Containers and codecs

## Introduction

A digital video consists of a computer file called the container.
In this file we find:

- One or more video tracks. Each track is built using a Video Codec.
- One or more audio tracks. Each track is built using an Audio Codec.
- Possibly, one or more subtitles. Each subtitle is built in a subtitle format.
- Possibly, a definition of chapters.

Limitations :

- ffDiaporama does not manage either subtitles or definitions of chapters.
- ffDiaporama generates files that include a single video track and a single audio track.

## Video codec

The following table lists the video codecs which ffDiaporama can use to generate videos:

Codec | Name | WIKIPEDIA/Remark
MPJEP | Motion JPEG | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_JPEG
MPEG2 | MPEG-2 video | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-2
MPEG4 | DivX/XVid/MPEG-4 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xvid
H264HQ | High Quality H.264 AVC/MPEG-4 AVC | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264/MPEG-4_AVC Remark : ffDiaporama uses two preset h264 codecs specifically designed for this program. They contain different combinations of h264 parameters: High Quality for "Home Cinema" devices and "Phone Quality" for mobile devices. (Both preset files are placed in the same directory as the binary of ffDiaporama.)
H264PQ | Phone Quality H.264 AVC/MPEG-4 AVC
VP8 | WebP (WebM-VP8) | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebP
H263 | Sorenson H.263 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.263
THEORA | Theora VP3 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theora

## Audio codec

The following table lists the audio codecs which ffDiaporama can use to generate videos:

Codec | Name | WIKIPEDIA
PCM | WAV / PCM signed 16-bit little-endian | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse-code_modulation
MP3 | MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer III | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3
AAC-LC | Advanced Audio Codec | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding
AC3 | Dolby Digital | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital
VORBIS | Vorbis | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorbis
MP2 | MPEG-1 Layer II | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-2
AMR | Adaptive Multi-Rate | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_Multi-Rate_audio_codec

## Container

The following table lists the containers which ffDiaporama can use to generate videos, as well as the available audio and video codecs for every container:

Extension | Nom | Codecs vidéo | Codecs Audio | WIKIPEDIA
3GP | 3GP | MPEG4, H264HQ/H264PQ | AMR | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GP_and_3G2
AVI | Audio Video Interleave | MJPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, H264HQ/H264PQ | PCM, MP2, MP3, AAC, AC3 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Video_Interleave
MKV | Matroska file format | MPEG4, H264HQ/H264PQ, THEORA | PCM, MP3, AAC, AC3, VORBIS | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matroska
MJPEG | Motion JPEG | MJPEG | PCM | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_JPEG
MP4 | MPEG-4 Part 14 | MPEG4, H264HQ/H264PQ | MP3, AAC | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4_Part_14
MPEG | MPEG program stream | MPEG2 | MP2 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG_program_stream
WEBM | WebM | VP8 | VORBIS | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebM
FLV | Flash file format 2005 | H263 | MP3 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash
Flash file format 2008 | H264HQ/H264PQ | AAC
OGV | Ogg | THEORA | VORBIS | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogg

## See also

- Index of the ffDiaporama WIKI
- Rendering videos
- Videos standards and resolutions

ffDiaporama 1.0