Video Codec Basics

'Codec' is an abbreviation of compression/decompression or, equivalently, encoding/decoding. In practical life a codec is usually a software program that compresses/encodes a larger video file into a smaller encoded video file, and later decompresses/decodes this video file for playback. All codecs will have trade offs with respect to file format, compatibility, video quality, audio quality, licensing.

On this page we have listed some of the more well known codecs.

Flash Video

A combination of the Sorenson Spark codec and the Macromedia Flash Video file format. It is rapidly gaining in popularity. The video is played by a Flash video player embedded in a web page, and the encoding is done with a Flash video encoder. For the ultimate in cross-platform compatibility, Flash Video is the premier choice.

DivX

Combination of the MPEG-4 codec and the AVI file format. DivX is commonly used only for creating downloadable files. The video quality is near DVD quality even though video compresses down to web-friendly file sizes. The player and codec come in a free version. If you just want to provide a downloadable movie in near DVD quality, DivX is a good choice.

QuickTime

The traditional choice for professionals in the entertainment industry, mainly because they prefer Mac over Windows. The basic QuickTime player is free. The commercial QuickTime Pro can encode in both Sorenson Video and MPEG-4, and create standalone MPEG-4 (MP4) files.

RealVideo

A combination of the RealVideo codec with the Real file format. This codec provides good video quality, but lately, this codec has lost popularity - probably due to too much adware in the free version

Windows Media