RGB 4:2:2 / 4:4:4 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 CBR Intra-frame Up to 16 1 No High resolution, professional editing format (uncompressed audio, typically used in professional editing)
.mxf MXF OP-Atom PCM 8/10-bit YUV 4:2:2 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 CBR Intra-frame Up to 16 1 No Used in television post-production, high compatibility with professional systems
.mxf MXF OP1a PCM 8/10-bit YUV 4:2:2 Rec. 709 / Rec. 2020 CBR Intra-frame Up to 16 1 No Common in TV broadcasting, supports multiple audio tracks and metadata
.r3d RED RAW None 12/16-bit RAW Rec. 2020 / Rec. 709 VBR Intra-frame Up to 16 1 No RAW format with high dynamic range and exibility
.wav PCM 16/24-bit CBR Lossless Variable Uncompressed PCM audio (uncompressed audio, typically used in professional editing)
.webm VP8 Vorbis 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 VBR Inter-frame Variable Up to 16 Variable Common for web streaming, open-source (open-source alternative to AAC, used in older web and multimedia platforms)
.webm VP8/VP9 Vorbis 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Variable Up to 16 Variable Open-source, e cient compression (open-source alternative to AAC, used in older web and multimedia platforms)
.avi CineForm PCM 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 Rec. 709 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Up to 2 1 No Widely used for intermediate editing in post-production
.avi H.264 MP3 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 601 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Up to 2 1 No Popular for web video
.mp4 H.264 (AVC) AAC 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 CBR/VBR Inter-frame Up to 16 Up to 16 Yes Most common for streaming and web use
.mp4 H.265 (HEVC) AAC 10-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 2020 VBR Inter-frame Up to 16 Up to 16 Yes Newer codec, more e cient than H.264
.mov ProRes PCM 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 Rec. 709 CBR/VBR Intra-frame Up to 16 Up to 16 Yes Professional video production codec
.mov DNxHD AAC 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 Rec. 2020 VBR Intra-frame Up to 16 Up to 16 Yes Widely used in professional work ows
.mxf XAVC PCM 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 Rec. 709 CBR/VBR Intra-frame Up to 16 Up to 16 Yes Professional and broadcast use
.mxf AVC-Intra PCM 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 Rec. 2020 VBR Intra-frame Up to 16 Up to 16 Yes Common in broadcast and professional production
.mp4 M4V (Apple-speci c H.264) AAC, Dolby Digital (AC3) 8-bit YUV 4:2:0 Rec. 709 VBR Inter-frame Up to 16 1 Yes Primarily used for iTunes videos and Apple devices, supports DRM protection
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