MP4 file format uses, features, advantages and disadvantages

MP4 file format is commonly known as MPEG-4 Part 14 or MPEG-4 AVC ( Advanced Video Coding ) , It is the multimedia file format used to digitally store the audio & video files , It can deliver the excellent streaming quality on the internet & the mobile devices , MP4 compression is lossless , Audio or video quality of the actual file is not decreased .

MP4 Player format

MP4 file format is a container that holds audio & video files that are digitally encoded , It comes with only one official file extension i-e .mp4 , There are two unofficial file extensions as well namely .m4A which is audio only and .m4p which stands for protected MP4 file format .

The MP4 file is the movie or video clip which uses MPEG-4 compression , MP4 can be compatible with various video players , It is one of the latest in a long line of MPEG video formats developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group , It supports the compression , the subtitles , multiple data types & streaming .

Due to the efficient trade-off between video quality , file size and streaming support , MP4 is used to distribute video via the Internet , It is supported in video editors & it allows the use of lossless compression codecs , enabling you to manage your entire workflow in MP4 format .

MP4 Player format

The video files using MP4 file container are compressed using H.264 or MPEG-4 compression techniques while the audio files are compressed using AAC compression algorithm which is also used for .AAC extension file compressions , MP4 can technically support not just audio & video but also the text & the images .

MPEG-4 is is the graphics & video file type , It is based on the technology used by Apple for its QuickTime programs & files, The file is designed to be transmitted over a narrower bandwidth than similar JPEG & QuickTime files, making it better suited to low bandwidth media like cellphones & broadband Internet connections .

Their compatibility with multiple media players such as Real & QuickTime make them preferable to the other, more player-specific file types , They can play back only archived content , You can’t use them to stream live events , MP4 files require you to wait for pre-buffering before viewing content , increasing the amount of time it takes to view the video as a whole .

MP4 file format advantages

MP4 file format is suitable for video streaming over the internet , There is less loss of quality with higher degree of compression , It can store the data types other than video & audio , such as the object descriptors , the scene descriptors , other object oriented file structures & MPEG features .

MP4 format has been preferred as a file format by most of the consumers , because of the versatility & the benefits it offers to the users , It can handle the most advanced technologies such as h.264 , The separate hint track is used to encode streaming information , MP4 files can be run on all the main media players & sound card drivers .

MPEG-4 files let you watch streaming video on your computer , It can support multiple bits of data in addition to the standard video or audio stream , It can mix video with a variety of visual elements including the text , the animation layers in both 2-D and 3-D and still graphics .

MPEG-4 video file can support things such as the stage descriptions , 3-D objects & embedded interactivity features , This ability can prove valuable when the file is being used to create the multimedia presentation .

MPEG-4 files are more compatible with low bandwidth media including DSL & broadband Internet connections as they can transmit on the narrow bandwidth , The bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transmitted by the device or connection within a set amount of time .

Many programs & devices can support MPEG-4 video files , Apple QuickTime 6 & any later edition will support both MP4 file playback and compression , Real-Media uses the licensed plug-in to play back MPEG-4 files , IBM uses the plug-in to decode MP4s , The companies including Sony , Samsung , JVC and Philips make a number of media devices which support & actively use MP4 files .

pple’s iPod popularized MP4s more than anything else , Google Video used MP4 to allow the users to download video to their Apple iPod or Sony PSP that made MP4 a popular video format , MP4 is more popular than Apple’s Quicktime format (.mov) because it uses less space & can be played using shareware or freeware such as VLC .

MP4 files work very similarly to MP3 files in that they are compressed files that do not affect the quality of sound , As MP4s deal mostly with video files , they are a little more complex than the MP3 music & audio files , But they are still able to be compressed by using special coding procedures .

MP4s can produce videos with the DVD quality at a rate of 1 Mbps or less with a broadband Internet connection , (That’s blazing fast!) , So , if you were to get an MP4 player , you could get your videos & watch them in a matter of seconds , MP4 players can play older MP formats , including MP3 audio files .

MP4 file format disadvantages

The only drawback of MP4 file format is from editing and movie making point of view , MP4 files are not easy to edit or update , There will more than likely be several piracy issues within the MP4 technology and MP3 format went through this as well .

There are pirated versions of movies on the Internet that are ready for download at any time , MP4s are mainly dealing with videos , The piracy problems are sure to get out of hand as this technology becomes more & more popular .

MP4 file format uses

MP4 file format is used nearly everywhere , being the standard video format , Many mobile platforms & handheld devices use MP4 file format as default file format , The smartphones , iPads and Tablets make wide use of MP4 file format to play the audio & video files .

MP4 format allows the online users to watch the streams and movies , It is used more commonly to record the digital video & audio , They are used to store the subtitles and still pictures .