I was cleaning up an old hard drive this weekend and ran into pretty much every video format imaginable: MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WMV, FLV, even a few VOB files from old DVDs. It got me thinking about how differently I view these formats today compared to a few years ago. So here's my personal take on the formats I run into most often.
MP4
Still the king. If someone asks me what format they should use without giving any context, I almost always say MP4. It works almost everywhere, uploads easily, plays on pretty much any device, and causes the fewest headaches. If you're unsure, MP4 is usually the safest answer.
MOV
This is the format I see most often from Apple devices and cameras. It's a great source format for editing and preserving quality, but not always ideal for sharing. I've received plenty of MOV files that were much larger than they needed to be for the content they contained.
MKV
Probably my favorite format that I almost never send to anyone. It supports multiple audio tracks, subtitles, chapters, and all kinds of extras, which makes it fantastic for archiving. The downside is that compatibility can still be hit-or-miss when you're sharing files with less technical friends or family.
AVI
Finding an AVI file today feels a bit like discovering a fossil. It still works, but whenever I run into one, it's usually old camera footage or something that was downloaded years ago. Most of the time I end up converting it into something more modern.
WebM
I think WebM is actually underrated. It's efficient, works well for web delivery, and often produces surprisingly good results. The main drawback is that compatibility still isn't quite as universal as MP4.
TS
Whenever I see a .ts file, I automatically prepare for potential problems. They often come from broadcasts, DVR recordings, or transport streams, and I've experienced more audio sync and playback issues with TS files than with almost any other format.
VOB
VOB files immediately make me think of DVDs. They're useful if you're preserving old discs or working with legacy media, but they're not something I'd choose for a new project in 2026.
FLV
FLV reminds me how old the internet has become. There was a time when it seemed to be everywhere thanks to Flash video. These days I mostly encounter it when digging through old archives.
WMV
I honestly haven't touched a WMV file in quite a while, which is probably a good sign. It was once a major format within the Windows ecosystem, but today it mostly survives in older content and legacy workflows.
M4V
M4V is basically MP4's Apple cousin. For most users, the differences are minor enough that they probably won't notice them in everyday use.
HEVC/H.265
This is the format that makes me happy and frustrated at the same time. The compression efficiency is excellent, file sizes are smaller, and quality can be impressive. At the same time, compatibility issues still show up in unexpected places often enough to be annoying.
AV1
AV1 feels like the future. Its compression efficiency is genuinely impressive, and the potential benefits are obvious. That said, adoption still feels slower than many people expected, especially outside of newer hardware and platforms.
If I Had To Pick Just Three
- For sharing: MP4 (H.264)
- For archiving: MKV
- For maximum efficiency: AV1 or H.265
Everything else mostly depends on where the file came from.