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Supported Video Codecs

This comprehensive reference lists all video codecs supported by Probe.dev’s analysis tools, including codec subtypes and variants.

Many codecs have multiple subtypes or variants, especially professional and legacy formats. The table below includes the most common variations.

CodecDescriptionSubtypeSubtype Description
8bpsQuickTime 8BPS
a12vUncompressed 4:2:2 10-bit
aascAutodesk RLE
aicApple Intermediate Codec
alaris_vgpAlaris VideoGramPiX
alparysoftAlparysoft lossless codec
arbcGryphon’s Anim Compressor
asv1ASUS V1 video codec
asv2ASUS V2 video codec
auraAuravision AURA 1
aura2Auravision AURA 2
av1Alliance for Open Media AV1
camcorderCamcorder Video (MS Office 97)
cavsChinese AVS
cfhdGoPro CineForm HD
cinepakCinepak
clearvideoIterated Systems ClearVideo
cljrCirrus Logic AccuPak
cllcCanopus Lossless
creativewebcamCreative WebCam
cscdCamStudio
cyuvCreative YUV
diracSMPTE VC-2 / Dirac
dnxhdSMPTE VC-3 / DNxHD
dvDigital Video DV
avidAVID DV
canopusCanopus DV Video
dv_ntscDV Video NTSC
dv_palDV Video PAL
dvcpro_100DV Video C Pro 100 (1080/60i, 1080/50i, or 720/60P)
dvcpro_100_ntscDV Video C Pro 100 NTSC
dvcpro_100_palDV Video C Pro 100 PAL
dvcpro_25DV Video C Pro 25 (525-60 or 625-50)
dvcpro_50DV Video C Pro 50
dvcpro_50_ntscDV Video C Pro 50 NTSC
dvcpro_50_palDV Video C Pro 50 PAL
dvcpro_hd_1080i50DV Video C Pro HD 1080i50
dvcpro_hd_1080i60DV Video C Pro HD 1080i60
dvcpro_hd_24DV Video C Pro HD 720p24
dvcpro_hd_25DV Video C Pro HD 720p25
dvcpro_hd_30DV Video C Pro HD 720p30
dvcpro_hd_720p50DV Video C Pro HD 720p50
dvcpro_hd_720p60DV Video C Pro HD 720p60
dvproDV Video Pro
dvpro_palDV Video Pro PAL
hd_dvcrHD-DVCR (1125-60 or 1250-50)
dxtoryExKode Dxtory
dxvResolume DXV
v3Version 3
ffv1FFmpeg video codec #1
ficMirillis FIC
flashsvFlash Screen Video v1
flashsv2Flash Screen Video v2
flicAutodesk Animator Flic video
flv1Sorenson Spark H.263
fmvcFM Screen Capture Codec
frapsFraps
frwuSoftLab-NSK Vision Forward Uncompressed

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Major Codec Categories

Modern Standards

AV1 - Next-generation, royalty-free
HEVC (H.265) - High efficiency for 4K/8K
H.264 (AVC) - Current universal standard
VP9 - Google’s open alternative to HEVC

Professional

ProRes - Apple’s professional codec family
DNxHD/DNxHR - Avid’s professional formats
CineForm - GoPro’s high-quality codec
DV/DVCPRO - Professional DV variants

Legacy/Specialized

MPEG-2 - DVD and broadcast standard
MPEG-4 Part 2 - Early digital video
Windows Media - Microsoft formats
RealVideo - Early streaming formats

Lossless/Screen

FFV1 - Lossless archival codec
Huffyuv - Lossless RGB codec
Screen Capture - Various screen recording formats
Animation - Lossless animation codecs

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Professional Codec Variants

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Apple ProRes Family

  • ProRes 422 Proxy - Low bandwidth editing
  • ProRes 422 LT - Standard quality editing
  • ProRes 422 - High quality standard
  • ProRes 422 HQ - Higher quality for finishing
  • ProRes 4444 - Full resolution with alpha
  • ProRes 4444 XQ - Highest quality variant

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DV (Digital Video) Variants

  • DV25 - Standard DV (25 Mbps)
  • DVCPRO25 - Professional DV variant
  • DVCPRO50 - Higher quality DV (50 Mbps)
  • DVCPRO100 - Broadcast quality DV
  • DVCPRO HD - High-definition DV

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H.264 Subtypes

  • Baseline - Basic compatibility
  • Main - Standard quality/features
  • High - Advanced features, best compression
  • High 10 - 10-bit color depth
  • High 4:2:2 - Professional chroma sampling

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Codec Analysis Examples

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Identify Codec and Profile

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "only=probe_report" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://example.com/video.mp4"

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Detailed Codec Information

curl -G https://api.probe.dev/v1/probe/file \
  --data-urlencode "token=${PROBE_API_TOKEN}" \
  --data-urlencode "only=ffprobe" \
  --data-urlencode "ffprobe[show_streams]=true" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://example.com/video.mov"

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Codec Selection Guide

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For Web Distribution

H.264 High Profile - Best compatibility
H.265 Main Profile - Better compression, newer devices
AV1 - Best compression, cutting-edge browsers
VP9 - Good compression, open source

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For Professional Workflows

ProRes 422 HQ - Apple ecosystems, high quality
DNxHD/DNxHR - Avid workflows, broadcast
H.264 High Profile - Universal compatibility

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For Archival Storage

FFV1 - Lossless, open standard
ProRes 4444 - High quality with alpha
H.264 Lossless - Good compression, wide support

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Performance Characteristics

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Encoding Complexity

CodecEncoding SpeedQualityFile SizeCompatibility
H.264FastGoodMediumExcellent
H.265SlowExcellentSmallGood
AV1Very SlowExcellentVery SmallLimited
VP9SlowVery GoodSmallGood
ProResVery FastExcellentLargeApple-focused

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Use Case Recommendations

The complete video codec reference includes hundreds of codec variants. This page shows the most commonly encountered formats. For analysis of exotic or legacy formats, Probe.dev’s comprehensive codec support can identify and analyze virtually any video format.