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Video

A reference hub covering common video containers and codecs like MP4, WebM and MOV.

Format details

What is Video?

The video family covers container formats like MP4, WebM, MOV and MKV, plus the codecs inside them such as H.264, H.265, VP9 and AV1. On Konvert, this hub explains how those pieces fit together so you can pick the right target for the web, mobile or editing software. This page explains containers and codecs so you can choose targets confidently. Live Konvert tools for video are not available yet.

Specifications

Typical file size
Highly variable: a 1080p H.264 clip is often 3–8 MB per minute, while 4K HDR footage can easily exceed 100 MB per minute before compression.
Quality
Video quality is a mix of resolution, frame rate, bitrate and codec efficiency. Modern codecs like H.265 and AV1 achieve the same visual quality as H.264 at a much lower bitrate, but they take longer to encode and are not supported everywhere. Real quality is judged in motion — banding in gradients, blockiness in dark scenes and mushy detail during fast movement are the usual give-aways.
Transparency support
Varies — Not applicable to most delivery formats. A handful of codecs (like VP9 and HEVC with alpha) support transparent video, but this is a specialist workflow and not a general video family feature.
Animation support
Yes — Video is inherently animated — frames played over time. This differs from image-format animation like GIF or animated WebP.
Compression type
Lossy in almost all practical cases. Codecs use inter-frame prediction, transform coding and quantization to store motion and detail efficiently.
Browser support
MP4 with H.264/AAC plays in every current browser. WebM with VP9 or AV1 is broadly supported in Chromium browsers and Firefox, with growing Safari support. MOV and MKV playback in-browser is inconsistent.
Compatibility
MP4/H.264 is the safest choice for phones, editors, social platforms and legacy systems. WebM shines on the web, MOV is common from Apple devices, and MKV is popular for archival because it can carry multiple audio and subtitle tracks.

Advantages

  • Modern codecs deliver very high visual quality at a fraction of raw file sizes.
  • MP4/H.264 is a near-universal delivery format across devices and platforms.
  • Container formats can bundle audio, subtitles and multiple tracks in one file.
  • AV1 and H.265 give large bandwidth savings for streaming-heavy use cases.
  • Video toolchains are mature, with strong support in editors and players.

Disadvantages

  • Encoding is CPU- and memory-intensive, which limits what's practical in a browser.
  • Codec and container support varies between browsers, devices and social platforms.
  • Newer codecs like AV1 encode slowly compared to H.264.
  • Live Konvert tools for this family are not available yet.
  • Color, HDR and audio settings add complexity that's easy to get wrong.

Common uses

  • Preparing MP4 uploads for social platforms and messaging apps.
  • Transcoding phone recordings from MOV to a more widely playable MP4.
  • Creating WebM versions of clips for embedding on websites.
  • Archiving footage in MKV with multiple audio and subtitle tracks.
  • Compressing long recordings so they fit into email or cloud storage limits.

Common conversions

  • MP4 ↔ WebM
  • MOV → MP4
  • H.265 → H.264 for broader compatibility
  • Extracting audio from a video into MP3 or WAV
  • Trimming or re-encoding large clips to reduce size

Compression tips

  • Resolution and frame rate dominate file size — downscale before you touch the bitrate slider.
  • Prefer two-pass encoding for a fixed target size, and CRF/quality mode for a fixed visual quality.
  • Match the codec to the destination: H.264 for compatibility, H.265/AV1 for size, VP9 for the modern web.
  • Encode audio with AAC or Opus at a sensible bitrate (128–192 kbps for stereo) rather than leaving it uncompressed.
  • Strip unused audio tracks, subtitles and chapters when they aren't needed.

Frequently asked questions