============= Video Formats ============= In choosing a video format, I went through a :doc:`video format comparison and evaluation ` process to figure out what was best for me. (If you want to see what settings I use to convert videos, check out the :doc:`Handbrake <../software/convert/handbrake>` page.) Below is the current video format information; if you're interested in why I chose them, :doc:`check out the video format comparison `. H.264 Video / AAC + AC3 Passthrough Audio / MP4 Container ========================================================= As part of my switch to :doc:`Plex <../software/serve/plex>` for my media center server software, I also switched away from ``VIDEO_TS`` video format to individual movie files using: - H.264 video codec - AAC audio for the primary track codec - Native (AC3, DTS, etc.) audio for a secondary passthrough track - MP4 (with an ``.m4v`` extension) container I chose this format for three reasons: - **High compatibility**: The MP4 container with H.264 video and AAC audio can be played by pretty much all of my devices. - **Video quality vs. file size balance**: H.264 video has good compression for the quality it retains and, based on your settings, you can get a file half the size of the MPEG-2 equivalent but with comparable quality. - **Audio quality**: While the MP4 container format doesn't really specify support for anything beyond AAC audio, you can embed additional tracks and many popular players (including :doc:`Plex <../software/serve/plex>`) know how to deal with it. This allows you to put in a primary AAC stereo track for compatibility with mobile devices and standard players; and a secondary "passthrough" track with the original, unchanged audio for full surround. I use :doc:`MakeMKV <../software/rip/makemkv>` for ripping content from discs. I use :doc:`Handbrake <../software/convert/handbrake>` to convert the ripped disc content into the target format. The :doc:`Handbrake page <../software/convert/handbrake>` shows the custom settings I use for video conversion. Something I did notice as I moved away from ``VIDEO_TS`` into a new, "standalone file" sort of format, is that audio/video sync sometimes got off somewhere so lip sync was visibly bad. Sometimes this is due to the source material being bad already; other times it had to do with frame rate issues. :doc:`I talk more about lip sync on the Handbrake page. <../software/convert/handbrake>` I will say that, from a container perspective, subtitles is an area where MKV definitely outshines MP4 - MKV allows multiple subtitle tracks, just like a regular disc; MP4 only gives you one, and whichever one you choose is "permanently turned on." :doc:`I talk more about how I handle subtitles on the Handbrake page. <../software/convert/handbrake>` I gathered some general statistics after I finished the mass conversion of all of my media using :doc:`Handbrake <../software/convert/handbrake>` that may help you gauge how much space you need. This is using the settings outlined on the :doc:`Handbrake <../software/convert/handbrake>` page. - Total number of files: 4998 - Total content runtime: 134 days, 8 hours, 56 minutes, 47 seconds - SD runtime: 115 days, 12 hours, 25 minutes, 17 seconds - HD runtime: 18 days, 20 hours, 31 minutes, 30 seconds - Total file size: 5182.3GB - SD file size: 3042.04GB - HD file size: 2140.26GB - Average MB/minute for SD content: 18.73 - Average MB/minute for HD content: 80.72 VIDEO_TS Disc Image =================== ``VIDEO_TS`` isn't really a "format" in the classic sense. When you use a tool like :doc:`DVDFab HD Decrypter <../software/deprecated/dvdfab>` to rip the content from a disc onto a hard drive and you want a full disc image - no compression or conversion - you have two choices. You can either get a literal byte-for-byte image in ``.iso`` format or you can get the *files* from the disc in their native directory structure. If you choose the files in their directory structure, the directory that comes out is called ``VIDEO_TS``. Inside that are a bunch of files with the extension ``.vob`` that are, basically, MPEG-2 video files. I used ``VIDEO_TS`` format originally in combination with :doc:`XBMC <../software/deprecated/xbmc>` to both back up my movies and serve them at their original, unchanged fidelity. However, MPEG-2 video is poor compression and eats up space. Also, you have to use a smarter media front-end like :doc:`XBMC <../software/deprecated/xbmc>` to play a disc image in ``VIDEO_TS`` format because it means the front-end must emulate a DVD player. Thus - it's far less portable than other formats. When my :doc:`media center goals <../requirements>` changed to go for more portability, I moved away from ``VIDEO_TS``. AVCHD / MTS / M2TS ================== I first encountered this format when I bought an HD camcorder. At that point it was sort of difficult to deal with - not much would play it directly and I spent some time trying to figure out how best to store it as something more compatible. As it turns out, **this is the same format in which Blu-ray discs are stored**. More things play the format natively now, but I still end up converting these files (from my Blu-ray discs and my camera) into MP4 files. :doc:`Handbrake <../software/convert/handbrake>` is the way to go for conversion here. For home movie editing in this format, I use `Sony Vegas `_. I save my edited movies as MP4.