What is the Difference Between MPEG2 and MPEG4?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚MPEG2 and MPEG4 are two different video encoding standards, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are the key differences between the two:
- File Size: MPEG4 encodes video files in significantly smaller sizes compared to MPEG2, making it more suitable for portable devices and internet streaming. Full-length movies in MPEG4 can occupy less than 1 GB of space, while MPEG2 results in files approximately five times larger.
- Quality: MPEG2 produces flawless quality compared to MPEG4, but its larger file size makes it impractical for network streaming and less suitable for portable devices. MPEG4 provides better performance when being streamed online due to its reduced file size.
- Compression: MPEG4 has a higher compression ratio than MPEG2, which allows for smaller file sizes but may result in some loss of quality. MPEG2 offers superior video quality at the cost of larger files.
- Application: MPEG2 is more suitable for DVD storage and handling video streams from local sources like DVDs and cable, but struggles with portable devices and internet streaming due to its larger file size. MPEG4 is designed for low bit rates and is more versatile, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including portable devices, media players, and mobile phones.
In summary, MPEG2 is known for its superior video quality but has larger file sizes, making it less practical for portable devices and internet streaming. On the other hand, MPEG4 offers smaller file sizes and better performance for online streaming and portable devices, but may result in some loss of quality.
Comparative Table: MPEG2 vs MPEG4
Here is a table comparing the differences between MPEG2 and MPEG4:
| Feature | MPEG2 | MPEG4 |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Developed in 1993, MPEG2 is an older video codec used for DVD storage and non-interlaced videos. | Developed in 1998, MPEG4 is a more advanced video codec that achieves higher compression rates without sacrificing video quality. It was specifically developed for mobile devices and online streaming or transmission. |
| Compression | MPEG2 uses both inter-frame and intra-frame compression, discarding 98% of data to save bandwidth while maintaining good quality. | MPEG4 discards 70% of the information of MPEG2, achieving even higher compression. |
| File Size | MPEG2 results in files approximately five times larger than MPEG4. | MPEG4 encodes video files in significantly smaller sizes, making it more suitable for online video purchasing and mobile devices. |
| Quality | MPEG2 provides resolutions of 720x480 and 1280x720 at 60 fps. | MPEG4 is developed with the aim of achieving higher compression, lower bandwidth while providing superior audio and image quality compared to MPEG2. |
| Usage | MPEG2 is suitable for DVD storage due to its compatibility with capacities greater than 4 GB but is less practical for portable devices. | MPEG4 is more suitable for mobile devices, online streaming, and digital TV due to its smaller file sizes and better compression. |
In summary, MPEG4 is a more advanced and efficient video codec compared to MPEG2, offering smaller file sizes and better compression without sacrificing video quality. MPEG2, on the other hand, is more suitable for DVD storage and non-interlaced videos.