As a video marketer, you will know there’s no cookie-cutter approach to crafting engaging videos. Each of your stories have unique concepts, contexts, and characters, so you need to account for these variables in the creative process in order to craft a video that tells your story in the most authentic and compelling way possible.
The same principle applies to choosing video formats. There is no one-size-fits-all video format – not every computer, video platform, or website browser supports every video format. Fortunately, we’ve rounded up the best video formats around and listed out their pros and cons so you can learn which video format to use in different situations.
6 of the Best Video Formats for 2019
1. MP4
Most digital devices and platforms support MP4, rendering it the most universal video format around. The MP4 can also store video files, audio files, text, and still images. Additionally, they can retain high video quality while maintaining relatively small file sizes.
2. MOV
Developed by Apple, MOV is the video format specifically designed for QuickTime Player. But since there’s a version of QuickTimePlayer for Windows, MOV is also compatible with Windows. The MOV video format can store audio, text, and video effects, but since its quality is usually so high, it’ll take up significantly more space on people’s computer.
3. WMV
WMV was developed by Microsoft, so your audience can play these types of videos on Windows Media Player. If they have a Mac, though, they can just download a WMV player to play WMV videos. Just like the MOV format, the WMV format boasts high video quality but its at the expense of a small file size.
4. FLV
Specifically designed for Adobe Flash Video Players, FLV is one of the most versatile and popular video formats around – each web browser and each video platform supports this type of video format.
If your audience streams a lot of videos on online platforms, like YouTube and Google Video, FLV is the video format for you. Their file sizes are usually small, so people can quickly download them. The video format’s only drawback is that it’s not compatible with iOS devices and a lot of other mobile devices.
5. AVI
One of the oldest video formats out there, AVI was developed by Microsoft in 1992. Since it’s been around for so long, the AVI video format is one of the most versatile video formats, compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux and supported by most web browsers.
However, with such high quality, the AVI video format file size is large, which is more conducive for people to store on their computers than to stream or download.
6. AVCHD
Panasonic and Sony developed the AVCHD specifically for digital camcorders, so if you regularly shoot high-end videos, the AVCHD video format is perfect for you.
Powered by H.264/MPEG-4 video compression technology, the video format also lets you store hours of high-quality video using only a tiny amount of data. Additionally, the video format has both standard and high definition variations, and its latest variation, AVCHD 2.0, even supports three dimensional video.
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