What is the difference between container and codec?

Container (e.g., MP4, MKV, WebM) is the file format that holds video, audio, and subtitle streams together; it determines the file extension. Codec (e.g., H.264, AAC) is the compression algorithm used to encode each stream; it determines quality and compatibility. The same MP4 container can hold H.264 or H.265 video. A video file = container + one or more encoded streams.

What frame rate should I use?

Common frame rates: 24fps (cinema), 25fps (PAL TV), 30fps (NTSC TV, web), 60fps (gaming, sports, smooth motion). For most web video, 30fps is standard. For fast motion or gaming, 60fps provides smoother playback. Higher frame rate = larger file size. Note: actual frame rate may differ from nominal due to variable frame rate (VFR) in screen recordings.

What bitrate is good for 1080p video?

Recommended H.264 bitrates: 1080p 30fps → 5-8 Mbps (standard), 8-12 Mbps (high quality); 1080p 60fps → 8-12 Mbps (standard), 12-18 Mbps (high quality). For streaming: 5 Mbps for 1080p is common. For archival: use CRF 18 (visually lossless) instead of fixed bitrate. Check actual bitrate with `ffprobe -show_entries stream=bit_rate input.mp4`.

How to check if a video has variable frame rate (VFR)?

Use `ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries packet=pts_time -of csv=p=0 input.mp4 | awk 'NR>1{diff=$1-prev; if(diff 1.2*avg) vfr=1; prev=$1} NR==2{avg=$1-prev} END{print vfr?"VFR":"CFR"}'`. Simpler approach: `ffprobe -v error -select_streams v -show_entries stream=avg_frame_rate,r_frame_rate -of csv=p=0 input.mp4`. If `avg_frame_rate` differs significantly from `r_frame_rate`, the video is VFR. Screen recordings often have VFR and may need conversion to CFR for editing software.

Video Metadata Analysis Guide: FFprobe for Container, Codec, Frame Rate, Bitrate

Q: How to view video metadata with FFprobe?

Use `ffprobe input.mp4` for basic info, or `ffprobe -v error -show_format -show_streams input.mp4` for detailed info. For specific fields: `ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name,width,height,r_frame_rate,bit_rate -of csv=p=0 input.mp4`. For JSON output: add `-of json`. FFprobe is part of FFmpeg suite, install FFmpeg to get it.

Every video file carries a wealth of metadata: codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, duration, color space, and more. Understanding this metadata helps you diagnose playback issues, choose compression settings, and ensure compatibility. This guide explains the key parameters and how to extract them with FFprobe.

Container vs Codec

Before diving into metadata, understand the difference:

Container (MP4, MKV, WebM, AVI): The "box" that holds streams together. Determines file extension and what players can open the file.
Codec (H.264, H.265, AAC): The compression algorithm for each stream. Determines quality and decoding compatibility.
Stream (video, audio, subtitle): The actual content inside the container. Most videos have at least one video stream and one audio stream.

Example: An MP4 file might contain H.264 video + AAC audio. Another MP4 file might contain H.265 video + AAC audio. Both are MP4 containers but use different codecs.

For codec comparison, see our H.264 vs H.265 vs AV1 guide.

Basic FFprobe commands

Quick overview

bash

ffprobe input.mp4

Shows basic info: duration, start time, bitrate, streams.

Detailed format and stream info

bash

ffprobe -v error -show_format -show_streams input.mp4

-v error: Suppress warnings, only show errors
-show_format: Show container-level info
-show_streams: Show stream-level info

JSON output (for scripting)

bash

ffprobe -v error -show_format -show_streams -of json input.mp4

Get specific field

bash

# Video codec
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name -of csv=p=0 input.mp4

# Resolution
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=width,height -of csv=s=x:p=0 input.mp4

# Frame rate
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=r_frame_rate -of csv=p=0 input.mp4

# Duration
ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration -of csv=p=0 input.mp4

# Bitrate
ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=bit_rate -of csv=p=0 input.mp4

Key metadata fields explained

Container fields

Field	Meaning	Example
`format_name`	Container format	mov, mp4, m4a, 3gp, 3g2, mj2
`duration`	Total duration (seconds)	360.5
`bit_rate`	Total bitrate (bps)	2500000
`size`	File size (bytes)	112500000
`nb_streams`	Number of streams	2

Video stream fields

Field	Meaning	Example
`codec_name`	Video codec	h264, hevc, vp9, av1
`profile`	Codec profile	High, Main, Baseline
`level`	Codec level	40 (4.0)
`width`, `height`	Resolution	1920, 1080
`pix_fmt`	Pixel format	yuv420p, yuv444p
`r_frame_rate`	Nominal frame rate	30/1
`avg_frame_rate`	Average frame rate	30/1
`bit_rate`	Video bitrate (bps)	2000000
`nb_frames`	Total frames	10800
`color_space`	Color space	bt709, bt2020nc
`color_transfer`	Transfer characteristics	bt709, smpte2084 (HDR)
`color_primaries`	Color primaries	bt709, bt2020

Audio stream fields

Field	Meaning	Example
`codec_name`	Audio codec	aac, mp3, opus, flac
`sample_rate`	Sample rate (Hz)	44100, 48000
`channels`	Channel count	2 (stereo), 6 (5.1)
`channel_layout`	Channel layout	stereo, 5.1, mono
`bit_rate`	Audio bitrate (bps)	128000
`bits_per_sample`	Bit depth	16, 24 (for lossless)

Common resolutions

Name	Resolution	Aspect	Use case
SD	640x480	4:3	Old TV
HD	1280x720	16:9	Web, mobile
Full HD	1920x1080	16:9	Standard web
2K	2560x1440	16:9	High quality
4K UHD	3840x2160	16:9	4K streaming
8K UHD	7680x4320	16:9	Future-proof
Vertical	1080x1920	9:16	Mobile, TikTok
Square	1080x1080	1:1	Instagram

Common codecs

Video codecs

Codec	Full name	Year	Compression	Browser support
H.264 (AVC)	Advanced Video Coding	2003	Good	All
H.265 (HEVC)	High Efficiency Video Coding	2013	30-50% better than H.264	Safari, partial others
VP9	Google VP9	2013	Similar to H.265	Chrome, Firefox
AV1	AOMedia Video 1	2018	20-30% better than H.265	Modern browsers
MPEG-2	MPEG-2 Part 2	1995	Old	Legacy (DVD)

Audio codecs

Codec	Full name	Lossy/Lossless	Browser support
AAC	Advanced Audio Coding	Lossy	All
MP3	MPEG-1 Audio Layer III	Lossy	All
Opus	Opus	Lossy	Modern browsers
FLAC	Free Lossless Audio Codec	Lossless	Good
PCM	Pulse-Code Modulation	Uncompressed	All

Frame rate guide

Frame rate	Use case
23.976 fps	Cinema (NTSC)
24 fps	Cinema
25 fps	PAL TV
29.97 fps	NTSC TV
30 fps	Web standard
50 fps	PAL HD
60 fps	Gaming, sports
120 fps	High-end gaming, slow motion

Variable Frame Rate (VFR): Screen recordings and some mobile videos use VFR to save space. This can cause sync issues in editing software. Convert to CFR with ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -r 30 -c:v libx264 -crf 23 output.mp4.

Bitrate guide

Resolution	Frame rate	Recommended (H.264)
720p	30fps	2.5-4 Mbps
1080p	30fps	5-8 Mbps
1080p	60fps	8-12 Mbps
4K	30fps	20-35 Mbps
4K	60fps	35-50 Mbps

Calculate bitrate from file:

bash

ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=bit_rate -of csv=p=0 input.mp4
# Output: 2500000 (bits per second = 2.5 Mbps)

Color space and HDR

Color space	Use case
bt601	SD video
bt709	HD video (standard)
bt2020	4K HDR

HDR indicators:

color_transfer=smpte2084: HDR10
color_transfer=arib-std-b67: HLG
side_data_list with mastering_display_metadata: HDR metadata

bash

# Check HDR
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=color_transfer,color_primaries -of csv=p=0 input.mp4

Multiple streams

Some videos have multiple audio tracks (different languages) or subtitle tracks:

bash

# List all streams
ffprobe -v error -show_streams input.mp4

# List stream indexes and types
ffprobe -v error -show_entries stream=index,codec_type,codec_name,language -of csv=p=0 input.mp4

Practical analysis script

bash

#!/bin/bash
# Analyze video file

FILE=$1

echo "=== Container Info ==="
ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=format_name,duration,bit_rate,size -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 "$FILE"

echo ""
echo "=== Video Stream ==="
ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name,profile,level,width,height,pix_fmt,r_frame_rate,bit_rate,nb_frames,color_space,color_transfer -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 "$FILE"

echo ""
echo "=== Audio Stream ==="
ffprobe -v error -select_streams a:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name,sample_rate,channels,channel_layout,bit_rate -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 "$FILE"

echo ""
echo "=== Subtitles ==="
ffprobe -v error -select_streams s -show_entries stream=index,codec_name,language -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 "$FILE"

Common issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
No video stream	Audio-only file	Check `nb_streams` and stream types
Bitrate shows N/A	Container doesn't store bitrate	Calculate from file size and duration
Frame rate shows as fraction	Nominal vs actual rate	`r_frame_rate` is nominal, `avg_frame_rate` is actual
Multiple audio tracks	Multi-language video	Use `-select_streams a:0` for first track
HDR not detected	Missing metadata	Check `color_transfer` field
Codec not recognized	Old FFmpeg version	Update FFmpeg

Browser compatibility check

Based on metadata, predict browser compatibility:

bash

#!/bin/bash
CODEC=$(ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name -of csv=p=0 "$1")

case $CODEC in
  h264) echo "Compatible with all browsers" ;;
  hevc) echo "Safari only (no Chrome/Firefox support)" ;;
  vp9) echo "Chrome, Firefox, Edge (no Safari iOS)" ;;
  av1) echo "Modern browsers only (Chrome 85+, Firefox 68+, Safari 16.4+)" ;;
  *) echo "Unknown compatibility for codec: $CODEC" ;;
esac

Summary

Video metadata tells you everything about a file: codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, color space, and more. FFprobe is the universal tool for extracting this info.

Quick reference:

Basic info: ffprobe input.mp4
All details: ffprobe -v error -show_format -show_streams -of json input.mp4
Specific field: ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name -of csv=p=0 input.mp4
JSON output: Add -of json

For browser-based metadata viewing, use our Video Info tool — no installation required.

Video Metadata Analysis Guide: FFprobe for Container, Codec, Frame Rate, Bitrate ​

Container vs Codec ​

Basic FFprobe commands ​

Quick overview ​

Detailed format and stream info ​

JSON output (for scripting) ​

Get specific field ​

Key metadata fields explained ​

Container fields ​

Video stream fields ​

Audio stream fields ​

Common resolutions ​

Common codecs ​

Video codecs ​

Audio codecs ​

Frame rate guide ​

Bitrate guide ​

Color space and HDR ​

Multiple streams ​

Practical analysis script ​

Common issues ​

Browser compatibility check ​

Summary ​

References ​

Video Metadata Analysis Guide: FFprobe for Container, Codec, Frame Rate, Bitrate

Container vs Codec

Basic FFprobe commands

Quick overview

Detailed format and stream info

JSON output (for scripting)

Get specific field

Key metadata fields explained

Container fields

Video stream fields

Audio stream fields

Common resolutions

Common codecs

Video codecs

Audio codecs

Frame rate guide

Bitrate guide

Color space and HDR

Multiple streams

Practical analysis script

Common issues

Browser compatibility check

Summary

References