MPEG-4 Part 14 (.mp4)
The gold standard for video compression
Key Features
- ✓Universal compatibility across all devices and platforms
- ✓Efficient compression with H.264/H.265 codecs
- ✓Supports multiple audio tracks and subtitles
- ✓Streaming-friendly with progressive download
- ✓Hardware acceleration support
Common Codecs
Best Use Cases
Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube all prefer MP4
Streaming
Netflix, YouTube, and most streaming services
General Sharing
Email, messaging, file sharing platforms
QuickTime Movie (.mov)
Apple's professional video format
Characteristics
- ✓High quality, minimal compression loss
- ✓Excellent for video editing workflows
- ✓Supports advanced codecs like ProRes
- ⚠Larger file sizes than MP4
- ⚠Limited compatibility on Windows/Android
💡 Conversion Tip
MOV files from iPhones can be very large. Convert to MP4 for sharing while maintaining good quality.
When to Use MOV
Professional Editing
Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere native format
Apple Ecosystem
iMovie, QuickTime Player, iOS devices
High-Quality Archive
Preserving original quality for future use
WebM Video (.webm)
Open-source web-optimized format
Advantages
- ✓Royalty-free, open-source format
- ✓Excellent compression with VP9 codec
- ✓Native browser support for HTML5 video
- ✓Optimized for web streaming
- ✗Limited mobile app support
Technical Specs
- Video: Video: VP8, VP9, AV1
- Audio: Audio: Vorbis, Opus
- Container: Container: Matroska-based
- Streaming: Streaming: Adaptive bitrate support
Ideal Applications
YouTube
Google's preferred format for high-quality streaming
Web Applications
HTML5 video players, progressive web apps
Screen Recordings
Excellent for computer screen content
Audio Video Interleave (.avi)
Microsoft's legacy multimedia format
⚠️ Legacy Format Notice
AVI is an older format that's gradually being replaced by more modern alternatives. While we support AVI input for compatibility, we recommend converting to MP4 for better compression and compatibility.
Characteristics
- ✓Wide codec support (DivX, Xvid, etc.)
- ✓Good for older Windows systems
- ✗Larger file sizes than modern formats
- ✗Limited mobile device support
- ✗Not ideal for web streaming
Migration Strategy
Convert to MP4
Use our compressor to convert AVI to MP4 with H.264
Reduce File Size
AVI files are often 2-3x larger than equivalent MP4
Improve Compatibility
MP4 works on all modern devices and platforms
Format Comparison
| Format | Compression | Compatibility | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
MP4 | ● Excellent | ● Universal | General use, streaming, mobile |
| MOV | ● Excellent | ● Apple ecosystems | Professional editing, high quality |
| WebM | ● Excellent | ● Modern browsers | Web videos, open source projects |
| AVI | ● Poor | ● Limited | Legacy systems only |
● Excellent/Universal |● Good/Specific use |● Poor/Limited
Our Recommendations
🏆 Best Choice: MP4
For 95% of use cases, MP4 with H.264 codec is the best choice. It offers the perfect balance of quality, file size, and compatibility.
- • Works everywhere: phones, computers, TVs, web
- • Supported by all social media platforms
- • Efficient compression and good quality
- • Hardware acceleration available