Will It Play My Videos
This is the second of four articles discussing digital media players. The goal of the articles is to provide information to consumers who want to learn more about digital media players as research prior to making a purchase or upgrading. The articles do not assume any technical knowledge and readers do not need to read all of them or in any particular sequence - everyone is invited to get out of these articles what they need.
One of the most common questions of someone shopping for a digital media player is whether it will play the videos in his/her collection, or which player will have the best support for popular video types. Not surprisingly, video compatibility is also one of the main technical support issues reported by owners. Media file compatibility hinges on three key factors, and even though it can all be a bit confusing to sort out, learning about them is time well spent for anyone wishing to get the most enjoyment out of a digital media player.
Compatibility Factor #1: File Type
A video's file type is readily identifiable by its file extension, such as AVI, MKV, MP4, all of which are popular video file types. All media players advertise their supported video file types as a list of file extensions. For example, the Micca EP500 recognizes the following file types: AVI, MKV, MP4, M2TS, MOV, DAT, VOB, IFO, MPG, TS, TP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, FLV, ISO. It's quite an extensive list that covers just about all modern file types. However, file type support alone is not enough to guarantee that a video file will play as it is only one of 3 factors that affect playability. This is a common point of confusion from consumers who are led to believe that file type is the only thing that matters.
Compatibility Factor #2: Video Codec
Just as important as the file type is the method in which video data is encoded by a codec. To drawn an analogy, a codec is to a video what English is to a novel. Just as a novel can be written in many different languages, a video can be encoded in a variety of different codecs. Therefore, even if a video is in a recognizable file type, if it is encoded in a language that the media player does not understand, it cannot be played back. There are unfortunately numerous different codecs in use, some of which are proprietary. As a way to cope with it all, the market has self-regulated to settle on a core group of codecs that are the most popular: MPEG1/2/4, H.264/AVC, VC-1, and RM/RMVB. MPEG1/2/4 and RM/RMVB are most often used for standard definition videos, including so called DivX and Xvid videos. H.264/AVC and VC-1 provides the best support for HD-resolution videos.
Compatibility Factor #3: Resolution and Bitrate
Usually, the higher the resolution of a video, the more data it will contain per second of video. As an example, standard definition videos typically take up less than 1 million bits for each second of video (1mbps). 720p videos can have 5-6mbps, 1080p full-HD videos more still at well over 10mbps. Highest of all are very high quality 1080p videos with lossless sound tracks - these can be as high as 50mbps or more. Higher resolution/bitrate videos require more processing power to play smoothly, so not all media players will be able to playback such video files even if it is of a compatible file type and codec.
To Summarize...
When shopping for a digital media player, pay close attention to the video file type, codec, and maximum resolution/bitrate supported by each player. Compare these with the videos that you wish to play and pick the media player that provides the best support for all three factors. To find out the codec and resolution/bitrate of a video file, download and use the free MediaInfo software tool.