| You know most of the time you find yourself | | | | time when you find a file with the extension of mp4 or |
| downloading all kinds of stuff, including mp4's, mp3's | | | | m4v, then they have both the audio and video |
| and the like, but what about the technical end of it. | | | | aspects. |
| What is MP4? | | | | Let us not forget of course that they can contain |
| Mp4's or rather the term mpeg-4 was developed by | | | | codec's as well. Therefore, as you can see there is |
| ISO (International Organization for Standardization). It is | | | | much to learn about what MP4 is, so let's summarize; |
| a format specific for multimedia, the most common | | | | § MP4 Can include and contain audio, video and |
| uses are for digital audio and video, and it is a certain | | | | also still images (like pictures), and all kinds of other |
| type of container that holds all this information. It can | | | | data, making it a diverse file to use. |
| contain other data as well such as subtitles and still | | | | § MP4 can contain other types of competing |
| images. You should also note that mpeg-4 is identical | | | | technology e.g. ogg, vob, ratdvd, divx media format, |
| to QuickTime MOV format. In fact any kind of data | | | | Matroska (mkv) and others to name a few. |
| can be inserted into MP4. | | | | § In addition, how about some of the compatible |
| MP4 is getting more and more popular. In fact, it is now | | | | hardware or software that mp4's can work with? |
| very popular to people who use the latest iPod players | | | | Such as in software: Amarok, Banshee music player, |
| and PSP owners. This type of file compression is now | | | | 3ivx, foobar2000, GOM player, iTunes, Media player |
| providing a way to store DVD quality movies at a | | | | classic, QuickTime player, Realplayer, VLC media |
| very small size. This type of file compression is known | | | | player, and so forth, as for hardware: Kiss 1600, Apple |
| as the MPEG4 format. | | | | iPod, PSP (playstation portable), Playstation 3, Xbox |
| Because most users may get confused at the initial | | | | 360, Nokia. |
| concept of what MP4 is, it is what is in the MP4 that is | | | | Therefore, to answer the question what MP4 is, well, it |
| even more confusing since the extension has been | | | | is technology at its best! |
| used primarily for music tunes and not movies. | | | | Indeed, the MP4 technology can now make |
| Therefore, what is stored in an MP4 is more than you | | | | entertainment much more convenient than ever |
| can imagine for the most part. In addition, those other | | | | before. So, next time you think of downloading your |
| extensions have been used for MP4's, (which is audio | | | | favorite movies to your computer to transfer to your |
| from an iTunes store), to m4a (which includes such | | | | portable multimedia device, try thinking of MP4. Just |
| things as chapter markers, images, and hyperlinks). In | | | | make sure that your multimedia devices are capable |
| addition, of course m4b (which has the ability to work | | | | of reading the MP4 format. |
| with IPODs, where m4a files cannot. So most of the | | | | |