Skip to content
414-223-4380
[email protected]
trimarq logo
  • Home
  • Work
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
Video Events

The Best Video File Types

March 23, 2012  by Betsy Johnson

As technology evolves, there is an ever-increasing number of file types for distributing your video. So which is which? Which file type is best for each project? And what do all those lettered file extensions stand for, anyway?  To help better understand them, we’ve come up with a primer of a few commonly used file types to help you weed through the many, many options available. These are just some of the many – and the preferences and uses are constantly changing.

Extension Stands for Best for…
MOV/QuickTime QuickTime Developed by Apple, but supported on both Windows and Apple computers. For movies with sound.
WMV Windows Media Video Streaming and downloading from the web; compression; video on Windows computers. It can be anywhere from low-quality to high-def video depending on the compression.
MPEG4/H264 Moving Picture Experts Group 4 Streaming and downloadable web content as well as broadcast content. Has a higher compression. H264 also comes in an “Apple version,” which is used for high-quality video.
MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group There is a variety of MPEG formats. MPEG1 is mainly made for PowerPoint presentations and web-based videos. MPEG2 is mainly for creating DVDs and broadcast content.
AVI Audio/Visual Interleaved Storing and playing back movie clips with sound on Windows PCs. Considered a much older format and not used as often – doesn’t compress as well as newer formats.
FLV/SWF Flash video Online videos using Adobe Flash Player.
3GP Third Generation Partnership Project Video generated on 3G mobile phones.

We generally steer clients away from using AVI, since it’s an older, less efficient file type; the same goes for MPEG1. Flash (FLV/SWF) is not really supported anymore in the video world (you can’t even see a Flash website on an Apple portable device!), so we try to find other options for those videos too. We’ve noted that MOV/QuickTime is the preferred file type at Tri-Marq, but we can convert any file type if they are in a different format.

In the coming weeks, check back to see our discussion as we get more in-depth about video, including what you really want to know: Just what can we upload to YouTube??

Posted in Video ProductionTagged 3gp, apple, avi, codec, file, file type, flash, flv, h264, mov, mpeg1, mpeg4, prores, quicktime, streaming video, swf, tri-marq, trimarq, video, wmv, youtube

Post navigation

Previous: Making the Connection
Next: Video-Sharing Sites
Tri Marq vimeo Tri Marq youtube Tri Marq facebook Tri Marq linkedin

Blog

  • Make Your Events Stretch Beyond the Stage | On-Site Content Production
  • Meet the Staff | Shane Hoeft
  • Clarity in Motion | The Power of Animated Explainer Videos
  • Meet the Staff | Betsy Johnson
  • Mix it Up | Making Repeat Venues Feel Fresh

Contact

Headquarters:

507 S. 2nd Street, Suite 145
Milwaukee, WI 53204

+1 (414) 223-4380
[email protected]

Instagram

Your corporate event may only span a few days, but Your corporate event may only span a few days, but with on-site event content creation, the impact your event has can carry on for weeks, months, or even years to come. Read more about the great impact on-site content creation can have at your next event in our latest blog, link in bio!
Numotion's staff came together in Dallas this mont Numotion's staff came together in Dallas this month for the Numotion Operations Summit hosted at the Gaylord Texan. In addition to the Tri-Marq team handling on-site event production, our video crew shot footage of the show that was edited on-site to create a video recap of the program.

#eventproduction #trimarq #onsitevideo #instantav
WPS held its Management Meeting at the Madison Mar WPS held its Management Meeting at the Madison Marriott South in Madison, Wisconsin. The theme of this year’s meeting was looking toward the future with ‘Vision 2030.’ Combining LED panels, titan tubes, and projection screens, we were able to keep the brand look and visual experience at the forefront without sacrificing budget.

We’re honored to be a partner of WPS for the last 8 years as show producers. For this event, in addition to handling pre-production and stage and lighting design, the Tri-Marq team was on-site managing all run-of-show duties

#eventproduction #trimarq #madisonwi
Coming together outside of work is one of the thin Coming together outside of work is one of the things we look forward to most at Tri-Marq. With so much of the year spent traveling or working remotely, it’s special to gather in person to build camaraderie, trust, and friendships that carry over into everything we do.

This summer’s outing took us on a Gameday Tour with @citytoursmke, starting with lunch at @bluebatkitchen and wrapping up with incredible views at @indeedmilwaukee Uptop. A big congratulations to this year’s G.O.A.T trophy winners, and a big “Thank You!” to our whole team for bringing their energy both on the road and off.
What sets Tri-Marq apart? A commitment to excellen What sets Tri-Marq apart? A commitment to excellence that keeps our clients coming back year after year. We've had the pleasure of working with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) for 30 years and counting!
Our latest Meet the Staff blog features Tri-Marq V Our latest Meet the Staff blog features Tri-Marq Video Editor Shane Hoeft. Get to know Shane at the link in our bio!

Copyright © 2025 All rights reserved. Tri-Marq, LLC