Why the format matters more than resolution
People obsess over 1080p versus 720p and then save the result in a format their device, chat app or editor barely supports. The container and codec decide how big the file is, whether it plays everywhere, and whether audio survives at all. Check the format first; resolution second.
MP4: the safe default
MP4 (usually H.264 or H.265 video with AAC audio) plays on effectively everything made in the last 15 years: phones, TVs, browsers, editors, car screens. It compresses well, streams well, and every social platform accepts it. When a downloader asks you to choose, MP4 is the answer unless you have a specific reason otherwise — which is exactly why downer delivers MP4 by default.
WEBM: smaller files, patchy support
WEBM (VP9 or AV1 video) often looks the same as an equivalent MP4 at 20–40% less size. The catch is playback outside browsers: iOS photos apps, many TV sets and a lot of editing software still choke on it. Great for archiving on a PC, risky as the only copy you keep.
GIF: for loops, not for films
GIF is not a video format at all — it's a sequence of images, without sound, capped at 256 colors. A 10-second "GIF video" routinely weighs five times more than the same clip as MP4. Save silent loops as GIF if you really want them; save everything else as MP4.
- MP4 — universal playback, best all-round choice.
- WEBM — efficient, browser-first, weaker app support.
- GIF — silent, color-limited, huge files; loops only.
What downer does automatically
downer negotiates with each platform's CDN and picks the best MP4 variant available — highest bitrate, audio included, no re-encoding. If a source only serves WEBM, the download still works; the file just needs a capable player like VLC. You never have to think about containers unless you want to.
How to pick a format in practice
Start from where the video will live. If it's going into a chat app, an edit timeline, or a TV, MP4 is the safe bet every time. If you're archiving on a computer and play everything through VLC or a browser, WEBM saves you real disk space with no visible quality loss. Only reach for GIF when the destination literally cannot play video — a few legacy forums and some messaging keyboards.
Container vs. codec: the two things people confuse
The container (MP4, WEBM, MOV) is the box; the codec (H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1) is what's inside. The same MP4 can hold either H.264 (universal) or H.265 (smaller, newer devices only). When a downloader reports a format, it's really reporting the codec pair, because that's what decides compatibility. downer prefers H.264 MP4 precisely because it's the lowest-common-denominator codec that still looks good.
- Container = the file wrapper (MP4, WEBM, MOV).
- Codec = how pixels are compressed (H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1).
- A tool can change containers without re-encoding if the codec is supported by both.
When a WEBM won't open
- iOS Photos and many TVs reject WEBM outright.
- Older Adobe and Final Cut versions need a plugin.
- Fix: open in VLC, or let downer re-mux to MP4 when the codec allows.
File size reality check
As a rule of thumb, a one-minute 1080p clip is about 8–15 MB as MP4 and 5–10 MB as WEBM, but 40–80 MB if someone mistakenly saved it as a GIF. The format you pick can change the file size by ten times for identical visuals, which is why the choice matters more than people assume.
Frequently asked questions
- Is MKV better? MKV is flexible but poorly supported by phones and web players; MP4 is safer.
- Can I convert WEBM to MP4 later? Yes, with ffmpeg or VLC, usually without quality loss if the codec is kept.
- Why does my phone make huge files? It records in a high-bitrate codec; a platform MP4 is usually smaller.
- Does downer let me choose? It defaults to MP4 and only differs when a source offers no MP4.