Name and file extension, if different |
Proprietor/Developer |
License |
Support for B-frames |
Variable bit rate audio |
Variable frame rate |
Chapters |
Captions (Subtitles) |
Video formats supported |
Audio formats supported |
Metadata/Tags supported |
Menu Support (like DVD) |
Streaming Support |
Attachment Support[1] |
3D Support (codec) |
3D Support at container level |
Supported by hardware players |
3GP |
3GPP |
? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
3GPP Timed Text |
H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC |
AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AMR-WB+, AAC, HE-AAC and HE-AAC v2 |
? |
No |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
3G2 |
3GPP2 |
? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
3GPP Timed Text |
H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2 and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC |
AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC, HE-AAC, EVRC, EVRC-B, EVRC-WB, 13K (QCELP), SMV or VMR-WB |
? |
No |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Advanced Systems Format (.asf, .wma, .wmv) |
Microsoft |
Proprietary, patent encumbered |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Almost anything through VFW or DMO; H.264/AVC is problematic |
Almost anything through ACM or DMO; Vorbis is problematic |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
Yes |
AVI |
Microsoft |
? |
No[2] |
Yes[3] |
Yes[4] |
Yes, via third party modifications |
Yes, via third party modifications |
Almost anything through VFW; H.264/AVC is problematic due to the limited B-frame support[5] |
Almost anything through ACM; Vorbis is problematic [6] |
Yes through RIFF chunks |
No |
Yes |
No |
? |
No |
Yes |
DivX Media Format (.divx) |
DivX, Inc. |
? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
MPEG-4 Part 2 video encoded to meet DivX profiles |
MP3, PCM, AC-3 |
? |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
Yes |
EVO |
MPEG |
Patent encumbered |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
MPEG-2 Part 2, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1 |
AC-3, E-AC-3, Dolby TrueHD, Linear PCM, DTS, DTS-HD, MPEG-2 Part 3 |
? |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
F4V (Flash Video) |
Adobe Systems |
Patent encumbered |
Yes |
? |
Yes |
? |
? |
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC |
MP3, AAC, HE-AAC[7] |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
? |
FLV (Flash Video) |
Adobe Systems |
Patent encumbered |
Yes |
? |
Yes |
No |
No |
Sorenson, VP6, Screen Video, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC[8][9] |
MP3, Nellymoser, ADPCM, Linear PCM, AAC[10], Speex[11] |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Matroska (.mkv, .mk3d, .mka, .mks) |
CoreCodec, Inc.[12] |
Freely licensed[13] |
Yes[14] |
Yes[15] |
Yes[15] |
Yes[16] |
Yes[17] |
Virtually anything |
Virtually anything |
Yes[18] |
under development by CoreCodec |
Yes[20] |
Yes[21] |
Yes[22] |
Yes[22] |
Yes[23] |
MCF |
Community |
BSD-style license for specs, GNU for tools |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes[24] |
Yes[24] |
Not fully specified |
Not fully specified |
Yes |
Possible |
Yes[26] |
Yes[24] |
? |
? |
No |
MP4 |
MPEG |
Patent encumbered |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
1) In specially formatted text track (QuickTime); 2) In userdata atom (started by Nero Digital) can't interact with the sceneDescription, or via segmentDescriptor |
ttxt, VobSubs with private objectTypeIndication not usable with the sceneDescription (started by Nero), BIFS |
MPEG-2 Part 2, MPEG-4 ASP, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.263, VC-1, Dirac, others[27] |
MPEG-2/4 (HE)-AAC, MPEG-1/2 Layers I, II, III (MP3), AC-3, Apple Lossless, ALS, SLS, Vorbis(with private objectTypeIndication), others[27] |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
Yes |
MPEG Video File (.mpg, .mpeg) |
MPEG |
Patent encumbered |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
MPEG-1, MPEG-2[28] |
MPEG-1 Layers I, II, III (mp3), other formats only in private streams: LPCM[29] |
No |
No |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
Yes |
MPEG program stream PS (.ps) |
MPEG |
Patent encumbered |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
Only in private streams — used in VOB files on DVDs |
Only in private streams — used in VOB files on DVDs |
MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 Part 2[28], VC-1, H.264[30] |
MPEG-1 Layers I, II, III (mp3), other formats only in private streams: AAC, AC-3, LPCM, DTS[29] |
No |
Only in private streams — used in VOB files on DVDs |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Yes |
MPEG transport stream TS (.ts) |
MPEG |
Patent encumbered |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
possible via ETSI EN 300 743 |
MPEG-1, MPEG-2 Part 2, MPEG-4 ASP, H.264, other formats in private streams: VC-1, Dirac[31] |
MPEG-1 Layers I, II, III (mp3), AAC, other formats in private streams: AC-3, LPCM, DTS[31] |
No |
No |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
Yes |
BDAV MPEG-2 transport stream (.m2ts) |
Blu-ray Disc Association |
Proprietary |
Yes |
? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
MPEG-2 Part 2, H.264, VC-1 |
AC-3, DTS, LPCM, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD, Dolby Lossless |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Yes |
? |
Yes[32] |
MXF |
SMPTE |
? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
Yes |
Virtually anything |
Virtually anything |
Yes |
No |
? |
? |
? |
? |
No |
Ogg |
Xiph.org |
Patent-free, Free software implementations available |
Yes[2] |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Ogg Writ, Ogg Kate |
Theora, Dirac, OggUVS, MNG and others[33][34], almost anything through VFW |
Vorbis, FLAC, Speex, CELT, OggPCM[33][34], almost anything through ACM |
CMML, Ogg Skeleton, Vorbis comment[35] |
No |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
Yes |
Quicktime (.mov, .qt) |
Apple |
Proprietary |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Limited to what is available to the QuickTime codec manager |
Limited to what is available to Sound Manager or CoreAudio |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
RMVB |
RealNetworks |
Proprietary |
Yes |
? |
Yes |
? |
Yes |
RealVideo 8, 9, 10 |
(HE)-AAC, Cook Codec, Vorbis, RealAudio Lossless |
? |
No |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
? |
VOB+IFO |
DVD Forum |
Proprietary |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
MPEG-2 Part 2, MPEG-1 Part 2 |
AC-3, Linear PCM, DTS, MPEG-2 Part 3, MPEG-1 Layer II |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
WebM |
WebM Project |
perpetual license grant to patents |
Yes, but unused[36] |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
VP8[37] |
Vorbis |
No |
No |
Yes[38] |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes[39] |
|
Proprietor/Developer |
License |
Support for B-frames |
Variable bit rate audio |
Variable frame rate |
Chapters |
Captions (Subtitles) |
Video formats supported |
Audio formats supported |
Metadata/Tags supported |
Menu Support (like DVD) |
Streaming Support |
Attachment Support |
3D Support (codec) |
3D Support at container level |
Supported by hardware players |