Meaning of "brand" in video file formats?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the meaning of "brand" in video file formats, specifically in the context of the ffmpeg tool. When analyzing a video file, ffmpeg outputs brand information that indicates the file's compatibility with various formats. For example, in the provided output, the major brand is "mp42," which signifies compatibility with the MP4 format. This brand information is crucial for understanding how video files can be utilized across different platforms and devices.

PREREQUISITES
  • Familiarity with ffmpeg version 4.4 or later
  • Understanding of video file formats such as MP4 and MOV
  • Knowledge of metadata in multimedia files
  • Basic command line skills for executing ffmpeg commands
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the ffmpeg command line options for extracting metadata
  • Learn about the differences between major and minor brands in video formats
  • Explore compatibility issues between various video file formats
  • Investigate the role of metadata in video streaming and playback
USEFUL FOR

Video editors, multimedia developers, and anyone involved in video file processing or optimization will benefit from this discussion.

Stephen Tashi
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TL;DR
What is the definition of "major brand" and "compatible brand" in the description of a video file?
The program ffmpeg can be run on a video file to print out information about the file format.
An example of some output:
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'Mid Air Engine Catastrophe - Air Crash investigation 2020 - Mayday Airplane Full documentary - Plane-_oKX1pcDt-E.mp4':
Metadata:
major_brand : mp42
minor_version : 0
compatible_brands: isommp42
What is the meaning of the brand information?
 
Last edited:
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I did some searching, and found this http://ftyps.com/ as well as some other links.

It appears the "brand" is another way of saying what format it is compatible with.
 
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