When I first started playing music videos the company I subscribed to sent me them in mpeg 2 format. Now when I get my videos they are mp4 and I convert them to mpeg2 (one of my dj softwares I cannot get mp4 to work on). Is there a big difference between the 2 file types?
Video Jocks mpeg 2 videos vs mp 4
- Thread starter djbojett
- Start date
Come on guys, how did this post go unanswered this long? :tritongue:
MPEG4, if encoded well/properly, will yield better video quality at a smaller size than MPEG2.
Plenty of information can be found on these differences online.
Google: difference mpeg2 mpeg4
As for not playing, I dont know what you're using, but if you tell us, maybe someone will have an answer for you.
Many dj programs have limited built-in video codec support and most all of them rely to some extent (if not all) on the codecs you already have installed on your machine.
Try downloading the KLITE codec pack, or a similar bundle that has multiple video codecs included in it. Then, if your software gives you the option, you may even be able to go in and manually edit/enter the different types of video file extensions (MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, FLV, etc.) and actually specify a codec to associate with that extension. If you don't have a clue which is which, you can even assign each codec to an extension and test until you find the one that works. For this Im speaking out of familiarity with Virtual DJ software - others may or may not have that kind of flexibility/control.
MPEG4, if encoded well/properly, will yield better video quality at a smaller size than MPEG2.
Plenty of information can be found on these differences online.
Google: difference mpeg2 mpeg4
As for not playing, I dont know what you're using, but if you tell us, maybe someone will have an answer for you.
Many dj programs have limited built-in video codec support and most all of them rely to some extent (if not all) on the codecs you already have installed on your machine.
Try downloading the KLITE codec pack, or a similar bundle that has multiple video codecs included in it. Then, if your software gives you the option, you may even be able to go in and manually edit/enter the different types of video file extensions (MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, FLV, etc.) and actually specify a codec to associate with that extension. If you don't have a clue which is which, you can even assign each codec to an extension and test until you find the one that works. For this Im speaking out of familiarity with Virtual DJ software - others may or may not have that kind of flexibility/control.
A lot of software uses QuickTime behind the scenes.
Check to see if it will play with QuickTime DIRECTLY. (I.E. Launch QT, then open it in QT and try it). If is doesn't play, update QuickTime and try again.
Check to see if it will play with QuickTime DIRECTLY. (I.E. Launch QT, then open it in QT and try it). If is doesn't play, update QuickTime and try again.
That's the guts of it right there. However, Divx, Xvid and MKV blow Mp4 away.
:tricool:
Ok, A few small things need to be addressed.
First off, No matter how good they look, Mpeg 4 is never higher quality than mpeg 2.
Raw uncompressed DV is converted to mpeg 2 as the standard for DVD video. These ae seen as .vob files on a DVD, but they're just mpeg-2 files with a different name.
All mp4 files start off as mpeg-2 almost without exception. Even professional video equipment records in a compressed format most of the time, so even if you're coming from "the source" it's still most likely starting life as mpeg-2, and sometimes with the newer consumer cameras, straight to mpeg-4.
That being said, compression will never yield a higher quality result than the source. it's impossible. It may be close, and with de-interlacing, and smoothing, it may appear glossier, but it's actually the equivalent of using a blur tool in photoshop to cover a jagged edge.
All MP4 files are simply AVI files. so are DIVX, and MKV, H.264, and FFDShow, and others... They're mp-4 files also,and also AVI's. MP4 is not the encoding type, it's simply the compression standard that whatever particular codec you used is following.
AVI is simply the container file. An AVI could be encoded, and potentially contain any one of over 80 codecs in the wild right now. This is why often when someone goes and encodes their video collection, then shares a file with you, it doesn't play on your machine. Most of the cheapo video conversion softwares use a variant of a more mainstream encoder, hence making playback of the file incompatible with your software without inclusion of yet another software.
The trick tocompressed files is that they're inherently lossy, so you want to remove as much info from the data stream as you can without it becoming apparent as to which data is missing.
First off, No matter how good they look, Mpeg 4 is never higher quality than mpeg 2.
Raw uncompressed DV is converted to mpeg 2 as the standard for DVD video. These ae seen as .vob files on a DVD, but they're just mpeg-2 files with a different name.
All mp4 files start off as mpeg-2 almost without exception. Even professional video equipment records in a compressed format most of the time, so even if you're coming from "the source" it's still most likely starting life as mpeg-2, and sometimes with the newer consumer cameras, straight to mpeg-4.
That being said, compression will never yield a higher quality result than the source. it's impossible. It may be close, and with de-interlacing, and smoothing, it may appear glossier, but it's actually the equivalent of using a blur tool in photoshop to cover a jagged edge.
All MP4 files are simply AVI files. so are DIVX, and MKV, H.264, and FFDShow, and others... They're mp-4 files also,and also AVI's. MP4 is not the encoding type, it's simply the compression standard that whatever particular codec you used is following.
AVI is simply the container file. An AVI could be encoded, and potentially contain any one of over 80 codecs in the wild right now. This is why often when someone goes and encodes their video collection, then shares a file with you, it doesn't play on your machine. Most of the cheapo video conversion softwares use a variant of a more mainstream encoder, hence making playback of the file incompatible with your software without inclusion of yet another software.
The trick tocompressed files is that they're inherently lossy, so you want to remove as much info from the data stream as you can without it becoming apparent as to which data is missing.