What is the difference between MP4 and MPEG4. Are Mpeg4 and Mp4 the same thing? Let's find out the nuances With support for mp4 and

Today it is impossible to imagine a single user of the Global Network who would not encounter multimedia content almost daily. The most attractive among such information in terms of information content and usefulness is video. Television has already faded into the background and, while working or having fun, the user is increasingly turning his attention to video files from the Internet, of which there are a large number of formats today.

Most often, when downloading videos or movies from the Internet, the user has to deal with file types such as Mpeg4 and Mp4 - these are the same thing, many believe. Let's figure out if this is really so.

Main difference

In fact, there is a difference between MP4 and MPEG4 and it is quite significant. The main difference is the fact that MPEG4 is the method by which compression of audio and video data is determined. And MP4 is a data storage format. That is, MP4 is intended and used as a container in which audio and/or video data is stored. Thus, the statement that Mpeg4 and Mp4 are the same thing is somewhat incorrect. Let's look at the purpose of each format.

MPEG-4

The main purpose of MPEG-4 is to use this compression method in broadcast, interactive and conversational environments. The use of the standard makes it possible to use audio and/or video content not only on a periodic basis. In addition, the standard greatly facilitates the integration of content consisting of two channels (audio and video) into the same multimedia scene. All this led to widespread adoption of the codec in television and web environments.

MP4

It cannot be said that Mpeg4 and Mp4 are the same thing for one more reason. MPEG-4 and MP4 are two terms that are easily confused with each other, not only because their names differ by just two letters, but also because they are so closely intertwined in the world of a huge amount of media files. The MPEG4 and MP4 formats as a container for storing data have become widespread, not least due to the acceptable ratio of video quality and the size of the final files containing the data.

Regarding this characteristic of MP4, it can be said that the best balance among other solutions between video quality and its size has led to MP4 becoming one of the most common file formats for storing and transmitting multimedia. MP4 is not only used on computers. It has gained immense popularity on several mobile platforms, smartphones, tablet computers, including smart phones and tablets from Apple.

On all of the above hardware solutions that allow you to receive, store and transmit multimedia content, MP4 is used by default. Users who prefer direct and hassle-free reading and writing of video files will always choose MP4, although they may not even know the differences between the container and MPEG-4 and think that Mpeg4 and Mp4 are the same thing. It's safe to say that, being a standard video format, MP4 is used almost everywhere, and MPEG-4 is a more specific solution.

The most common cause of problems with MP4 file opening is simply the lack of appropriate applications installed on your computer. In this case, it is enough to find, download and install an application that serves files in MP4 format - such programs are available below.

Search system

Enter file extension

Help

Clue

Please note that some encoded data from files that our computer does not read can sometimes be viewed in Notepad. In this way we will read fragments of text or numbers - It is worth checking whether this method also works in the case of MP4 files.

What to do if the application from the list has already been installed?

Often an installed application should automatically link to the MP4 file. If this does not happen, then the MP4 file can be successfully linked manually with the newly installed application. Just right-click on the MP4 file, and then select the “Choose default program” option from the available ones. Then you need to select the “View” option and find your favorite application. The entered changes must be approved using the "OK" option.

Programs that open MP4 files

Windows

Mac OS

Linux

Why can't I open an MP4 file?

Problems with MP4 files may also have other causes. Sometimes even installing software on your computer that supports MP4 files will not solve the problem. The reason for the inability to open and work with an MP4 file may also be:

Inappropriate MP4 file associations in registry entries
- corruption of the MP4 file we open
- MP4 file infection (viruses)
- too little computer resource
- outdated drivers
- removing the MP4 extension from the Windows registry
- incomplete installation of a program that supports the MP4 extension

Fixing these issues should result in you being able to open and work with MP4 files freely. In case your computer still has problems with files, you need to take the help of an expert who will determine the exact cause.

My computer does not show file extensions, what should I do?

In standard Windows system settings, the computer user does not see the MP4 file extension. This can be successfully changed in the settings. Just go to the "Control Panel" and select "View and Personalization". Then you need to go to "Folder Options" and open "View". In the "View" tab there is an option "Hide extensions of known file types" - you must select this option and confirm the operation by clicking the "OK" button. At this point, the extensions of all files, including MP4, should appear sorted by file name.

One of the popular video formats is MP4. Let's find out which programs can be used to play files with the specified extension on a computer.

Considering that MP4 is a video format, it is safe to say that most multimedia players will be able to play this type of content. In addition, some file viewers, as well as other types of applications, can cope with the task. We will consider in detail the instructions for opening objects with the specified extension in specific programs.

Method 1: MPC

Let's start with a description of the algorithm of actions for activating the playback of MP4 videos from the popular multimedia content player MPC.

Method 2: KMPlayer

Now let's look at how you can open MP4 using KMPlayer, which is one of the most functional media players.

Method 3: VLC player

The next player, the algorithm of actions in which will be discussed, is called VLC.

Method 4: Light Alloy

Method 5: GOM Player

Let's study the algorithm for launching a video of the required format in the GOM Player program.

Method 6: jetAudio

Of course, if you don’t have a full-fledged media player at hand or don’t want to launch it to briefly familiarize yourself with the contents of a video file, then Opera is quite suitable for playing MP4. But you need to take into account that the quality of display of material and the ability to control it in the browser is significantly lower than in the video player.

Method 8: XnView

Another type of program that can play MP4 videos is file viewers. This feature is available in the XnView viewer, which, oddly enough, specializes in viewing images.

It is worth considering that with this viewer, like browsers, the quality of MP4 playback and the ability to manage video will be noticeably inferior to those of full-fledged players.

Method 9: Universal Viewer

Another viewer that can run MP4, unlike the previous program, is universal and does not specialize in playing a specific type of content. It's called Universal Viewer.

Like the two previous methods, this program also does not have as many functional capabilities for working with the MP4 format.

Method 10: Windows Media Player

The Windows operating system also has its own player, which is designed for playing MP4 - Media Player. When using this method, you do not need to install additional software.

There is a fairly large list of media players that support playback of the MP4 video format. We can say that almost any modern representative of this type of program can do this. They, of course, differ from each other in functionality and processing capabilities of running content, but in terms of playback quality, the difference between them is minimal. Windows also has its own built-in player - Media Player, which can also work with files of the specified extension. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to install third-party programs to view them.

In addition, objects of the specified format can be viewed using a number of browsers and file viewers, but they are still inferior to multimedia players in terms of the level of output images. So they are recommended to be used only for superficial acquaintance with the content, and not for full viewing.

If a situation arises in which you cannot open an MP4 file on your computer, there may be several reasons. The first and at the same time the most important (it occurs most often) is the absence of an appropriate application serving MP4 among those installed on your computer.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to find and download the appropriate application. The first part of the task has already been completed - programs for serving the MP4 file can be found below. Now you just need to download and install the appropriate application.

In the further part of this page you will find other possible reasons causing problems with MP4 files.

Possible problems with MP4 files

The inability to open and work with an MP4 file should not mean at all that we do not have the appropriate software installed on our computer. There may be other problems that also block our ability to work with the MPEG-4 Video File Format file. Below is a list of possible problems.

• The MP4 file being opened is corrupted.
• Incorrect MP4 file associations in registry entries.
• Accidental removal of the MP4 extension description from the Windows registry
• Incomplete installation of an application that supports the MP4 format
• The MP4 file you are opening is infected with undesirable malware.
• There is too little space on your computer to open the MP4 file.
• The drivers of the equipment used by the computer to open an MP4 file are out of date.

If you are sure that all of the above reasons are not present in your case (or have already been excluded), the MP4 file should work with your programs without any problems. If the problem with the MP4 file is still not resolved, it may mean that in this case there is another, rare problem with the MP4 file. In this case, the only thing left is the help of a specialist.

We hope we helped you solve your problem with your MP4 file. If you don't know where you can download an application from our list, click on the link (this is the name of the program) - You will find more detailed information on where to download the secure installation version of the required application.

What else could cause problems?

There may be more reasons why you cannot open an MP4 file (not just the lack of an appropriate application).
Firstly- the MP4 file may be incorrectly linked (incompatible) with the installed application to serve it. In this case, you need to change this connection yourself. To do this, right-click on the MP4 file you want to edit, click the option "To open with" and then select the program you installed from the list. After this action, problems with opening the MP4 file should completely disappear.
Secondly- the file you want to open may simply be damaged. In this case, it would be best to find a new version of it, or download it again from the same source (perhaps for some reason in the previous session the download of the MP4 file did not finish and it could not be opened correctly).

Do you want to help?

If you have additional information about the MP4 file extension, we would be grateful if you share it with users of our site. Use the form below and send us your information about the MP4 file.