[Misuzu]

There seem to be a lot of questions, many repeating, concerning how to open, convert, or edit certain file types.

This is a work in progress, as I'll add things as I write them, but it should be a helpful guide.

How to use this guide:
If you want to know how to open a certain filetype, read the corresponding information in the File Types section. It will have a list of software that can play it. Links to the software are found in the Players section.

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!!! If you see a filetype that isn't listed, and would like help, don't hesitate!

Quote:

Contents
File Types (info, how to open)
-.RM, .RAM, .RMVB
-.MP2, .MP3, MP4 (1), .MP4 (2), .MPG/.MPEG
-.AVI, .DAT, .WAV
-.OGG, .OGM
-.MKV
-.WMV, .WMA
-.MID

Players
-Audio
-Video

Recorders and Editors
-Audio
-Video

Converters
-Audio
-Video

Media FAQ
-Does audio/video quality vary by player?
-What is DRM, aka Digital Rights Management?
-If I change the file extension, what does that do?
-How do I change what program opens a certain filetype by default?
-What's the difference between .MID/.MIDI, .MPG/.MPEG, etc?
-How do I download embedded media files?
-Who or what is MPEG?

File Types
File types are sorted by "family".

Format is as follows: .fileextension - filetype (player 1, player 2, preferred player) - description

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.RM - Real Media (Real Player, Real Alternative/MPC) - A somewhat outdated form of media. It's lackluster as a means of high-end video, but is perfect for streaming media and low end video. Is popular in Asia, particularly Japan. The Real Media format can be either video, audio, or audio/video.

.RAM - Real Media Streaming (Real Player, Real Alternative/MPC) - RAM's are dummy files. If you want to stream a Real Media file, you generate a RAM for it. The RAM is a very small file, usually around 1-4 kb. It contains some information about the stream, as well as pinpointing the location of the stream. If the stream is pre-recorded, you can download the RAM file, then open it with a text editor to see where the RM is being held.

.RMVB - Real Media Variable Bitrate (Real Player, Real Alternative/MPC) - This is one of the newest, most advanced incarnations of the Real Media format. It *almost* rivals DivX encoding, and is EXTREMELY popular in Asia (in particular, China). In general, it seems RMVB's have less blocking than DivX based codecs, but suffer from a loss of actual clarity and color depth.

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.MP2 - MPEG Audio Stream Layer 2 (WMP, Winamp) - Outdated as hell. Lossy audio format. But it's big brother is good.

.MP3 - MPEG Audio Stream Layer 3 (WMP, Winamp) - Everyone's favorite audio format. The MP3 is actually a bit old, and doesn't provide very much bang for the buck. However, it's widespread, and that's the only thing that sets it apart. Audio encoded at 128kbps is no good. 160 is decent... 192 is even better... 320 is nearly CD-quality audio, but very rare. If you're encoding your own audio, avoid MP3 at all costs.

MP4 - MPEG Video Encoding (WMP, MPC, BSPlayer) - This is actually a video format--not a real file extension. There's no such thing as MP4 audio... or is there?

.MP4 - MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding Audio (WMP, Winamp) - Technology pioneered recently that is vastly superior to MP3, but not as popular. Billed as being identical to an uncompressed source at 128kbps (holy crap!), it's supposedly really, really good. It's mainly used in downloaded movies currently.

.MPG/.MPEG - MPEG Video File (WMP, MPC, BSPlayer) - This video format is raw and usually uncompressed, yielding huge file sizes and decent-to-perfect video quality. It is synonymous with the DAT, which is used in VCD's. Never encode in MPG... AVI yields better results.

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.AVI - Audio/Video Interleaved (WMP, MPC, BSPlayer) - The most flexible video type. There are several AVI encoders... from uncompressed (similar to MPG), to DivX (the most popular compresser) and XviD (if you watch anime, it's probably in this).

.DAT - VCD Video (WMP, MPC, BSPlayer) - Nearly identical to MPG in quality and compression. If you play a VCD on your computer, you'll notice that the video is kept in a folder called MPEGAV, and the individual videos are of DAT format.

.WAV - Waveform Audio (WMP, Winamp) - The WAVE is a general uncompressed audio file. It is NOT a lossy format. File size is generally pretty big.

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.OGG - Ogg Vorbis Compressed WAVE (WMP, Winamp) - This is the best audio format out there. Crystal clear sound, especially at 192kbps and above. File size normally is LOWER than MP3 as well. Also, audio encoded at low quality is lightyears beyond MP3.

.OGM - Ogg Vorbis Composite Audio/Video/Text (WMP, MPC, BSPlayer) - This OGM combines audio, video, and text for subtitles into one file. It can hold multiple streams of sound a la MPG, but contain beautiful DivX video. Think of it as a mini-DVD file. Note, however, that it is ONLY a composite file. It may not use Ogg Vorbis encoding.

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.MKV- Matroska Video (WMP, MPC, BSPlayer) - See the description for the OGM format. MKV is widely regarded as an equal of the OGM format.

.MKA- Matroska Audio (WMP, MPC, BSPlayer) - The MKA format does the same for audio as the MKV and OGM do for video.

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.WMV - Windows Media Video (WMP, MPC, BSPlayer) - Both a blessing and a curse. While it provides very beautiful, clear video, and a decent file size to boot, it can hold some nasty surprises. Why? It's from WINDOWS!!! See the section on Digital Rights Management for further info. WMV currently is the only prevalent video type that can make use of DRM.

.WMA - Windows Media Audio (WMP, Winamp) - Another competitor with the MP3 format. It's slightly better than the MP3, but simply does not enjoy the mainstream quality that MP3 does. It's also inferior to the OGG format. However, WMA is the best filetype to encode classical music, like orchestra. The WMA, like the WMV, can be embedded with DRM.

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.MID/.MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface Sequence (WMP, Winamp) - This file format is very unique in that it contains a score, not sound. This digital score contains the actual musical rhythm being played, as well as what instruments should play each note. The file size is very small for that reason. The individual instrument sounds are stored in your soundcard and in Windows. If you have a MIDI, you can generate a score for the piece via Sibelius.

Players

Audio

Windows Media Player Series 9 - (6/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Included with Windows XP, and possibly the crappiest high-budget player out there. Not only does it chew up system resources, but it is also horrible at rendering video and audio, and actually has *LESS* compatibility with video out there. It's also bulky as hell, and the skins included are horrible.

Winamp 2 - (8/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Extremely resource light, very skinnable audio player.

Winamp 3 - (7/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
A huge step backwards. Nullsoft added a lot of shit in this player, like a video player. Who the hell watches video on Winamp?

Winamp 5 - (10/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Best audio player out on the market. It's beautiful. It's more resource heavy than Winamp 2 or 3, but it's still incredible. Offers much better sound quality than WMP.

Video

Windows Media Player Series 9 - (6/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Included with Windows XP, and possibly the crappiest high-budget player out there. Not only does it chew up system resources, but it is also horrible at rendering video and audio, and actually has *LESS* compatibility with video out there. It's also bulky as hell, and the skins included are horrible.

Apple Quicktime Player - (2/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
It's pretty looking, and that's about it. If you install the Quicktime Player, you'd better watch out if you uninstall it, because if you don't watch out, you could literally cripple your media settings. When you uninstall, Apple asks if you want to remove ALL the features of Quicktime... if you select yes, you could even remove MIDI support from your computer. Nasty, Apple. Earlier versions of the player didn't even give you that choice. USE QUICKTIME ALTERNATIVE INSTEAD!!!!!!!!!

RealPlayer 10 - (4/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
It's decent, but it's really only good for playing Real Media files. Compatibility is horrible--you may even need to download plugins to play other types of files. However, the only reason it's not rated lower is because it doesn't screw up your computer like Quicktime does. However, it will install some irritating software that keeps giving you "offers". Annoying as hell. USE REAL ALTERNATIVE INSTEAD!!!!!!!!!

Media Player Classic - (9/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Before Microsoft whored its Windows Media Player series to 7.0, it had a little gem called 6.4. MPC is based upon 6.4, a very efficient and light media player, until Microsoft decided to make it "hip" and add all sorts of useless shit to it. MPC contains all the features of the original, and much more. It also supports two very important modules... Real Alternative and Quicktime Alternative! MPC is still a bit lacking, however, for advanced users.

Quicktime Alternative - (10/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
You can play Quicktime movies without installing Apple's piece of shit!!! Once installed, you can view Quicktime movies in any video player. However, MPC is highly suggested.

Real Alternative - (10/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Similar to Quicktime Alternative... a must have!!!
(MacDawn: if the site ask you for subscription, don't sign up for it. Codec are supposed to be freeware, and those who ask you for subscription are probably fraudulent scam site. I tried using the mirror sites, and downloaded the mega version free)
(Scarletwillow: Alternative, use this site: [Only registered users can see links. ]
When I posted the first link, it was a different site. Apparently now that site has been either hacked or taken over by another company, but I will leave the link up for future reference.


Mirror site for the k-lite Codec Pack:
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Might I suggest if you want to decode .rm files, then download the K-lite Mega Codec version, because I heard the k-lite full version can't decode .rm files.

BSPlayer - (10/10)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Possibly the best all-around player out there. It has high compatibility, a LOT of options, and allows full control over all your codecs. Also very resource-light, though not as light as MPC. Will play nearly all audio and video files, but suggested for video.

Editors and Recorders

Audio

Sound Forge Series (XP, 6, 7) - (10/10)
Supported Filetypes: AIF, VOX, IVC, MPG, MP3, AU, OGG, MOV, RAW, RM, WAV, PCA, W64, DIG, AVI, WMA, WMV (sound editing only, but can encode sound for video files)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
This is the Photoshop of sound editing. It's a professional tool, but it costs a pretty penny. Though SF7 is the newest version, it's no different from 6. Sony bought the rights to the software, so they just updated the name (Sonic Foundry Sound Forge --> Sony Sound Forge) and changed a pictures or two and some text. I prefer 6 over 7. This is a very, very expensive piece of software. But... if you're resourceful, ...

Sibelius - (9/10)
Supported Filetypes: SIB, MID/MIDI, OPT, MUS, ETF, NIF, TMP, PAG, PGE, S7, TAB, BTAB, CRD
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Sibelius is the music composer's program. You can sequence MIDI's, create scores, and all of that stuff. Very easy to use, very professional.

Converters

Audio

Sound Forge Series (XP, 6, 7) - (10/10)
Supported Filetypes: AIF, VOX, IVC, MPG, MP3, AU, OGG, MOV, RAW, RM, WAV, PCA, W64, DIG, AVI, WMA, WMV (sound editing only, but can encode sound for video files)
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Will convert most sound formats... check editors/recorders section for review.

Video

Vegas - (10/10)
Supported Filetypes: AIF, AC3, MPG, MP3, OGG, MOV, OGG, RM, WAV, PCA, W64, AVI, WMA, WMV
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Made by Sonic Foundry, the same people that made Sound Forge. Sonic Foundry got bought out by Sony though. A superb piece of pro software that allows a lot of editing, but also serves as a full function convertor.

Audio/Video FAQ

Q: Does audio/video quality vary by player?
A: Yes, for some files. DVD's in particular, are affected by the quality of the DVD decoder of the software you're using. Audio is also affected by the media player you use. Winamp tends to deliver a much crisper sound than WMP Video, on the other hand, is rarely affected, since they use shared codecs. However, one player may still interpret video differently from another. For that reason, you might find trouble playing a certain video in one player, but find it flawless in another.

Q: What is DRM, aka Digital Rights Management?
A: A hacker's worst nightmare. Don't get your hopes up if you're not a hacker, because if you download MP3's, download movies, or even have used pirated software, you'd better watch out. DRM technology is currently in the testing stage. But what is it? Basically, programs and files with DRM require you to license your own computer first, then obtain a license for the material you're using in order to avoid abuse. Not that bad? Think again. Here's what they can do with DRM: If you have an MP3 with DRM, they could make it so that you can only play the MP3 twice before it doesn't work anymore. Or, if you transferred the MP3 to someone else, they could make it so that you can't play the MP3 until your friend deletes it from his own hard disk first. Scary, huh? Currently, it's still used with limits. Apple's iTUNES program uses it; if you buy/download a song from their catalog, you cannot edit the MP3 due to its DRM protection. Disney has also bought into the technology and is looking into implementing it into their DVD's.

Q: If I change the file extension, what does that do?
A: Absolutely nothing. File extensions only tell Windows (and other programs) what to use to open it. Changing a filetype will not corrupt your data. For example, if you change rename lovelove.wav to lovelove.mp3, the essential data held inside will not change. But if you use WMP to open WAVE's, and Winamp to open MP3's, Winamp will open the new file by default. Also, if you rename lovelove.wav to something normally unrecognizeable by an A/V program, such as lovelove.jpg, you can still open it with any A/V program.

Q: How do I change what program opens a certain filetype by default?
A: WinXP users: Right-click on the file, select "Open With". Non-WinXP users: Hold Shift and Right-click on the file, select "Open With". Now select the program from the list, or browse to it.

Q: What's the difference between .MID/.MIDI, .MPG/.MPEG, etc?
A: This is an outdated syntax. Three-letter file extensions denote Windows compatibility, and four-letter extensions denote Mac OS compatibility. Back in the day, it actually mattered, but now, file extension naming is just glamour. So no, there is no real difference.

Q: How do I download embedded media files?
A: By embedded, that means the media file is there, but not linked to visually. For example, if you enter a page with background music, and you want the background music, how do you download it? Well, the answer can be both complicated and simple.
Method 1: Right-click the page, then select View Source. Hit CTRL+F to enter the find function. Search for whatever file extension you want. For example, if you go to someone's Xanga and hear a pretty song, and you think it's MP3, you can View Source, do a search in the HTML for "mp3", and you may find the link. Note that on pages with frames, it may be hard to find the frame that the sound is originating from, so you may have to try them all.
Method 2: Use the program Getright ([Only registered users can see links. ]). Once you have it, right-click the page and select "Open with Getright Browser". Getright Browser will now show you all the files the HTML refers to. Download from there.
Method 3: Use the program Getright ([Only registered users can see links. ]). Once you have it, go into the Getright options and set for it to automatically add .MP3 (or whatever you want) files (Tools Menu, Preferences). Restart your browser for it to take effect. Now if you go to the page while Getright is running, if your browser attempts to run a .MP3 (or whatever you want), Getright will download the file instead.

Q: Who or what is MPEG?
A: The Moving Pictures Experts Group. Some very rich corporations that actually decided to work together, including... Dolby, Fraunhofer, AT&T, Sony, and Nokia. But that's just a few.
[Only registered users can see links. ]
Obviously, with an alliance like that, they're poised to take over the world.