Some of these downloadable videos might be in an unfamiliar file type for some of you. But take heart, they are all standard and popular video file formats, and can be played using free and commonly used software available on the Internet. Here is a run-down of the different types of files, and how you can get them to play.
VLC Player is the recommended media player for all videos available on this site. VLC is cross-platform (there are versions for Mac, PC, and Linux) and it is free.
DivX or XviD AVI: Plays with the DivX player and VLC Player or the XviD codec installed. If you install the DivX Player or the XviD codec, these AVI files should also play in Windows Media Player or Quicktime Player (Mac only). DivX and XviD are both excellent codecs, are compatible with many systems, and can be played on faster or slower systems alike. |
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Sorenson (or Sorenson 3) MOV: Plays in Quicktime 6 and 7 and VLC Player. This is an older codec, but gives a fairly good video picture quality. It is favored by some users who cannot seem to get DivX or XviD to play (or for whatever reason are reluctant to install the software to get it to play). It will play on Quicktime 6 or 7. If you have an old, slow computer, Quicktime MOV with Sorenson 3 might be the best file type for you. |
H.264 MOV: Plays in Quicktime 7 and VLC Player. H.264 is a newer, very high quality codec that is best played in Quicktime 7 (will not work in Quicktime 6 or older versions) and VLC Player. It is increasing in popularity with both Mac and PC users. However, some older or slower computers may have a problem playing high resolution H.264 videos. (Try the dial-up version of H.264, Sorenson 3, or DivX/XviD instead.) |
H.264 MP4: Plays in Quicktime 7 and VLC Player. Some H.264 MP4 files may also be suitable for iPod (but only if they have a specific frame dimension) and may also be viewed in iTunes. If you download an iPod file, keep in mind that it will also play in Quicktime or VLC, like any other "regular" video. Just like H.264 MOV files, these type of MP4 files will not play in older versions of Quicktime, and they may play poorly on older computers. |
M4V: Plays in Quicktime 7 and VLC Player, and iTunes. Usually with the H.264 codec, M4V files are almost always for iPod or iPhone. But just like MP4 files, they will also play in Quicktime 7 and VLC Player, like other "regular" videos. |
WMV: Plays in VLC Player, with Flip4Mac plug-in (Mac users only) or Windows Media Player. This is the most popular video format for Windows users, but some Mac users are not yet aware that the free Flip4Mac plug-in will allow them to play all WMV files in Quicktime Player. |
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MPEG, MPEG-1: MPEG-1 has been around forever, and will play on any old crummy system (Windows 95, Mac System 7, you name it), and just about any media player. The quality is not as good, so only download MPEG files if you can't seem to get anything else to play. If MPEG is not available, try Sorenson 3 MOV instead, since it also will play on old crummy computers. |