Codecs+and+Containers

Containers
A container is a multimedia file which can contain a variety of data.

Examples of containers:
 * AVI - stores audio and video data. AVI is a form of RIFF container
 * WAV - store audio and metadata (i.e. data about data). WAV is a form of RIFF container
 * MPEG - audio, video and data
 * QuickTime - audio, video, data, text and effects
 * FLV (flash video) - audio, video, data and text

Codecs
A codec is a program which is able to read data from a container file or write data to a container file. Codec is short for compressor / decompressor. Codecs can be implemented into hardware, software or both.

Example codecs: ADPCM - Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation is a code used to compress sound data MP3 - lossy audio MPEG-2 - compressed video and audio

Think of a container (also known as a wrapper) as an envelope in which you place your audio and video. The codec of that video might be Xvid, h264, DivX, or many other types. The audio codec might be MP3, AAC, WAV, AC3, etc.

Note that some codecs can also be containers e.g. MPEG-4, AVI

1. Give 2 reasons why would it be an advantage to have a codec built into hardware such as a video camera, rather than as software? 2. Paul tries to run a QuickTime file, but he gets the message "Codec not found. Why does this error appear?
 * Questions**