Separate containers from codecs
Inspect the source streams and duration. Match codecs to the target player or editor.
Video & Audio
Clear explanations of containers, codecs, bitrates, channels, frame rates, and playback compatibility.
4 guides in this collection
START HERE
The practical guide to video codecs for the web
A dependable web video balances reach, quality, decoding cost, and file weight.
9 min read →02
Codecs without the fog
03Bitrate, resolution, and frame rate: which lever matters?
These controls interact. Reduce the one your content can spare rather than applying the same preset to every clip.
9 min read →Codecs without the fog
04Lossless vs. lossy audio for music, speech, and archives
FLAC, WAV, AAC, and MP3 solve different storage and delivery problems.
8 min read →Codecs without the fog
Sample rate and bit depth: useful numbers, sensible limits
Higher settings can help production headroom, but they do not automatically improve a finished listening copy.
10 min read →How to approach video & audio
Container, codec, profile, bitrate, frame rate, channels, and duration jointly determine whether media will play well.
A media file can have a familiar extension and still fail because its video codec, audio codec, profile, channel layout, or metadata is unsupported. Inspect the streams before conversion, choose a destination profile documented by the target device, and test playback, seeking, duration, synchronization, captions, and high-motion quality on a representative output before processing a full batch.
Balance reach, bitrate, and editing needs
Encode a representative high-motion or complex-audio sample. Check playback, sync, seeking, and channel layout.
Media playback and quality check
- Video and audio codecs are supported by the destination.
- Duration, frame rate, and audio sync remain correct.
- High-motion detail and quiet audio passages remain acceptable.
- Captions, chapters, and required metadata were retained or exported separately.