
Codecs are used to organize media data, but that data is held within a container. CodecsĪ codec is the order used to layout the data of an audio or video file in such a way that it may be utilized for playback, editing or changing to other codecs (transcoding). On the other hand, the plethora of video formats means that, whatever type of video production you’re doing, there’s a good way to make it happen. It’s enough to make you yearn for the days when you could just put a tape in the camera and press record. Possibly one of the most confusing things about video formats is the idea that there’s both a container and a codec associated with every video file. Then they usually want to know what kind of videotape it’s stored on and hope that they can find something that will still play it back. When someone asks what format a video is in, they often want to know what container and codec were used to make it - and possibly what standard it is encoded to - unless, of course, the video is from the dark ages. It is also important to understand for cinematography, where the quality of what shows on screen is critical. By understanding the various formats, you can ensure that your video is viewed in the right way with the best quality. From high-end 4K home theaters to video streaming from a cellphone, video is everywhere. Today many, many more options exist and people are taking advantage of them all. Twenty years ago, everybody was watching movies the same way - either on a screen via a projector, or on a television set. When a film festival or broadcaster asks for a delivery format for video, the better you understand it, the easier it will be to have your project looking the best it can.
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To know if editing or color correction software can handle you video natively or if it will need to be transcoded, you have to know the format of the footage. If you understand the format that a camera shoots in, then you can calculate how much storage space you will need for the footage you plan to shoot. There’s a multitude of reasons that video format is important for video editing. But fear not! Once you unlock the knowledge of codecs and containers, you’ll be able to continue your quest toward great video. Many work hours can be lost to footage in formats that render slowly or need to be transcoded. On top of that, many of these standards had their own sub-standards (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, etc.) Suddenly there was a bewildering array of video formats. When the digital age dawned, everything went out the window. If you read a two-page article, you would discover the differences. A few decades back, when Videomaker was just starting out, shooting and editing got a little complicated with the introduction of VHS, VHS-C and Betamax.
