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