2.1. Supported formats

MPlayer can read/play from the following devices/formats:

Note: about realmedia (.ra/.rm) support read the FAQ!

It's important to clarify a popular mistake. When people see a file with .AVI extension, they instantly declare that isn't an MPEG file. That's not true. At least not entirely. If you tell them that such a file can contain MPEG1 video, they laugh at you. Feel free to kick their dumbass faces, then tell them to RTFM.

You see, a codec isn't equal to a file format.
Video codecs are: MPEG1, MPEG2, DivX, Indeo5, 3ivx.
Video formats are: MPG, VOB, AVI, ASF.

In theory, you can happily put an OpenDivX video and MP3 audio into a .MPG format file. Though most players won't play it, since they expect MPEG1 video and MP2 audio (.MPG doesn't have the necessary fields to describe its video and audio streams, like .AVI does). Or put MPEG1 video to an .AVI. For example ffmpeg can create these files.

Audio codecs and formats are basically the same terms.

2.1.1. Video formats

2.1.1.1. MPG, VOB, DAT files

  • MPG : this is the most basic form of MPEG file formats. Contains MPEG1 video, and MP2 audio.
  • VOB : this is the MPEG file format on DVDs. Contains optionally encoded MPEG2 video, and usually AC3 audio.
    Read the DVD section !
  • DAT : this is the MPEG file format on Video CDs. It's the same as the MPG, but due to the nature VCDs are created and Linux is designed, the DAT files can't be played nor copied from VCDs. You have to use the -vcd option to play the VideoCD.

    • One important feature for MPGs is that they have a field to describe the aspect ratio of the video stream within. For example SVCDs have 480x480 resolution video, and in the header that field is set to 4:3, so it's played at 640x480. AVI files don't have this field, so one has to scale it during encoding.

    2.1.1.2. AVI files

    Designed by Micro$oft, the AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) is a widespread multipurpose format, currently used mostly for DivX and DivX4 videos. Has many known drawbacks, and inabilities (for example in streaming). Has support for one video stream, and 99 audio streams. Can be as big as 2Gb. There exists an extension for it to be bigger, called OpenDMS. M$ currently strongly discourages its use and propagates ASF/WMV. Not if anybody cares.
    NOTE : DV cameras can create two types of AVI format, one is the usual and playable, the other is neither.

    2.1.1.3. ASF/WMV files

    ASF is a new very undocumented fileformat from M$, and WMV is its successor. They are very commercial, and anyone who writes an opensource parser for them, soon meets certain doom. While creating the parser, it was obvious to see how bulky, shit, and unusable they are. Not if anybody would expect something else from M$.

    2.1.1.4. QT/MOV files

    They are Apple's formats. Not much to say, basically well designed, multipurpose, streamable, many features etc. Kinda hard to find documentation, but we think the parser is perfect.

    2.1.1.5. VIV files

    Hey this is new code in MPlayer, be gentle! Seeking is currently nonexistent, audio too. TODO : complete this section.

    2.1.2. Audio formats

    Currently MPlayer is still a Movie and not a Media player, thus the pure audio formats (for example MP3, WAV, audio ASF) are unplayable. Use xmms, mpg123 or whatever.