This page contains file formats that are used to transport multimedia data. Some multimedia file formats, such as Quicktime (MOV) and RealMedia (RM), are rather well-documented by their originators. Some, such as Microsoft's AVI and ASF, are loosely documented, if at all. This section has a collection of official and unofficial documentation. If official documentation exists, any unofficial documentation presented here will be supplemental and will focus on quirks and traps to be aware of when decoding such files.

General-Purpose Formats

• MPEG: There is a lot of surface information out there about MPEG technology. However, this website is focused on the hard, technical details necessary to implement programs that operate on multimedia data formats. While MPEG is "open", the standards documents are tightly controlled and not freely available. The Berkeley MPEG Tools, hosted at The Berkeley Multimedia Research Center, has some very useful tidbits on this surprisingly vast subject. Some choice items:
  • The MPEG-1 FAQ
  • The MPEG-2 FAQ (for fun, check out "The 6 Steps to Claiming Bogously High Compression Ratios")
• AVI: Audio/Video Interleaved File Format:
  • Microsoft's AVI File Format: This is a link to an AVI format description on Microsoft's own website.
  • John McGowan's AVI Overview: This is sort of catch-all document that has lots and lots of details about AVI, not limited to just technical information.
  • AVI Files: Tips & Quirks: This is a collection of tips and programming traps to be aware of when decoding AVI files.
• ASF: Advanced Streaming Format: Microsoft's successor to the AVI format. If a file ends with a wmv or wma extension, it's also an ASF file.
  • Official ASF documentation from Microsoft
  • Unofficial ASF documentation
• Apple Quicktime Files:
  • MOV: The Quicktime Format (PDF file, ~4.7 MB, dated March 1, 2001): This PDF file covers every little detail of Apple's Quicktime format.
  • Letters from the Ice Floe: This is link to a page at Apple's developers' site that contains a series of technical articles on assorted aspects of the rather large and sometimes complicated Quicktime format.
  • QT Default Palette Generator: This is a little C program that generates the default palettes used in Quicktime files.
  • QT 'Fast Start' re-muxing utility: This utility rearranges a Quicktime file so that its index is at the front of the file instead of the back. This facilities network streaming over such protocols as HTTP.
• RM: RealMedia's Multimedia File Format: This is a local copy of Real's multimedia file format that was originally distributed with version 6 of their SDK. Apparently, this document harder to come by these days. Be advised that, while this document does give an overview of how the data chunks are organized in the file, there is a lot of information missing (mostly regarding codec-specific data) that would facilitate a complete implementation.
• Ogg Multimedia: These documents pertain to the Ogg multimedia container format.
  • Ogg Bitstream Documentation: This site contains the official format information for the Ogg data format.
  • OggDS: This site contains information on interfacing the Ogg format with Microsoft DirectShow.
• Nullsoft Video File Format (NSV):
  • Official Nullsoft Specs: This site also has descriptions of other Nullsoft media technologies..
  • Nullsoft Video File Format: Before the official NSV specs, multimedia hackers collaborated to produce this document.
• Matroska File Format: This is a link to the main site for the Matroska project, which aims to be an all-enclusive, open multimedia container format.
• Acorn Replay File Format: This is a description of the Acorn Replay (RPL) file format used on RISC OS machines. The format is often seen on Eidos games (think Tomb Raider), but is designed as a general-purpose format.
• Material eXchange Format (MXF):
  • MXF Implementers Group: This is a portal, with links and news covering the MXF format.
  • FreeMXF: A site dedicated to expanding the use of MXF via free source code and samples.

Special-Purpose Formats

• Autodesk FLIC & Derivatives: This is a link to a page that describes all about the Autodesk FLI/FLC format and its many derivatives and proprietary extensions.
• Sega FILM Format: This is a description of the FILM format (a.k.a., CPK format) used on many Sega CD and Sega Saturn CD-ROM games.
• RoQ Video File Format: This format originated in The 11th Hour PC games. Eventually, the RoQ file format was used in Id games such as Quake III and Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
• Quake II .CIN File Format: This is a description of the Cinematic (.CIN) file format used in Quake II.
• SMJPEG: This is a link to the official SDL Motion JPEG (SMJPEG) site. This site contains the file format as well as reference code and applications for SMJPEG.
• Bink Format: This is a description of RAD GameTools' Bink (.bik) file format.
• Westwood Studios VQA Format: There are a number of documents floating around which describe this format commonly used in Westwood Studios games such as the Command & Conquer series.
  • Westwood Studios' VQA (Vector Quantized Animation) Files, Revision 4.2 by Gordan Ugarkovic
  • Westwood Studios' HiColor VQA (Vector Quantized Animation) Files by Gordan Ugarkovic
  • Description of the VQA format as used in many Westwood games, version 1.0 by Tim Kosse
• Wing Commander III MVE Movie File Format: This is a description of the movie file format used in the Wing Commander III PC game.
• Interplay MVE File Format: (Not to be confused with the WC3 MVE format.) This is a very thorough description of the MVE file format used in a large number of Interplay computer games including Baldur's Gate, Fallout, Descent, and many others.
  • parse-ipmve.c: This is a simple tool written in C that parses the structure of an Interplay MVE file.
• PVA Format: This is a link to a PDF covering the PVA file and stream format.
• DV Format Overview: This is a link to a PDF that reveals the basics of the DV format.
• 4xm File Format: This is a description of the multimedia file format from 4X Technologies that transports 4X Movie video and audio data. Hey! Did you come to this site from Google looking for some kind of 4X Movie Utilities such as a 4X Movie Player? It is true that 4X Technologies does not seem to exist anymore and their domain has gone back into the pool of available domain names. Check out the samples page to download these utilities.
• Sierra Video and Music (VMD) format:This document describes the multimedia format used in such Sierra titles as Phantasmagoria.
• "1-Hit Wonder" Multimedia File Formats: This is a catch-all collection of file formats that were generally only found on one game software title.
• SGI Image File Format Specification: This document describes an image format developed on SGI workstations.

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