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MPEG-1 is very common, mainly due to its ability to store an entire film on a single CD. This Video CD format is a
mass-market competitor to VHS in countries where high humidity can quickly degrade magnetic tapes.
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is the designation for a group of audio and video coding standards agreed upon by MPEG (Moving
Picture Experts Group). MPEG-2 video is not optimized for low bit-rates (less than 1 Mbit/s), but outperforms MPEG-
1 at 3 Mbit/s and above.
MPEG-2 is typically used for standard definition DVDs (maximum average of 9.8 Mbit/s) and television broadcasts
(commonly a lower bit rate than DVD).
Some High-Definition files are also coded using MPEG-2, and higher bit rates do exist.
MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is the designation for a group of audio and video coding standards agreed upon by MPEG (Moving
Picture Experts Group).
In general, MPEG-4 video will look more natural than MPEG-2 at the same bit rate (all else being equal). This has
made it an incredibly popular format for bandwidth-sensitive applications such as online steaming, web downloads
and television broadcasting.
WMV9/WMVHD/VC-1
Windows Media Video (WMV) is a generic name for the set of proprietary streaming video technologies developed
by Microsoft. It is a non-standard version of MPEG-4 Part 2. WMVHD is a new addition to the technology that adds
High Definition resolutions. VC-1 is an informal name for the draft SMPTE standard 421M codec which is a superset
of WMV-9 and WMVHD.
DivX™ and XviD
DivX and XviD uses MPEG-4 Part 2 compression. They are popular because their codecs (software to compress the
video and audio) are made available without charge.
Quality can be as good as MPEG-4, but it is common for already compressed files to be recompressed with these
codecs, resulting in further loss of image quality.
Common file extensions*
.avi
Streaming over the 100BASE-T and USB2.0 supported
YES
Common file extensions*
.wmv .avi
Streaming over the 100BASE-T and USB2.0 supported
YES
Common file extensions*
.avi .mp4
Streaming over the 100BASE-T and USB2.0 supported
YES
Common file extensions
.mpg .m2v
Streaming over the 100BASE-T and USB2.0 supported
YES
Common file extensions
.mpg
Streaming over the 100BASE-T and USB2.0 supported
YES
