Video Formats

Prepare By : B-Boy in Class 6 RD

8mm, Video8, Hi8, Digital8 Beta, Betamax, Betacam, Betacam SP, Betacam SX , Digital Betacam DV, MiniDV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO HD, HDV DVD, Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, HD-VMD, CH-DVD HDTV, 1080i, 1080p Flash LaserDisc M, MII MXF MPEG, MPEG-4 Quicktime RealMedia VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, S-VHS-C, D-VHS Windows Media 3GP 3G2

8mm Video Formats

8mm Video refers to a group of three video formats: Video8, Hi8 and Digit al8. Together these formats, championed by Sony, played a very important part in the early history of consumer and pro-sumer camcorders. Video8 and Hi8 are now obsolete. Digital8 is still considered current but only just it's something of a transition format and is unlikely to survive much longer.

The Video8 Format

The Video8 format was launched by Sony in the mid1980s. It was the first "mini" cassette for camcorders and was a significant size reduction from the fullsized VHS cassettes. The horizontal resolution of Video8 was 240 lines, the same as VHS. Initially Video8 had much better audio quality due to the FM helical-scan recording, but this later became standard in VHS as well.

The Hi8 Video Format

Hi8 was the higher-resolution version of Video8. Hi8 was introduced to compete with the VHS-equivalent S-VHS. Both formats boasted 400 lines of horizontal resolution, which put them in the (lower) range of broadcast quality. Hi8 camcorders were popular with amateur enthusiasts and were also used in television productions which required lightweight portable equipment. Hi8, like S-VHS, used a combination of higher-grade tape and improved recording mechanisms to increase bandwidth. Recording lengths were 30, 60 and 120 minutes. Later versions of Hi8 included PCM digital audio and XR capability which slightly increased picture quality. Hi8 was eventually replaced by Digital8 and MiniDV.

The Digital8 Video Format (D8)

The Digital8 format, also known as D8, was introduced in the late 1990s and replaced Sony's analog Video8 and Hi8 formats. Digital8 is a transition format which is a compromise between the digital MiniDV format and Sony's existing 8mm formats. Digital8 uses the same digital codec as MiniDV but in the traditional 8mm cassette tape. Digital8 is backwards-compatible with previous 8mm formats which is an advantage for existing Sony users. Digital8 is not a strong player in the digital video market MiniDV is dominant.

The Beta / Betamax Format

The Beta group of video formats includes the failed consumerlevel Betamax as well as a number of very successful professional-level formats. The professional Beta formats have been leaders in the television production market, especially in the field of ENG (Electronic News Gathering).

The Betamax Format

Betamax was developed by Sony and launched in 1975. It was the first commercially successful home video standard. In the famous format warwhich followed, Betamax lost to JVC's VHS system. Betamax began the home video revolution. For the first time people were able to do three things: Record television broadcasts for time-shifting (viewing later) View cinematic movies at home View video pornography in privacy Technical Specifications Tape Width:12.70 mm ( inch) Tape speed:1.873 cm/s Cassette Size:156 X 96 X 25 mm Record Time:Up to 215 minutes. Most standard Betamax tapes are 60 minutes. Video bandwidth:Approx 3.2 MHz Horizontal resolution:Approx 250 lines Vertical resolution:lines for NTSC, lines in PAL

The Betacam Format

As Sony was being humiliated in the VHS vs Betamax war, a similar war was being fought in the professional video arena with very different results. Betacam, launched in 1982, was the first professional video format in the Sony Beta range. In stark contrast to the failure of Betamax in the home video market, Betacam was a great success. In the professional market, quality and reliability are paramount unlike the consumer market which is more concerned with recording times and availability of movies. Betacam was a high-quality format and attracted a lot of attention amongst professionals. The original Betacam cassettes were basically the same as Betamax. The difference was that Betacam used component video rather than composite, and recorded at a much higher tape speed. Betamax and Betacam tapes were interchangeable (unlike the later Betacam SP tapes). Betacam tapes came in two sizes: S (small) and L (large). Betacam cameras used the S size; Betacam tape decks could use either size. Betacam tapes were 1/2-inch with 300 lines of horizontal resolution. Betacam was a relatively short-lived format, replaced by the next generation of the Beta family: Betacam SP.

Betacam SP
The successor to Sony's Betacam, Betacam SP was launched in 1986 and went on to become the most successful general-purpose professional video format of the 20th Century. Betacam SP was adopted as the standard format for field work such as ENG (electronic news gathering), but was also good enough to be used for edit mastering. Every respectable studio had Betacam SP capabilities. The "SP" stands for "Superior Performance", which was achieved by using a metal-formulated tape instead of oxide. Horizontal resolution was increased to around 360 lines. Tape sizes were the same as Betacam.

Betacam SX
Betacam SX is a digital version of Betacam SP. Launched in 1996, Betacam SX served as a transitional format which was cheaper than Digital Betacam. It also had the advantage of being compatible with Betacam SP tapes. Betacam SX uses MPEG 4:2:2 compression with 4 channels of 48 KHz 16-bit PCM audio. Betacam SX cassettes come in the same S and L sizes as other Beta formats, coloured yellow. S tapes have a recording time of approximately 60 minutes; L tapes record up to 194 minutes.

Digital Betacam
Digital Betacam, AKA Digibeta or D-Beta, was introduced by Sony in 1993 as a replacement for the analog Betacam SPformat. Digital Betacam was superior in performance to DVCam and DVCPro, while being cheaper than D1. Digital Betacam attracted a fair amount of professional support but didn't go as far as to become an industry standard like it's predecessor. Cassette sizes are the same as other Beta versions: S (small) tapes record up to 40 minutes, L (large) tapes record up to 124 minutes. Cassettes are light blue. Digital betacam records component video with 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 compression. PAL resolution is 720x576, NTSC resolution is 720x480. The bitrate is 90 Mbit/s. There are 5 audio channels 4 main channels (uncompressed 48KHz PCM) and 1 cue track. Some Digital Betcam equipment is backwards-compatible with Betacam and Betacam SP.

DV Video
DV (Digital Video) is a video standard launched in 1996. It was created by a consortium of companies and given the official nameIEC 61834. The DV standard has spawned a few variations, including DVCAM (Sony) and DVCPRO (Panasonic). Consumers know DV in it's smaller format MiniDV. The highdefinition version is HDV, which uses the same style tapes but uses MPEG-2 for compression. DV uses intraframe compression; that is, compression within each frame rather than between consecutive frames. This makes it an ideal format for editing. DV uses the Firewire (IEEE 1394) interface to transfer video files between cameras, editing equipment, etc. DV tapes can be played back in both DVCAM and DVCPRO VCRs.

The MiniDV Video Format

MiniDV is a digital video tape format which, for a while, was the most popular format for home video cameras. MiniDV uses the same compression as DV. MiniDV cassettes are 65 x 48 x 12 mm. Record time is 60 minutes (standard play) or 90 minutes (extended/long play). 80/120 minute tapes are also available. MiniDV can also be used to store other forms of data with the help of appropriate software. MiniDV tapes can hold about 13GB od data in this way.

The DVCAM Format

DVCAM is a variation of the DV format developed by Sony and aimed at the semiprofessional and lower-end professional market. DVCAM uses the same type of tape and compression as DV and MiniDV but at a higher speed (almost 50% faster). DVCAM VCRs can play back DV content, and some VCRs can also play DVCPRO. DVCAM also provides an HD mode.

The DVCPRO Video Format

DVCPRO is a format developed by Panasonic. It is a variation of the DV format, aimed at the professional market (in particular for ENG work). DVCPRO is also known as DVCPRO Standard or DVCPRO25, to differentiate it from other variations. DVCPRO cassettes have a yellow lid, DVCPRO50 have a blue lid and DVCPRO HD have a red lid. DVCPRO VCRs can play both DV and DVCAM tapes but cannot record in these formats. MiniDV tapes can be played with an adaptor.

The DVCPRO50 Format

DVCPRO50 is an enhanced version of DVCPRO, aimed at the higher-end professional and ENG market. DVCPRO50 cassettes are identified by a blue lid. DVCPRO50 offers two technical advantages over standard DVCPRO: ~The bitrate is doubled to 50 Mbps ~Colour-sampling resolution is 4:2:2 instead of 4:1:1 The increased data rate means that recording time for DVCPRO50 is half that of standard DVCPRO. DVCPRO50 is backwards-compatible with standard DVCPRO.

The DVCPRO HD Format

DVCPRO HD is an enhanced version of DVCPRO and DVCPRO50. DVCPRO HD increases the data rate to 100MBps, which is why it is sometimes called DVCPRO100. DVCPRO HD cassettes are identified by a red lid. Despite the "HD" tag, DVCPRO HD is not true high-definition in the current sense. Higher resolutions are downsampled thus: ~1280x720 becomes 960x720 ~1920x1080 becomes 1280x1080 (59.94i) ~1920x1080 becomes 1440x1080 (50i) Signals can be upscaled on playback for better compatibility with high-definition equipment. DVCPRO50 is backwards-compatible with standard DVCPRO and DVCPRO50.

The HDV Video Format

HDV is a high-definition format developed as a compromise for the consumer and lower-end professional markets. There are two versions: HDV 720p and HDV 1080i. HDV 720p has a resolution of 1280x720 square pixels, making a tidy aspect ratio of 16x9. HDV 1080i records at 1440x1080 pixels, using rectangular pixels similar to widescreen DV (the HDV pixel aspect ratio is 1.33:1). This stretches the picture frame to 16x9. HDV uses MPEG-2 compression for greater storage and bandwidth efficiency, which means that it can be used with existing MiniDVtapes. However MPEG-2 differs from traditional DV in that it uses temporal compression, i.e. compression occurs across multiple frames instead of only occurring within a single frame. This means that a single dropped frame during recording becomes much more serious, as a whole bunch of frames (known as a "group of pictures" or GOP) are affected. Instead of being a minor glitch, it's a shot-killer. For this reason it is recommended to use the more expensive tapes specifically made for the more demanding HDV format. It's also worth noting that MPEG-2 isn't as nice to edit with as DV. As well as compromising the image quality, it places more of a burden on the editing computer. Since HDV involves both a high pixel count and temporal compression, you'll need a fairly powerful computer to edit complex projects. HDV 1080i uses a recording data rate of 25 Mbit/s (3.125 MB/s). HDV 720p records at 19.7 Mbit/s (2.46 MB/s). Other HD formats record at 50-100 Mbit/s or higher.

The DVD Video Format

DVD is an optical disc storage technology. DVD was introduced in 1997 as a replacement for several formats including CDs,VHS and laserdisc. The letters DVD are often said to stand for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc, but the official standard does not specify any particular meaning for the letters. DVD gained acceptance more slowly than initially predicted for reasons ranging from licensing issues to consumer wariness (the VHS vs Betamax war was still fresh in everyone's minds). However it's advantages were significant and it became the dominant format for distributing prerecorded content as well as computer data storage. DVD comes in a variety of flavours which can be confusing. The different physical formats determine how data is stored (e.g. DVDROM); application formats determine how program content is stored and played (e.g. DVD-Video). Recordable DVD formats: ~DVD-R for General ~DVD-R for Authoring ~DVD-RAM ~DVD-RW ~DVD+RW ~DVD+R Application DVD formats: ~DVD-Video ~DVD-Video Recording (DVD-VR) ~DVD+RW Video Recording (DVD+VR) ~DVD-Audio Recording (DVD-AR) ~DVD Stream Recording (DVD-SR) ~DVD-Audio (DVD-A) ~Super Audio CD (SACD). Note: There are also proprietary DVD formats for game consoles such as Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox. A single-sided DVD can hold 4.7 GB of data, enough for two to three hours of standard-definition video.

The Blu-ray Format

Blu-ray is an optical disc storage technology. The name refers to the blue laser used (instead of the red laser used in DVD) blue light has a shorter wavelength so more data can be stored in the same space. Blu-ray competed with HD-DVD for the post-DVD high-definition market, eventually emerging as the winner in February 2008. See Blu-ray vs HD-DVD for a comparison. A single-layer Blu-ray disc can hold 25GB of data, a dramatic improvement over DVD's 4.7GB. This is enough for approximately 2.5 hours of high-definition video or 13 hours of standard-definition video. A double-layer Blu-ray disc can hold 50 GB, enough for approximately 4.5 hours of high-definition video or 20 hours of standard-definition video. Prototypes have been demonstrated which hold up to 100GB with a theoretical limit of 200 GB. However it should not be assumed that these specifications will be available any time soon (or at all). Blu-ray supports 1080p resolution. This is touted as the best highdefinition resolution for consumers, despite the fact that prerecorded content is not yet widely available. However the inclusion of 1080p is another big tick for Blu-ray. The Blu-ray format also allows you to: Record one program while playing back another Create playlists Edit and rearrange programs Search for empty disc space Access the Internet to download features such as subtitles As far as the corporate game goes, Sony owns Columbia Pictures and MGM, and has the support of a number of big players. It also has PlayStation 3 on it's side which will play Blu-Ray DVDs.

The HD DVD Format

HD DVD is an optical disc storage technology which competed with Blu-ray in the post-DVD highdefinition/high-storage market. Like Blu-ray, HD DVD uses a blue laser used instead of red to increase storage capacity. HD DVD was backed by a group of manufacturers and content providers (led by Toshiba) calling themselves the DVD Forum. The DVD Forum decided upon HD DVD as their preferred format in 2003. A single-layer HD DVD can hold 15GB of data, a dual-layer disc can hold 30GB. Prototypes have been demonstrated up to 45GB and the theoretical limit is 60GB. Although this is a big improvement over DVD, it is well short of Blu-ray's capacity. Initially HD-DVD touted advantages over Blu-ray such as being fully backwards-compatible and cheaper to produce, although the compatibility issue was quickly countered by Blu-ray. See HD DVD vs Blu-ray for more information. Toshiba announced an end to its HD-DVD production in February 2008, effectively ending the format war.

The HD-VMD Format

HD-VMD is a high-definition (1080p) DVD format released in August 2007 by New Medium Enterprises (NME, www.nmeinc.com). It is marketed as "the world's first low-cost True High Definition", with it's main selling point being that it uses existing red-laser technology and is therefore much cheaper to produce. The name VMD stands for Versatile Multilayer Disc, NME's proprietary technology. The huge hurdle that HD-VMD faces is obvious: Arriving late to a format war in which HD-DVD and Blu-ray have already gained a lot of ground. The major studios are likely to be very difficult or impossible to win over to the HD-VMD camp. The titles offered by HD-VMD are sparse and weak in comparison to the other formats. However there is one thing very much in the favour of HD-VMD: Consumer ignorance. If enough people buy the players without realising the dearth of available content, studios could reconsider and offer support. However, given the state of affairs between the currently competing formats, inviting a new competitor to the market seems like a longshot. HD-VMD has a very tough time ahead.

The CH-DVD Format

CH-DVD (China High Definition DVD) is a high-definition DVD format released in September 2007. This format is based on HD-DVD technology (although the two are not compatible) as well as Chinese-owned intellectual property. CH-DVD was developed by the Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center (OMNERC) with support from the Chinese government. China intends making this the national default standard for high definition DVDs, with a big push to market in 2008. This is not the first time China has attempted to combat the prevailing western disc formats. Their failed CVD (China Versatile Disc) and EVD (enhanced versatile disc) make a poor track record so they will need to do better with CH-DVD. Coupled with the fact that Blu-ray and HD-DVD have already made a lot of ground, CH-DVD faces a very tough struggle in the western market. It seems highly unlikely that any Hollywood companies will release content for CH-DVD. Of course the western market may not be CH-DVD's target. Even if the format could become standard in China, the country will save millions in licensing fees so it would be a solid investment. And there's always that national pride as a bonus

HDTV
HDTV means high definition television. HDTV is a video and television standard that includes a group of formats, or modes, which all provide higher resolution than previous standards (now referred to as SD or standard definition). There are three main differences in the types of HDTV modes available: Pixel resolution: The number of pixels per frame (the more the better). Interlacing format: Either interlaced (each frame consists of two half-resolution fields) or progressive (each frame contains a full resolution image). Frame rate: Each HDTV mode can be specified with various frame rates (the more frames per second, the better). The three HDTV modes are: 1080i : 1920x1080 pixels interlaced 1080p : 1920x1080 pixels progressive 720p : 1280x720 pixels progressive For audio, HDTV uses Dolby Digital surround sound (AC-3).

1080i
1080i is one of the HDTV formats. It means the image has 1080 lines of "vertical resolution", i.e. 1080 pixels from top to bottom. The i stands for interlaced (see below). Resolution >1080i video usually has 1920 lines of horizontal resolution, making a total image size of 1920x1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16x9. >There are some variations; for example, HDV has a resolution of 1440x1080 but maintains a widescreen aspect ratio by using rectangular pixels. Interlacing >1080i is similar to 1080p, except that it uses the interlaced format rather than progressive. This means that each frame consists of two fields each showing only half the pixels. One field shows the odd lines, the other field shows the even lines. Frame Rate >1080i can be specified as 1080i25 or 1080i30 the additional number refers to the number of frames per second (fps). Traditionally, PAL countries use 25fps, NTSC countries use 30fps.

1080p
1080p is one of the HDTV formats. It means the image has 1080 lines of "vertical resolution", i.e. 1080 pixels from top to bottom. The p stands for progressive, which means that each frame is a single full-resolution image, unlike 1080i in which each frame consists of two interlaced fields. Resolution >1080p video usually has 1920 lines of horizontal resolution, making a total image size of 1920x1080 pixels (2,073,600 total). The aspect ratio is 16x9. Frame Rate >1080p can be specified as 1080p24, 1080p25 or 1080p30 the additional number refers to the number of frames per second (fps). Traditionally, PAL countries use 25fps, NTSC countries use 30fps. 24fps is the frame rate for film, making this an ideal format to use for film conversions. >In the future it is envisioned that 1080p50 and 1080p60 will become the production standards, combining the benefits of progressive scan with a higher number of total images. Currently, bandwidth considerations make these formats impractical, but this could change with more efficient codecs.

The Flash Video Format

Flash video is a relative newcomer to the digital video scene. Up until version 6, Flash did not handle full-motion video well enough to be useful. As of version 7, true streaming video is supported by Flash and anyone with the latest player can see Flash video clips. Flash has some compelling advantages for delivering video on the Internet: The Flash player is very common around 95% of browsers have it installed. Flash is very consistent and the designer has good control over how the end product will be displayed. Flash works equally well on PCs, Macs and Linux computers. You can create your own interactive media content with graphics, animations, etc. You can even create your own media player with custom controls. On the downside: Flash is a relatively complex format. Beginners will find that it takes longer to learn than other formats. Flash is relatively expensive. To have full creative control you need to invest at least a few hundred dollars in software.
Working with Flash Video - A Quick Overview The main thing to understand is that Flash video is just one part of the the larger world of Flash, which is a platform for delivering many types of media including animation and interactive content for web pages. In the world of Flash there are three types of software to be aware of: The free Flash Player and browser plugin. This is a small, simple program which allows people to view Flash files. Most people have it installed. The Flash authoring program, known simply as Macromedia Flash. This is a fairly expensive program which is used to create Flash content. Third-party authoring programs. There are a few cheaper alternatives to Flash which allow you to create Flash content and/or convert media files into Flash files. Important: The standard version of Macromedia Flash does not have full support for video files. If you are serious about video you need Flash MX Professional 2004. Flash video files use the extension .flv. FLV files are usually played from within a .swf file, which is the conventional Flash file format. For more information see our Flash Tutorial section, in particular:

The LaserDisc Video Format

LaserDisc (LD) is the grandfather of optical disc storage media. The underlying technology was proposed in 1958 (by David Paul Gregg) and patented in 1961 and 1969. During it's development it was known as Reflective Optical Videodisc System andDisco-Vision. Philips and MCA teamed up to produce LaserDiscs in the 1970s, launching the first commercial model in 1978. The format found favour amongst serious enthusiasts and provided many of the features of DVD, years ahead of it's time. However LaserDisc had drawbacks which kept it from becoming mainstream: It could only playback, not record. The discs were large and inconvenient. The discs could only hold about an hour of video. Although some players could automatically flip the laser to play the second side (making a total of two hours), this was still too short for a movie. LaserDisc was more popular in Japan, thanks in part to collectors of Anime content. LaserDisc Technology LaserDisc used very similar technology to CDs and DVDs. The most obvious difference is that the video signal was not digital it was analogue using frequency modulation (FM). The disc looked like a DVD but much larger at 30cm (12 inches) in diameter. The disc had two sides made of stamped aluminium glued between plastic sheets. LaserDiscs included chapters which are similar to DVD chapters.

The M Format
The M format was a professional video tape format developed by Matsushita (Panasonic) and RCA in 1982. It was intended to compete with Sony's Betacam format. M was also marketed by Panasonic and Ampex under the brand name Recam (REcording CAMera). The M format used a " analogue component system and the tape looked the same as a VHS cassette, in fact the tape transport system was initially the same as VHS. "M" refers to the way the tape was wrapped around the scanner within the transport system (obviously the same as VHS). The main differences were that M recorded using a component system whereas VHS used a composite format, and M recorded at a higher tape speed. M tape used a 650oe range Cobalt Modified Oxide. Linear tape speed was 8.0ips. This format was never very popular and surviving components are rare. The following reasons are reported to have contributed to M's downfall: RCA's broadcast division closed down in 1984. The M format was not well marketed by Panasonic. There was some confusion (and damaged tapes) caused by the similarity to VHS. M was replaced by MII in 1986.

The MII Format

MII was a professional video format released by Panasonic 1986 in response to Sony's Betacam SP format. In the same way that Betacam SP superceded Betacam, MII superceded M. MII used a 1500oe metal particle videotape with a tape speed of 2.67ips, along with component video recording. MII was somewhat more successful than it's predecessor and managed to gain a foothold in the television industry. However it did not last. The format was not well marketed, there were reports of widespread customer dissatisfaction, and MII became to Panasonic what Betamax was to Sony. In fact the MII vs Betacam SP war was basically a reversal of the VHS vs Betamax war. MII machines are still in use but have become very rare. Tapes are hard to buy and the format is all but dead. Because it is pronounced "em two", MII is sometimes mistakenly referred to as M2. The correct title is MII (i.e. Roman numerals). Coincidentally, Panasonic does have a videogame console called M2.

The MXF Format (Material eXchange Format)

The Material eXchange Format (MXF) is an open file format derived from the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF). MXF was developed to create a universal format to exchange media files with associated data and metadata between otherwise incompatible systems. It is designed to work across networks with servers, workstations and other digital media devices. The MXF file is essentially a container which carries the original media file in the original file's native compression (mpeg, avi, etc), plus any relevant metadata. MXF does not include any compression of it's own and is therefore not reliant on any particular compression scheme. The MXF format has been gathering momentum and most major manufacturers of video equipment have shown their intention to support it. Although it will take some time for the format to become "universal", the future does look good.

The MPEG Format

MPEG video is a series of video standards defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) . MPEG-1 Approved November 1991 Approximately VHS-quality, commonly used for Video CD (VCD) and CD-ROM. MPEG-2 Approved November 1994 DVD-quality, commonly used for DVD, digital television, set-top boxes, etc. MPEG-4 Approved October 1998 Scalable delivery, used in various applications including Internet, cell phones and television. MPEG-7 Under Development A standard for description and search of audio and visual content. MPEG-21 Under Development A new multimedia framework standard.

MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is a video standard defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) . Many developers around the world contributed to MPEG-4 in the late 1990s and the format became an international standard in 2000. MPEG-4 is supported by a variety of players. Apple has backed MPEG-4 strongly and MPEG-4 plays well in the Quicktime player. Microsoft was involved in the early development of MPEG-4 but is no longer actively supporting the standard, choosing instead to concentrate on the Windows Media format. MPEG-4 can only be played in Windows Media Player with a special MPEG-4 decoder pack. AV Objects Whereas MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 are relatively simple video standards, MPEG-4 introduces a new level of flexibility with an object-based approach. This allows for options such as interactive video and added media components (text, graphics, etc). This is similar to the way Quicktime works with multiple media. Creating MPEG-4 Content Many applications are available for creating MPEG-4. Because the standard is closely linked to the Quicktime architecture, applications which support Quicktime tend to support MPEG-4 (including Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere). An easy way to get started with MPEG-4 creation is Apple Quicktime Pro . Interoperability MPEG-4 has suffered from imperfect interoperability between manufacturers; that is, not all products which claim to be MGEG-4 compliant are actually fully compliant with the ISO standard . In an effort to remedy this situation, the MPEG Industry Forum runs a Logo Qualification Program in which companies can verify the compliance of their products. Fully compliant products can carry the official logo.

QuickTime
QuickTime is a multimedia technology developed by Apple Computer and first released in 1992 (a year before Microsoft's Video for Windows). It has evolved to become a versatile platform, capable of handling video, audio, animation, text, music, and virtual reality (VR) panoramas. QuickTime Player is the media player for QuickTime. The basic player is distributed free, with QuickTime Pro available for a fee. QuickTime Pro supports more formats than the free version, and includes features such as wide-screen viewing and MPEG-4 creation.

The VHS Format

VHS Cameras VHS was a popular format for early consumer video cameras. Initially these were two-piece units with a separate camera and connected recorder. In the 1980s theVHS-C format was introduced, reducing the size of cameras significantly and accelerating growth of the new camcorder (one-piece camera/recorder) market. The camcorder format war did not go as well for VHS. When Sony introduced the Video8 format it was widely regarded as superior. Along with their ability to produce top-class camcorders, Sony had a powerful answer to VHS-C and gained the upper hand. Luckily for the VHS-C format, it was kept alive by the convenience of shooting in the same format used by the family VCR. VHS is a consumer-level video standard developed by JVC and launched in 1976. Originally VHS was an acronym for Vertical Helical Scan (a reference to the recording system used) but was later changed to the more consumer-friendly Video Home System. VHS was involved in a bitter format war against Sony's Betamax standard throughout the 1980s. VHS was eventually victorious.

The VHS-C Format

In response to demand for smaller video cameras in the 1980s, Panasonic launched the VHS-C format. The VHS-C tape is basically a smaller version of a VHS tape it uses the same type of tape but a smaller length (usually 30 to 60 minutes) in a smaller cassette. The technical specifications are essentially the same as VHS, although the smaller mechanical parts in VHS-C camcorders do have a slight performance disadvantage compared to full-sized VHS. Note: The S-VHS-C format is the same as VHS-C but uses S-VHS (Super VHS) tape. VHS-C Cassette Adaptors To playback a VHS-C tape in a normal VHS machine a battery-powered cassette adaptor is used. The VHS-C tape is inserted into the adaptor which threads the tape into a configuration just like a full-sized cassette.

The S-VHS Format

S-VHS (Super VHS) was introduced in 1987 to fill a gap in the market between casual home users and video professionals. S-VHS uses both higher resolution (400 lines) and higher bandwidth than VHS, resulting in a significantly better picture quality. S-VHS also uses s-video connections, separating chrominance and luminance signals. The transition to S-VHS required new equipment both tapes and recorder/players. S-VHS equipment is backwardscompatible, meaning that S-VHS machines can play VHS recordings but VHS machines cannot play S-VHS. Note: The S-VHS-C format is the compact version of S-VHS and uses a similar adaptor to the VHS-C adaptor.

The S-VHS-C Format

S-VHS-C is the compact version of S-VHS and uses exactly the same tape. Like VHS-C, S-VHS-C can be played in a fullsized VCR by using an adaptor. However the following points should be noted: S-VHS-C tapes cannot be played with the same adaptor as VHS-C. Although they look the same, S-VHS-C adaptors are notched differently to help identify the type of tape being used. S-VHS-C cannot be played in a VHS VCR, only an S-VHS VCR. VHS-C tapes can be played back using the S-VHS-C adaptor but only at standard VHS resolution. Resolution: 400 lines. Tape duration: 30 mins, 45 mins (SP).

The D-VHS Format

D-VHS (Digital VHS) is a format developed and launched by JVC and partners in the mid-1990s. It is actually a remarkable achievement a fully digital format which offers recording in all approved DTV formats, as well as being backwardscompatible with VHS and S-VHS. D-VHS uses the same cassette format as standard VHS. It can record and playback both standard definition and high-definition. Digital video is encoded with MPEG2. High-definition content is recorded at 28.2 Mbit/s. Maximum recording time is 3.5 hours of high definition and up to 49 hours of standard definition. Ironically the close association between D-VHS and VHS is also it's downfall. Consumers are moving forward and demand is low for formats which are perceived as outdated. The best D-VHS can hope for is to fill a small niche market until VHS is completely dead. D-Theater >D-Theater is a brand name for distributing pre-recorded D-VHS tapes. D-Theater supports 720p and 1080i resolution and Dolby audio. D-Theater has enjoyed some support from enthusiasts but the future is bleak it is dead on arrival in the war against other high-definition formats such as Blu-ray and HD DVD.

Windows Media
Windows Media ASF Files ASF (Advanced Streaming Format) is a streaming media format developed by Microsoft. ASF files can contain video, audio, slide shows and synchronized events. ASF files are very similar to WMV files. A variety of codecs can be used to create ASF files. The end user must have the same codec installed to view the file. To stream an ASF file, use an ASX file.

 Windows Media ASX Files An ASX file (Advanced Stream Redirector) is a special type of file which works closely with Windows Media ASF files. The ASF file is the actual media file, containing video, audio, etc. The ASX file is a metafile a file which contains data about another file. In this case it is a simple text file containing a reference to an ASF file. The purpose of an ASX file is to start the ASF file streaming.

 Windows Media WMA Files WMA files (Windows Media Audio) are very similar to WMV files except they contain audio only. Windows Media WMV Files WMV files (Windows Media file with Audio/Video) are very similar to ASF files. You can use WMV files to provide downloadable or streaming video.

 Windows Media WMVHD Files WMVHD stands for Windows Media Video High-Definition. WMVHD files are like other Windows Media files except they have a higher resolution, leading to clearer, sharper pictures. WMVHD files are useful for high-definition monitors, where normal "standard definition" video can't fill the screen without a reduction in quality. High-definition WMVHD files currently come in two resolutions: 1080p and 720p. DVR-MS Files DVR-MS is a proprietary file format used by Windows Media Center Edition. "DVR" is said to stand for "Digital Video Recorder", and the "MS" stands for Microsoft. DVR-MS uses MPEG2 compression, with extra information added specific to Windows Media Center. DVR-MS is not compatible with other applications. Generally speaking, you can't import a dvr-ms file directly into a video editor or media player. However there are ways around this.

3GP & 3G2 Video Formats

3GP Type of format: Media container File format: 3GPP File extension: .3gp Video: MPEG-4, H.263 Audio: AAC, AMR 3gp is a video and audio container format, based on the ISO base media file format (defined in ISO/IEC 14496-12 - MPEG-4 Part 12), and extended from the MPEG 4-14 format, and was developed by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). It is designed for transmitting multimedia files between GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) based 3G mobile phones, and over the internet. This file format was designed to reduce storage and bandwidth requirements. It is used in IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service and PPS (Packet-switched Streaming Service). 3G2 Type of format: Media container File format: 3GPP2 File extension: .3g2 Video: MPEG-4, H.263 Audio: AAC, AMR, QCELP 3gp is a video and audio container format similar to 3GP, and is often described as and updated version on 3GP. It was developed by 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2), and is designed for storage and transmission and storage of multimedia files on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) based 3G mobile phones, and over the internet. Like 3GP, 3G2 is used in transmission and storage of IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service and PPS (Packet-switched Streaming Service) files.