VidPikMedia workbench
Compare video formats for sharing, archiving and playback
Choose a format around the destination and the streams you need to keep.
| Container | Extension | Typical context | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP4 | .mp4 | A broadly used container. H.264 video with AAC audio is a practical starting point for sharing. | Check the actual codec and profile; MP4 can also hold less widely supported streams. |
| WebM | .webm | Often used for web delivery with VP8, VP9 or AV1 video and Vorbis or Opus audio. | Older devices may have limited hardware decoding. |
| MKV | .mkv | A flexible container that can hold multiple tracks and subtitles. | The player must support both the container and each selected stream. |
| MOV | .mov | Common in camera and editing workflows. | The codec may be H.264, HEVC, ProRes or another format; large editing files are not ideal for every phone. |
| AVI | .avi | A legacy container still found in older video collections. | An AVI extension alone says very little about whether a modern phone can decode it. |
| M4V | .m4v | Commonly associated with MPEG-4 video files. | Protected files require an authorized playback path. Renaming does not remove protection. |
| 3GP | .3gp | A container associated with mobile video and older handsets. | Check the codec, frame size and quality before converting or archiving. |
Three decisions before conversion
- For sharing: ask which player or platform receives the file.
- For archiving: retain your original and any license or attribution information.
- For playback: inspect codecs and test sound, seeking and subtitles.
Open the interactive compatibility checker
VidPik is not claimed to convert between these formats. This is a general reference for media users.