People have developed a habit of downloading YouTube videos for watching them offline on big screens without any interruptions. They never wish to compromise on the video quality while watching their favorite movies or series.
This is why you tend to find the best video format that possesses the highest quality and the most convenient file size. In reality, there is no best video format because it would be utterly dependent on how you wish to create a balance between the size and quality of the YouTube video.
There are specific video formats that are extremely small in size but are only preferable for web video streaming due to their low-quality resolution. On the other hand, there are certain formats with extremely high video quality, but their downside is that they are pretty large in size.
Most popular video formats
For getting a better understanding of different video file formats, let us discuss in brief some of the most popular ones being used in the market.
MP4
The most popular as well as the most common video format is MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14). MP4 is also the most preferred format by Apple as this format is compatible with all the other devices. The MPEG-4 encoding algorithm is used for storing all the audio and video files along with the text. The only downside is that it offers a bit less quality as compared to the other video formats. The MP4 video format is considered an ideal one for the videos posted on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
AVI
Microsoft has developed the AVI (Audio Video Interleave) for delivering the highest quality of the video, but it also takes up a large chunk of space. AVI is compatible with every web browser on Windows, Linux, and Mac machines. YouTube supports this video format, and it even works perfectly fine with TV streaming.
FLV, F4V, and SWF
FLV, F4V, and SWF (Shockwave Flash) are all flash video formats that could be played only in Flash Players. These formats are more commonly used for streaming videos on YouTube. iOS devices do not support any flash video formats.
MKV
The Matroska Multimedia Container format has been developed in Russia. It is a free and open-source video file format. MKV format can support nearly every codec, but very few programs support this file format. If you are thinking about viewing your favorite movie or video on a TV or computer using some open-source player like VLC Media Player or Miro, then the MKV file format is the right choice for you.
WEBM or HTML5
If you have a personal or business website, this video format is considered a perfect one for them. These embedded videos are pretty small in size and would not put a load on your website. The videos would be loaded speedily as well as streamed easily.
Why do YouTube Video Downloaders prefer MP4 Video Format?
Addoncrop YouTube Video Downloader prefers MP4 videos because of their balance between quality and size of the file. Another significant reason is that you can play it on any device.
MP4 video files have a comparatively small file size, but you will get high-quality video even after compression. MP4 videos have the capability of storing different types of data other than storing audio and video. It stores metadata that includes scene descriptors, object descriptors, and various other file structures. The reason behind the immense popularity of the MP4 video format is its compatibility with both online browsers and offline players.
The MP4 video format is more compatible as compared to the other video file formats. It is compatible with Microsoft and Apple across a majority of devices such as phones, tablets, computers, TVs, and even gaming consoles. Every media player, editing software, and web platform that is compatible with H.264 video encoding would be able to support the MP4 video file.
Other than its compatibility benefit, MP4 videos are very much valuable for different projects. Trainers and teachers use these videos and insert them in their PowerPoint presentations to explain the concepts. You can even download your favorite MP4 videos from YouTube effortlessly with the use of the Addoncrop YouTube Video Downloader.
Our free Browser Extension allows you to download YouTube videos in different video qualities ranging from 360p to ultra high definition 4k. Supports all formats, including AVI, FLV, WebM, MP4 and MP3 without size and length limits.