Media player software
Introduction
When a computing system encounters a media file (image, video, audio etc) there are a number of ways it might handle it ...
- Play it in an application (such as iTunes, Flash player or Acrobat/Adobe reader)
- Play it natively in a browser (.gif's and .jpg's are handled natively by Internet Explorer for eg)
- Play it with a plug-in in a browser window (Real Audio, Flash, Shockwave, QuickTime etc)
- Play it with Media player software (Windows Media Player, Real Player, Flash Player, QuickTime Player etc)
- Auto-run it as an application (eg Director projectors)
- Report an error and ask the user what they want to do
It will decide which of the above to do depending on ...
- What software is installed on the computer.
- How that computer has been configured to handle media. For example, you could have Windows Media Player, QuickTime and iTunes software installed and choose Windows Media Player to handle MP1 video, QuickTime to play H264 video and iTunes to play MP3 audio.
Computer media file formats
Because there are so many different video, audio, animation, 3D and still picture etc file formats (as you read this, somewhere, someone is inventing a new superior one!), software developers have created media player software "packages" to handle them. Examples include ...
If you download QuickTime (for example) it will install 3 components on your system ...
- QuickTime Player (utility)
- Web browser plug-ins tom play media files in a browser window
- System codecs (compression / decompression software) installed in your system file which can be utilised by any application to play media
Creating media player files
Windows Media Player , Flash Player, Real Audio Player, DivX Convertor and QuickTime Pro allow you to create files in their respective file formats. Click these links to find out more about them.
What's the difference between Codec & File format?
The distinction between file formats and codecs can be tricky to understand.
Codecs
A codec is a piece of software (algorithm) which is used to compress a media file to a smaller size and which must be used again to decompressed the file for viewing. It is useful to be able to reduce file size in order to make files easier to store and send over a network (such as the internet or cable and satellite TV).
Examples codecs are ...
.jpg (images)
.mp3 (audio)
H.264 (video)
Media player File formatS
File formats are usually associated with Media Player Software. Media Player software is essentially a collection of codecs with a player interface.
For example, if you have a media file with the .mov extension, then it has been compressed with a codec that QuickTime has, and saved in the QuickTime file format. The same applies for Windows Media with its .wmv file format. The .avi file format is the old Windows format.
If a file has been saved in a proprietary media player file format it can only be played by that media player. It is not always apparent from the file format which codec is being used, only that it can replayed by a particular media player or plug-in.
How do I know what codec is being used if a media file is in a player file format?
If you encounter a video file with the .wmv (Windows Media) or .mov (QuickTime) extension you won't necessarily know what codec its been compressed with but you will know (version permitting) which player software can replay it.
Open the file in the player and choose the option to look at information about the file.
The info dialogue box showing the compression codecs, settings, data rate/size etc for a Hollywood film QuickTime video clip trailer.
The dominant media/video player technologies
Media player comparisons
Media player applications allow computers to replay video, animation and audio in stand alone player applications or by employing a plug-in within a wide range of file formats (web pages, pdf, Director files, Flash files etc).
| Computer media player comparisions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickTime | Windows Media Player | Flash player | DivX | |
| Player utility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser plug-in | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Installed base | All Macs most PCs | All PCs some Macs | Most Macs & PCs | Some PCs, few Macs |
| x-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Choice of codecs | Excellent | Poor | OK | n/a |
| MPEG-1 codec | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes? |
| MPEG-4 format | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes? |
| Sorenson codec | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| H.264 codec | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Good for CD/DVDROM? | Yes | OK | OK | No |
| Good for web? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Web video player comparisons
In order to play video, web browsers must employ a player application or browser plug-in. Unlike MP3 audio (which will play in virtually any audio or video playback software), video data must usually be presented in a player application or browser plug-in file format. The following chart presents the current (2008) primary video playback technologies.
| Web site video player comparisions (browser plug-ins) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File format | User base | x-platform | Flexibility | Video/audio quality |
| Flash player | Most computers have the Flash player plug-in but not all | Mac and PC | Good quality, Flash now has the H264/MP4 codec but control over compression quality is not the best. You can design your own playback controls. | Good |
| QuickTime | All Macs, majority of PCs | Mac and PC | Great choice of codecs, optimising parameters and file formats. | Superb, still the best |
| Windows Media Player | All PCs, only some Macs | Mac and PC | Poor. You'll reach all PC users but control over optimising quality is poor. | Average |
| Real Video | Declining | Mac and PC | Too expensive and inflexible, perhaps a viable option only for real time server streaming (broadcast). | Average / poor |
| DivX | Some PCs and Macs | Mac and PC | Great quality but inflexible optimising and playback tools. | Very good |
| YouTube | - | Mac and PC | Not strickly a player application format(it uses Flash). Publish once to YouTube then insert code into your web page so the video appears there in the YouTube player. Good but you're stuck with their player/branding. | Has been poor but the new HD (H264) option is good |
Flash video format
Flash video has become the most popular for web based video. It allows video to be embedded in or linked to a Flash movie.
Flash video files can be encoded with the Sorenson or H264 codecs. H264 is preferrably but requires the latest (version 9) plug-in/player. According to Adobe 96% of internet users have the Flash 7 plug-in/player installed but this version only handles inferior Sorenson encoded files. As of 2008 only 63% have the Flash 9 plug-in/player. However, the plug-in is a small download so persuding users to upgrade shouldn't be too difficult providing they are not at school or work where they will be unlikely to have administrator access.
QuickTime
QuickTime is a x-platform (Mac & PC) media player and codec application. QuickTime is installed on all Macs, most PCs and is available as a FREE download. Read more here
QuickTime includes a wide range of the BEST codecs known to man, has the most flexible optimising controls, looks great and is the file format of choice for film and video professionals. Significantly, QuickTime includes the best current audio and video codecs including ...
Sorenson 3
H.264 (MP4)
Once you have used these codecs you will not be satisfied with MPEG-1 or Indeo!!!
Windows Media Player
On Macs and PCs, Windows Media Player can play video and audio files created in the proprietary Windows Media Player format as well as some non-media player file formats such as MPEG-1 and MPEG-4. The proprietary file formats utilise a number of video and audio codecs but Microsoft seem a little cagey about exactly what they all are! Find out more here.
Real video
Real video is losing ground in the media player formats war because it offers relatively poor quality and requires special and expensive server software.
DivX
The DivX video format is good. There are excellent free Mac & PC player and conversion/encoder programs. The problem is, although its basically another file wrapper for an a number of codecs (one of which is an MPEG4 variant), it's another non-standard format
YouTube
Although the YouTube player is not strictly another player format (it uses Flash), it has become so popular that it presents a very effective and easy way of being able to publish to one location (YouTube.com) but present in many other locations, by pasting the YouTube link/player code into your web pages.
Related downloads
None at present
