M2V file extension. There are several video standards around the world

We are often asked questions about the differences between the formats video clips, what they are, etc. To answer these and other questions, we present to your attention this article.

Majority video clips from our catalog in formats: SVCD (.m2v), VCD (.mpg, .mpeg) and AVI. Let's briefly describe what each of them is.
Video format name VCD stands for Video Compact Disc. This format allows you to fit up to 72-79 minutes of full-length video along with stereo sound on a 650 or 700 MB CD. For video storage and recording VCD uses a compression standard MPEG-1. Discs recorded in this format can be played on all desktop DVD players, as well as DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drives. .
Format name SVCD stands for Super Video CD. When encoding, a codec is used MPEG-2, which, by the way, is used to create DVD videos. Compared with VCD, SVCD provides better image quality, but the files of this standard are larger. Super Video CD allows you to record about 35-60 minutes of high-quality video on a standard 650 or 700 MB compact disc with two stereo audio tracks and four types of subtitles. .
Another format you can convert to video clips, - AVI. It determines how the audio and video tracks are stored in the file, but not how they are encoded. Therefore, different codecs can be used for compression. The most popular codecs for compressing files in the format AVI- This M-JPEG And DivX.

Compression algorithms

The need for video compression arose simultaneously with the advent of digital video as such - in uncompressed form, a two-hour film can take up to 100 GB or more. A large number of compression algorithms have been invented, including MPEG-2, which is used today to burn DVDs. Format MPEG-2, originally developed for digital television broadcasting, allows you to remove up to 97% of redundant information and at the same time guarantees an image whose quality is almost identical to uncompressed video.
The emergence of the format DivX preceded MPEG-4, which was specifically designed for transmitting data over the Internet and mobile networks. The main difference MPEG-4 compared to the compression formats existing at that time, there was a greater degree of compression (compressed MPEG-4 video that is in MPEG-2 took up more than four gigabytes, could fit on a regular disc). At the same time, the quality of the resulting image remained high.
MPEG-4 served as an impetus for the development of the codec Windows Media Video V3, which, in turn, became the basis for the creation DivX. The latter had better characteristics and therefore quickly gained popularity. Today it is one of the best video compression formats.

PotPlayer is a free player with many features. Its distinctive feature is very high quality playback and support for almost all modern audio and video file formats. This program can solve most problems that the user needs. For example, the PotPlayer player is able to work with all subtitles and other tracks that can be linked to a file. You can, for example, synchronize external subtitles with a file if their creator has not done so before. In addition, the program allows you to take screenshots, which is very useful if you want to cut out any frame from...

VLC Media Player is a universal, powerful media player for every occasion. You don’t have to search for and install all sorts of codecs and plugins, since the program installs them automatically and therefore can play almost all known file formats: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, H.264, mp3, ogg, flac (lossless), regular DVDs, VCDs, etc. The program can also be used as a server for broadcasting a stream via IPv4 or IPv6 protocols, and you can select media files, disks, URLs or a device to capture as the source. In addition, VLC Media Player can record or play streaming...

MediaInfo is a program with which you can find out all the technical information from media files. Easily recognizes the title, author, director, date, etc. For video files, you can find out codecs, aspect ratios, FPS, bit rate, etc. Supports many popular formats and codecs for both audio and video files. MediaInfo also recognizes the details of the subtitles, and indicates what language they are in. In addition to analysis, it is also possible to export the obtained data into different formats, both plain text and HTML. Ability to work in a graphical interface or command line. For simplicity, there is a Drag&Drop function. Program...

Winamp is one of the most popular players, featuring a clear interface and a large number of supported formats. First of all, this player is notable for the fact that its functionality can be significantly expanded if you install additional plugins or modules on it. Moreover, such plugins can add both new functions and expand the list of supported formats for the player, which in some cases can be very useful. In addition, the Winamp player has a convenient library where you can add all your files, which will subsequently allow you not to search for them on your hard drive, but to launch them directly from...

Any Video Converter is an excellent program for easily converting video files. It easily allows you to transcode the most popular video formats to DVD, MP4, VCD or FLV. In this utility, it is possible to use ready-made profiles in the process of encoding video files, with preset parameters that are focused on specific devices, for example, a household DVD player or mobile phone. It is also possible to choose your own settings for conversion. Before you start encoding the video, you can view it in the built-in player...

Icecream Media Converter is a fairly user-friendly and extremely powerful media file converter. This useful tool allows you to instantly download video and audio files from popular video storage sites. Allows you to quickly convert to common formats: mp3, avi, mkv, wmv, vob, rmvb flv, mp4, cda, aac, aiff, swf, 3gp, flac. The program allows you to convert several files at once and put them in a queue. Informs the user about the progress of the process through a progress line. Indicates the estimated completion time for converting each file individually and overall. Has a history of all converted media files for...

SPlayer is a fairly popular media player that has a very simple but surprisingly beautiful interface. The program can automatically download subtitles for a film on the fly (it independently goes to the Internet to search for subtitles for a given film) and can read popular video formats and much more. While playing a video, you can easily change audio and video settings, add files to a playlist, move the control panel, enable various effects, etc. The program also allows you to play partially downloaded and damaged video files. If you were looking for a simple media player for your projector, then you...

MKVToolnix is ​​one of the best software packages for working with the MKV format. Let us remember that this format was developed by several programmers and differs from other video formats in that it is open source and allows you to add an almost unlimited number of tracks with audio data, tracks with subtitles, etc. In addition, this format even allows you to create entire menus, like those that can be seen in DVDs. The MKVToolnix program is also open source, which allows you to modify it according to your wishes and capabilities. The standard tool of this program allows you to edit...

KMPlayer is a versatile player that plays many formats with ease. Can read captions, record video files, sound files, pictures from any fragment being played. It has a large number of settings, which makes using the program convenient for each user, taking into account his needs and needs. The player also includes almost all major codecs that allow you to play various audio and video formats, which expands the capabilities of the program. In addition, it is possible to work with various filters, which makes it possible to control the parameters of the audio being played...

ViewFD is a file manager with many different features. This program is distributed free of charge and is an excellent alternative to paid clients. The main features of this program include not only the presence of a built-in player and image viewer, but also the ability to view text files of any format, as well as edit database tables. In addition, the program can control the autostart of various services. Process management is also supported, although it is better to use other software for these purposes. In addition, this one supports working with tabs.

CherryPlayer is a high-quality media center that works with many sites such as YouTube, VKontakte, Amazon, 4shared and others. It combines the YouTube player, as well as the YouTube downloader, which allows you to watch videos online, or download videos for free and quickly. A huge library of audio recordings, since the program works with the social network VK, where there are millions of audio files that can be listened to, downloaded or added to a playlist using CherryPlayer. There is also the option to purchase original materials from Amazon. The program supports all audio and video file formats, so there is no need to install any additional...

WinX Video Converter is a program that is distinguished by its exceptional simplicity and clarity. It allows you to convert various types of files into a variety of video and audio formats. File conversion occurs with just three user clicks. The application is equipped with the function of extracting audio tracks from certain films and then recording them in mp3 format. In order to convert any segment of a film, you need to go to the preview search bar and enter data about the beginning and end of such a segment. It is also possible to change the settings of parameters relating to audio and video (change...

Kantaris Media Player is a free player with a user-friendly interface and extensive capabilities for playing various files. This player has almost the same interface as Windows Media Player from Microsoft, so you don't have to learn it and you can start using the program right away. The main feature of the player is that it can play files without installing codecs on the system, which saves you from performing unnecessary operations. This player supports all popular formats, including audio CD. In addition, the program has all the standard features.

Lightworks is a free, professional editor for creating various video files. Many famous films have been edited in this program and it is used even in professional studios. Just recently, Lightworks became free. Of course, the program developers left the paid version, but in terms of its capabilities it is not much different from the free version. The program allows you to create transition effects, apply various effects, cut fragments from a video file, etc. However, it should be noted that the program still does not reach the level of a well-known professional editor. However, and amateurishly...

VSDC Video Editor is designed for editing video and audio files. It has two modes, one for beginners and the other for professional use. This is not a linear editor, unlike other analog programs. The advantage of the program is that it supports many formats, which will allow you to import videos of any format, combine them into a clip and export them in one, without loss of quality. It can also apply many effects to audio and video. The interface is as intuitive as possible, which will allow the user to work without any overlays. Just in case, the program has a very good and detailed manual that explains...

Zoom Player is an excellent media player that can replace Windows Media Player. The program will allow the user to enjoy their favorite movie or music as much as possible, as it supports all popular and common audio and video formats. It has many additional functions, for example, it has a Zoom function, which will not only enlarge the image, but also improve the quality of the picture. Can display trailers of other movies before or after the video. It differs in that it supports remote control devices with which you can control the player and the ability to stop and continue the movie next time from the same place where...

XviD4PSP is a convenient program for converting videos, its main feature is a large number of presets. The XviD4PSP program makes it easy and quick to get the file of the format you need. A large number of presets allows you to select parameters so that the picture looks great on a portable device. The program supports not only the Sony PSP portable console, but also other portable devices, such as smartphones. In addition, the program also has an advanced operating mode for experienced users. In the program dialogs you can easily set the settings you require, for example, those required for coding...

Wondershare Player is a very convenient video player, characterized by high speed and some special features. This player supports almost all video formats, which eliminates the need for the average user to constantly install any players to play videos. Also, this player is distinguished by its operating speed. Compared to other popular players, it plays videos much faster. Another advantage of the Wondershare Player program is that it consumes very few system resources, which allows you to watch even HD quality movies without freezing or stuttering...

Metal Player is a player with an easy and user-friendly interface. Does not require a lot of computer resources and is supported by any version of Windows. It provides the user with both standard multimedia and some new functions, which makes it the optimal solution when choosing a player. The program plays most media file formats, has a built-in equalizer, playlist, the ability to search and sort songs, hot keys and a significant number of other functions that make working with it convenient. In addition, the built-in library allows you to collect your own database of online radio channels...

MediaCoder is a video converter with extensive capabilities. For example, the program can convert a video to another format, or compress it to the quality and size you need. File compression can be useful when you need to play a finished video or movie on a weak computer. In addition, of course, there is also a function for converting from one format to another. Also, the program has a scheduler that allows you to turn off the computer after finishing the conversion or set up batch processing of files. But that's not all. The MediaCoder program allows you to extract the audio track from almost any movie or video...

TorrentPlayer is a convenient program for watching movies and listening to audio. Instead of downloading files to your computer, the program automatically starts playing them. Another plus is that you don’t need to search for movies or audio on the Internet and risk downloading a virus; you just need to enter the desired multimedia file in the program’s search and it will find it in its reliable and extensive library. Playback of the file begins immediately from the moment the user clicks on “Play”. At the same time, it reproduces any file formats, which means that there is no need to waste time installing additional codecs. While watching...

MediaMonkey is a media center that contains more than 100 thousand audio files and movies. Allows you to search by genre and includes genres such as audiobooks, podcasts, movies, home videos, TV shows and much more. The program also synchronizes not only files from the Internet, but also from the PC, which will allow you to combine files from the PC and the Internet in one media center. Automatically adds missing information with an audio or video file, such as title, artist, album, etc. The program also supports the ability to convert audio and video files into any format, as well as burn data to disk. Supports many plugins, skin...

There are situations when you need to play your video on another computer or mobile device, be it a player, phone, iPod, etc. But the problem is that not all formats that can be successfully played by almost any player on a computer are supported by a specific device. The XMedia Recode program helps solve this problem. This program has a simple interface and supports many different video formats, which makes it easy to convert videos for any device. In addition, video conversion can also be used to compress a video, because not everyone needs...

AVS Media Player is a full-fledged multimedia center that can be used to play almost all multimedia content. For example, the AVS Media Player program not only supports playback of most video formats, but can also work with images and audio files. It should be said that the list of supported formats is very large and includes all popular audio, video, and graphic formats. The player has a user-friendly interface and allows any user to start working with it without the need to study special manuals and additional materials.

DivX is one of the most popular video codecs. It can be used to encode many formats. For example, avi. This codec was developed in 1999 and has been improved over the years. The latest version of this codec was released in February 2012. A distinctive feature of this codec is that it is suitable for almost all operating systems. The DivX codec is easy to install and, in most cases, does not conflict with other codecs installed on the system. The installation package itself includes not only the codec itself, but also one of the popular players. This allows you to start watching movies immediately after...

BSplayer is one of the simplest and at the same time best players, characterized by a minimum of settings and maximum capabilities. This program allows the user to concentrate entirely on watching the video, for which it has a number of additional features. For example, the program can open files directly from archives, which saves the user from additional problems. It is also possible to support several subtitle formats, and in addition to simply playing them, the player allows you to change the font size and location on the screen. Also, if they are out of sync with the video, you...

ALLPlayer is a player with many different functions and features, the main one of which is the ability to play video and audio files without installing codecs on the system. The fact is that the player already contains several codecs, which allows you to play files. Also, the player allows you to open files directly from the archive without unpacking it, which is very convenient when downloading files from the Internet. Another feature of the program is the ability to automatically download subtitles for video files, as well as covers for albums or films. In addition, you can download additional information for albums and files, for which you can use...

First of all, let's decide on video standards. They must be taken into account when creating a video film or video.

PAL is a video standard for analogue color television, used in Europe and Russia: video size 720x576, 25 fps (25 frames per second).

NTSC is an analogue color television standard developed in the USA, resolution 720x480, 29.97 fps.

There is also the SECAM standard, developed in France.

At the time of writing this article (2010), this was very relevant, but now analog television is being actively replaced by digital television and will soon be completely replaced.

VHS- analog video is a format recorded on video cassettes that were watched (or still watched) on VCRs.

DV (Digital Video) is a video format developed jointly by the world's leading video production companies for digital records. This format has a low video compression ratio (5:1) and provides high quality video recording. MiniDV cameras shoot video in this format.

The DV format is characterized by a large video stream and, accordingly, has a large output video file. An hour-long recording on a MiniDV cassette will have a volume of approximately 12-13 GB, or 1 minute - 200 MB.

The resulting video must be compressed for later viewing on a computer, projector, DVD player, or on the Internet. Those. From the resulting high-quality video we can obtain any format we need of appropriate quality.

Attention! Not to be confused with DVD (Digital Video Disc) - this is disk with digital information, what we call a DVD in life.

AVCHD - high definition video format, stands for: Advanced Video Coding- advanced video encoding, HD- High Definition - high definition. This is the most modern format used in HD cameras.

Compression standards

MPEG is one of the main compression standards. The abbreviation MPEG (Moving Pictures Expert Group) is the name of the international committee involved in the development of this compression standard. Its varieties:

MPEG-1 is a compression format for compact discs (CD-ROM). The video quality is like that of a regular VCR, resolution 352x240; a disc with a film in this format is usually designated VCD (VideoCD). Now rarely used.

MPEG-2 - format for DVDs, digital television. DVD, HDD, and Flash cameras shoot video in this format.

MPEG-3 - not currently used. Let's not confuse it with MP3(MPEG Audio Layer 3) - audio compression technology!

MPEG-4 is a format obtained using the well-known codecs DivX, XviD, H.264, etc. It is often simply called MP4. Reduces the video stream even more than MPEG-2, but the picture is of decent quality, so this format is supported by most modern DVD players. Of particular note is the high quality of video compressed with the latest generation codec H.264.

HD (High Definition) - high resolution format, a new format of special image clarity. Currently, two varieties are used: with a resolution of 1280x720 and 1920x1080, both designed for a frame with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a square pixel.

There is also a so-called anamorphic version of HD video with a resolution of 1440x1080 and an aspect ratio of 16:9, which is explained by the rectangular pixel (aspect ratio 1.33).

Recently, most consumer cameras record in HD format, based on the MPEG-2 codec. The video quality is high, but to watch video in HD format, you need to have appropriate viewing equipment (for example, LCD or plasma TV with a large diagonal), otherwise you will not be able to evaluate the quality of the video (viewing and editing HD video).

Video file extensions

AVI (Audio-Video Interleaved) is an extension to a huge number of video files, but is not a format or codec. This container, developed by Microsoft, which can store 4 types of streams - video, audio, text and midi.

This container can contain video of any format from mpeg1 to mpeg-4, sounds of different formats, and any combination of codecs is possible.

To determine the contents of this container, you need to use one of the many programs from the powerful Adobe Premiere to the simple VideoToolBox (which is hidden in the AVI file).

WMV (Windows Media Video) is a format from Microsoft, in which you will receive a video made using the simple video editor Movie Maker, which is included in the Windows system.

MOV is a format from Apple Macintosh - QuickTime, which in addition to video can also contain graphics, animation, and 3D. Most often, QuickTime Player is needed to play this format.

MKV - (Matryoshka or Matroska) is also a container that can contain video, audio, subtitles, menus, etc. It is open source, and has become more and more common lately.

3gp - videos for third generation mobile phones, are small in size and low quality.

Video formats for the Internet:

FLV (Flash Video) is a video format for posting and transmitting on the Internet. Used by such platforms for posting video clips as YouTube, RuTube, Tube.BY, Google Video, Movie and many others.

SWF (Shockwave Flash) is an extension of animation created in Adobe Flash, as well as video in flash format. Played by browsers using Flash Player. Flash movies are also widely distributed on the Internet.

RM, RA, RAM - extensions of the RealVideo format from RealNetworks, which is used for television broadcasting on the Internet. It has a small file size and low quality, but allows you to watch, for example, a TV news release on the website of a certain television company.

DVD extensions

VOB (Versioned Object Base) is a container extension that can contain multiple video (MPEG-2 format) and audio streams, as well as movie menus and subtitles. These are the main files on a movie DVD.

IFO - files on a DVD disc containing information about the film, menu, order of launching VOB files, necessary, for example, for a DVD player, i.e. service files. Created during the conversion or authoring process, i.e. burning a DVD.

m2v, m2p - video extensions in MPEG-2 format. I won’t go into depth, I’ll just say that such a video is needed for authoring, i.e. creating VOB files and burning DVDs. I'll talk about authoring elsewhere.

In this article, I listed, of course, not all existing formats, but only those that are often encountered.

When creating a video or video, you must clearly understand what video format you have and what you need in the output.

The service allows you to convert (convert) from M2V format to MPEG format

M2V is a video category file format also called MPEG-2 Video. It supports video with tighter time constraints and interlaced scanning. The encoded speed at which data is transmitted can be on the order of 40 Mbit/s (for storage and transmission). It may be higher for professional use in video production. Large frame sizes do not support HD resolution. The MPEG-2 format is compatible with MPEG-1. The MPEG-2 format is used primarily for consumer level video broadcasting - for example, DVB. And for storage - for example, DVD. But they are also used for professional applications. Let's say, for storing video in a studio. Files with the .m2v extension are necessary if you are preparing a video for burning to DVD using specialized programs. There will be no sound in such a file. This encoding method also requires a .m2a file, where the sound is stored. Then this pair of files (.m2v and .m2a) will be sent to the authoring program line. The program will display them without recoding in the program stream (MPEG 2 PS). There is one caveat. When the weight of these files is 4.3 GB or more, then it is necessary to re-encode this file and reduce the bitrate. This means that when you create *.m2v, you must initially select the correct bitrate.

MPEG is a special standard for compressing audio and video files into a different format that is most convenient for downloading or sending, say, over the global network. This standard was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group. It was created by the international organization ISO precisely in order to develop a standard for the compression and transmission of digital video and audio data. The official designation for this group is ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29 WG11. It met for the first time in Ottawa in May 1988. By 2005, up to 350 people took part in the meetings. MPEG, that is, Moving Picture Experts Group, has 3 components: Audio, Video, System (combining and synchronizing the other two). There are different MPEG standards, also called phases: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-3, MPEG-4, MPEG-7. Under the MPEG-1 standard, for example, video and audio data streams are sent at a speed of 150 kilobytes per second. The speed of a single-speed CD-ROM player is similar. Streams are manipulated by sampling key video frames and filling regions that change between frames. This standard provides video image quality that is significantly lower compared to video transmitted using the television standard.