What is the difference between codecs and containers

Containers "contain" the various components of a video: the stream of images, the sound, and anything else. For example, you could have multiple soundtracks and subtitles included in a video file, if the container format allows it. Codecs are ways of "coding" and "decoding" streams. Their job is typically to compress data and decompress it when playing it back so that you can store and transmit files with a smaller filesize.

There are many codecs available out there, each with their strengths, weaknesses and peculiarities, and choosing the right codec with the right settings for the right situation is close to be a form of art in itself.

If you work in video editing you already know that there are a wide variety of codecs available for editors. Each one of these codecs will result in a different file format. Many video platforms have their own set of accepted codecs so you need to be cognizant of which codec your videos final destination supports. When talking about codecs you'll also here the word container thrown around.

Let's dig into the difference between the two. Codecs are a method for encoding and decoding video data. The encoding process is where video data is compressed for faster transmission or to make a file smaller. The decoder takes the compressed video files and makes them usable for playback or video editing. There are a number of codecs available for video editors, the most commonly used being h. The container defines the structure and content of the file, which can be audio, video and other metadata such as subtitles, or menus and menu structure.

Some containers are limited to audio, photo or video only, or you can have containers that combine audio and video. A codec is a way to code encode and decode streams of digital data, such as a video film. Basically, it's the algorithm used to compress the media. The purpose of the codec can typically be to compress the stream to reduce file size before it is stored or transmitted, or to make the video playable on devices other than the one on which it was created.

To play a video inside a web page typically requires a different codec than if you had played the file directly in your video player application. Some examples of codecs are HAP video , H. There are a vast number of codecs available and each of them has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Understanding which codec to use can be a challenge because of this — and so can licensing rights. But that's a whole other blog….