Can you play and edit container files?

Container files are designed to keep media streams in one file, so they could be easily opened and played by media players. You can also import some video container formats with video editing tools such as Adobe Premiere, After Effects, or Media Encoder. Container formats that support direct import into Adobe editing tools are MOV, MP4, MPG, 3GP, MXF, and AVI.

What does a video container do?

A video container holds multiple media streams including as video, audio, subtitles, chapter names, and descriptions in one file and plays the streams together in a media player. Container files are also good for transferring files and online video streaming.

What is the difference between a video container and a codec?

Video containers are files that can store various digital media streams such as video, audio, and subtitles. Codecs are algorithms that help compress media files. Most modern codecs can reduce the size of a file, without affecting the quality.

Does container format reduce video quality?

The container format doesn’t define the quality of the video, it depends on the codec that packs multiple media streams in one container file. Codecs like H.265/HVEC or AVC use lossless compression technology, so the video quality is unaffected. Some codecs are only compatible with certain container types.

How do you convert a video from one container format to another?

It’s easy to convert a video file into another container format with tools like Media Encoder. It supports the most popular container formats such as MOV, AVI, MXF, and FLV.

Container video files.

Container format files are widely used to keep multiple types of digital media in a single file for easy storage and transfer. They’re pivotal during the video production phase and ensure all aspects of your video are kept in one place, for ease of use.

Read on to learn how container video files work, and why they’re the preferred format when it comes to file transfers or video streaming.

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WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

What is a video container?

Learn more about container files

What are container files used for?

Advantages and disadvantages of container files

FAQ

What is a video container?

Also known as a wrapper or metafile, the container format file stores multiple media streams such as video, audio, subtitles, and metadata in one place. Metadata synchronizes and aligns all embedded streams and keep things running smoothly.

Container files help to efficiently store and transfer complex file structures under one “cover”. You can encode several different file formats into a container file with the help of a codec – a compression algorithm.

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Learn more about container files

What are container files used for?

Container files are often used to keep video, audio, and subtitle tracks of a video clip or a film in one place. You can store multiple multimedia streams in one file and play the whole set together.

Container files are good for streaming video online as the compressed files don’t take up as much space and are easy to transfer. Video editing software such as Adobe Premiere or Adobe After Effects export video projects in the container format so you can easily play it on, or import to, other software.

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Advantages and disadvantages of container files.

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Advantages

Multiple media streams. It is very handy to have all your media streams in one file. Especially when you have to deal with multiple languages, audio, and subtitle tracks for the same video.
Smaller file size. When you’re creating a container file you can compress the digital media files within it, so they take up less space. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the quality is automatically reduced. Most of the container files can hold videos with 4K resolution and beyond.

Disadvantages.

Require codecs. Codecs are algorithms that run video compression, creating a file that’s smaller in size. The final quality of a video stream depends on the codec used and sometimes you’ll need codecs to unpack a container file.
Compatibility issues. There are quite a few container types available. Some are easily opened and played by native software on both Mac and Windows OS, while you’ll need to convert other container files to be opened by media players or editing tools.