M4V
Encyclopedia
M4V is a file container format used by Apple's iTunes application. The M4V file format
is a video file format developed by Apple and is very close to MP4
format. The differences are the optional Apple's DRM copyright protection, and the treatment of AC3 (Dolby Digital
) audio which is not standardized for the MP4 container.
Apple uses M4V files to encode TV episodes, movies, and music videos in the iTunes Store. The copyright of M4V files may be protected by using Apple's FairPlay DRM copyright protection. To play a protected M4V file, the computer needs to be authorized (using iTunes) with the account that was used to purchase the video. However, unprotected M4V files without AC3 audio may be recognized and played by other video players by changing the file extension from ".m4v" to ".mp4
".
Besides Apple iTunes and Apple QuickTime Player, M4V files can also be opened and played with the version of Windows Media Player
included with Windows 7, Media Player Classic
, RealPlayer
, VLC media player
and Nero Showtime (included with Nero Multimedia Suite). The format, with DRM removed, can also be played in the webOS Video Player for use on the Palm Pre
, Palm Pixi
smartphones. It is also playable by the Android operating system with its video player. It can also be played with the BS Player Pro.
M4V video with FairPlay attached to it is read in QuickTime
as AVC0 Media.
File format
A file format is a particular way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file.Since a disk drive, or indeed any computer storage, can store only bits, the computer must have some way of converting information to 0s and 1s and vice-versa. There are different kinds of formats for...
is a video file format developed by Apple and is very close to MP4
MPEG-4 Part 14
MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4. It is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images...
format. The differences are the optional Apple's DRM copyright protection, and the treatment of AC3 (Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
) audio which is not standardized for the MP4 container.
Apple uses M4V files to encode TV episodes, movies, and music videos in the iTunes Store. The copyright of M4V files may be protected by using Apple's FairPlay DRM copyright protection. To play a protected M4V file, the computer needs to be authorized (using iTunes) with the account that was used to purchase the video. However, unprotected M4V files without AC3 audio may be recognized and played by other video players by changing the file extension from ".m4v" to ".mp4
MPEG-4 Part 14
MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4. It is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images...
".
Besides Apple iTunes and Apple QuickTime Player, M4V files can also be opened and played with the version of Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
included with Windows 7, Media Player Classic
Media Player Classic
Media Player Classic is a compact media player for 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows. The application mimics the look and feel of the old, lightweight Windows Media Player 6.4 but integrates most options and features found in modern media players...
, RealPlayer
RealPlayer
RealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
, VLC media player
VLC media player
VLC media player is a free and open source media player and multimedia framework written by the VideoLAN project.VLC is a portable multimedia player, encoder, and streamer supporting many audio and video codecs and file formats as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It is able to...
and Nero Showtime (included with Nero Multimedia Suite). The format, with DRM removed, can also be played in the webOS Video Player for use on the Palm Pre
Palm Pre
The Palm Pre is a multimedia smartphone designed and marketed by Palm with a multi-touch screen and a sliding keyboard. The smartphone was the first to use Palm's Linux based mobile operating system, webOS...
, Palm Pixi
Palm Pixi
The Palm Pixi and Pixi Plus are multimedia smartphones, developed by Palm, which was purchased in 2010 by HP. The device is viewed as a successor to the Palm Centro smartphone and was Palm's second webOS device, after the Palm Pre....
smartphones. It is also playable by the Android operating system with its video player. It can also be played with the BS Player Pro.
M4V video with FairPlay attached to it is read in QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
as AVC0 Media.
See also
- MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14)MPEG-4 Part 14MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4. It is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images...
- Container format (digital) definition and article
- Comparison of (audio/video) container formatsComparison of container formatsThis table compares features of container formats. To see which multimedia players support which container format, look at comparison of media players.-Information:-Audio formats supported:-Video formats supported:-Caption formats supported:...
- List of multimedia (audio/video) codecs
- List of open source codecs
- Comparison of video codecsComparison of video codecsA video codec is software or a device that provides encoding and decoding which may or may not include the use of video compression and/or decompression for digital video....
- Comparison of audio codecsComparison of audio codecsThe following tables compare general and technical information for a variety of audio formats and audio compression formats. For listening tests comparing the perceived audio quality of audio formats and codecs, see the article Codec listening test....