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Container Format




A container format is a Computer File Format that can contain various types of data, compressed by means of standardized audio/video Codecs . The container file is used to identify and Interleave the different data types. Simpler container formats can contain different types of Audio Codecs , while more advanced container formats can support multiple audio and video streams, Subtitles , chapter-information, and meta-data ( Tags ) - along with the synchronization information needed to play back the various streams together.

Some containers are exclusive to audio:

Other flexible containers can hold many types of audio and video, as well as other media. The most popular multi-media containers are:


Other containers are exclusive to still images:

See the Comparison Of Container Formats for details regarding these formats.


ISSUES

The differences between various container formats arise from five main issues:
# Popularity; how widely supported a container is.
# Overhead. This is the difference in file-size between two files with the same content in a different container.
# Support for advanced codec functionality. Older formats such as AVI do not support new codec features like B-frame s, VBR audio, VFR natively, although the format may be "hacked" to add support, creating compatibility problems.
# Support for advanced content, such as chapters, subtitles, meta-tags, user-data.
# Support of Streaming Media


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