Introduction on Different Types of MP4

What is MP4?

MP4, with another name as MPEG-4 Part 14, is a digital multimedia container format most commonly used to store videos, audios, subtitles and still images and MP4 file also allows for streaming via the Internet like other digital multimedia containers can do. MPEG-4 files with audio and video generally use the standard .mp4 extension. Some people can play some MP4 files while others can’t be played at the same video player. That’s why you need to know different codecs of MP4 files.

Filename extensions of MP4

Audio-only MPEG-4 files generally have a .m4a extension. This is especially true of unprotected content. For those protected audio-only MPEG-4 files sold through the iTunes Store, it comes with .m4p extension. Audiobook and podcast files can use the extension .m4a, but more commonly use the .m4b extension. However, iPhone uses MPEG-4 audio for its ringtones but uses the .m4r extension rather than the .m4a extension. Raw MPEG-4 Visual bitstreams are named .m4v but this extension is also sometimes used for video in MP4 container format.

Widely supported MP4 codecs

Video: MPEG-H Part 2 (H.265/HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264/AVC) and MPEG-4 Part 2

Other compression formats are less used: MPEG-2 and MPEG-1

Audio: Advanced Audio Coding

Also MPEG-4 Part 3 audio objects, such as Audio Lossless Coding (ALS), Scalable Lossless Coding (SLS), MP3, MPEG-1 Audio Layer II (MP2), MPEG-1 Audio Layer I (MP1), CELP, HVXC (speech), TwinVQ, Text To Speech Interface (TTSI) and Structured Audio Orchestra Language (SAOL)

Other compression formats are less used: Apple Lossless and Free Lossless Audio Codec (added in late 2018)

Subtitles: MPEG-4 Timed Text (also known as 3GPP Timed Text).

Nero Digital uses DVD Video subtitles in MP4 files

How to Find a Player with All these Codec Supports?

Leawo Free Blu-ray Player can support more than 180 formats with in-built codecs so that you don't have to download and install additional codec packs. It can deliver extraordinary image and audio experience via 4K displays. It’s capable of playing 4K video in MKV, MP4 and TS formats, 1080P videos in HD MP4, HD MKV, HD MOV, etc., 720P videos in MP4, AVI, MKV, and other formats.

Apart from high resolution for the better viewing experience, Leawo Blu-ray Player can also offer quality-lossless stereo audio enjoyment with advanced audio decoding technology such as Dolby, DTS, AAC, TrueHD, etc. Another feature that make Leawo Blu-ray Player stand out is its role as region-free Blu-ray/DVD player program. It spares you the trouble of changing region code on your Blu-ray and DVD player and it can decrypt any Blu-ray and DVD disc easily for you.