Four-Character Codes (FOURCC)

Codecs play a vital role in the digital landscape, enabling efficient compression and decompression of multimedia files.
 

FOURCC Codes


At the heart of these codecs lie FourCC codes, unique identifiers that represent specific multimedia formats.

What is a FOURCC code?

FourCC (Four-Character Codes), as the name says, is a four-character code that serves as a shorthand representation of a specific video format or codec. 

It acts as a compact and standardized way to identify various video compression algorithms.

Each FourCC code corresponds to a specific multimedia format, enabling software and hardware to identify and handle video data correctly.


Here is a list of registered FOURCCs:

Compressor Code Description
3IV0 MPEG4-based codec 3ivx
3IV1 MPEG4-based codec 3ivx
3IV2 MPEG4-based codec 3ivx
3IVD FFmpeg DivX ;-) (MS MPEG-4 v3)
3IVX MPEG4-based codec 3ivx
AAS4 Autodesk Animator codec (RLE)
AASC Autodesk Animator codec (RLE)
ABYR Kensington codec
ADV1 Loronix WaveCodec (used in various CCTV products)
ADVJ Avid M-JPEG Avid Technology (also known as AVRn)
AEMI Array VideoONE MPEG1-I Capture
AFLC Autodesk Animator FLC (256 color)
AFLI Autodesk Animator FLI (256 color)
AMPG Array VideoONE MPEG
ANIM Intel - RDX
AP41 AngelPotion Definitive (hack MS MP43)
ASV1 Asus Video V1
ASV2 Asus Video V2
ASVX Asus Video 2.0
AUR2 AuraVision - Aura 2 Codec - YUV 422
AURA AuraVision - Aura 1 Codec - YUV 411
AVDJ Avid Motion JPEG
AVI1 MainConcept Motion JPEG Codec
AVI2 MainConcept Motion JPEG Codec
AVRN Avid Motion JPEG (also known as ADVJ)
AZPR Quicktime Apple Video
BGR Uncompressed BGR32 8:8:8:8
BGR(15) Uncompressed BGR15 5:5:5
BGR(16) Uncompressed BGR16 5:6:5
BGR(24) Uncompressed BGR24 8:8:8
BINK Bink Video (RAD Game Tools) (256 color)
BITM Microsoft H.261
BLZ0 FFmpeg MPEG-4
BT20 Conexant (ex Brooktree) - MediaStream codec
BTCV Conexant (ex Brooktree) - Composite Video codec
BTVC Conexant (ex Brooktree) - Composite Video codec
BW10 Data Translation Broadway MPEG Capture/Compression
CC12 Intel - YUV12 codec
CDVC Canopus - DV codec
CFCC Conkrete DPS Perception Motion JPEG
CGDI Camcorder Video (MS Office 97)
CHAM Winnov, Inc. - MM_WINNOV_CAVIARA_CHAMPAGNE
CJPG Creative Video Blaster Webcam Go JPEG
CLJR Cirrus Logic YUV 4:1:1
CLPL Format similar to YV12 but including a level of indirection.
CMYK Common Data Format in Printing
COL0 FFmpeg DivX ;-) (MS MPEG-4 v3)
COL1 FFmpeg DivX ;-) (MS MPEG-4 v3)
CPLA Weitek - 4:2:0 YUV Planar
CRAM Microsoft Video 1
CVID Supermac - Cinepak
CWLT reserved
CYUV Creative Labs YUV 4:2:2
CYUY ATI Technologies YUV
DUCK Duck Corp. - TrueMotion 1.0
DVE2 InSoft - DVE-2 Videoconferencing codec
DXT1 reserved
DXT2 reserved
DXT3 reserved
DXT4 reserved
DXT5 reserved
DXTC DirectX Texture Compression
FLJP D-Vision - Field Encoded Motion JPEG With LSI Bitstream Format
GWLT reserved
H260 Intel - Conferencing codec
H261 Intel - Conferencing codec
H262 Intel - Conferencing codec
H263 Intel - Conferencing codec
H264 Intel - Conferencing codec
H265 Intel - Conferencing codec
H266 Intel - Conferencing codec
H267 Intel - Conferencing codec
H268 Intel - Conferencing codec
H269 Intel - Conferencing codec
I263 Intel - I263
I420 Intel - Indeo 4 codec
IAN Intel - RDX
ICLB InSoft - CellB Videoconferencing codec
ILVC Intel - Layered Video
ILVR ITU-T - H.263+ compression standard
IRAW Intel - YUV uncompressed
IV30 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV31 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV32 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV33 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV34 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV35 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV36 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV37 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV38 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV39 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV40 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV41 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV42 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV43 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV44 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV45 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV46 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV47 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV48 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV49 Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV50 Intel - Indeo 5.0
MP42 Microsoft - MPEG-4 Video Codec V2
MPEG Chromatic - MPEG 1 Video I Frame
MRCA FAST Multimedia - Mrcodec
MRLE Microsoft - Run Length Encoding
MSVC Microsoft - Video 1
NTN1 Nogatech - Video Compression 1
qpeq Q-Team - QPEG 1.1 Format video codec
RGBT Computer Concepts - 32 bit support
RT21 Intel - Indeo 2.1 codec
RVX Intel - RDX
SDCC Sun Communications - Digital Camera Codec
SFMC Crystal Net - SFM Codec
SMSC Radius - proprietary
SMSD Radius - proprietary
SPLC Splash Studios - ACM audio codec
SQZ2 Microsoft - VXtreme Video Codec V2
SV10 Sorenson - Video R1
TLMS TeraLogic - Motion Intraframe Codec
TLST TeraLogic - Motion Intraframe Codec
TM20 Duck Corp. - TrueMotion 2.0
TMIC TeraLogic - Motion Intraframe Codec
TMOT Horizons Technology - TrueMotion Video Compression Algorithm
TR20 Duck Corp. - TrueMotion RT 2.0
V422 Vitec Multimedia - 24 bit YUV 4:2:2 format (CCIR 601). For this format, 2 consecutive pixels are represented by a 32 bit (4 byte) Y1UY2V color value.
V655 Vitec Multimedia - 16 bit YUV 4:2:2 format.
VCR1 ATI - VCR 1.0
VIVO Vivo - H.263 Video Codec
VIXL Miro Computer Products AG - for use with the Miro line of capture cards.
VLV1 Videologic - VLCAP.DRV
WBVC Winbond Electronics - W9960
XLV0 NetXL, Inc. - XL Video Decoder
YC12 Intel - YUV12 codec
YUV8 Winnov, Inc. - MM_WINNOV_CAVIAR_YUV8
YUV9 Intel - YUV9
YUYV Canopus - YUYV compressor
ZPEG Metheus - Video Zipper



The following list shows the FOURCC values for DIB compression (a technique used to reduce the file size of bitmap images without losing any image quality).

Compressor Code Description
CYUV Creative Labs, Inc - Creative Labs YUV
FVF1 Iterated Systems, Inc. - Fractal Video Frame
IF09 Intel - Intel Intermediate YUV9
JPEG Microsoft - Still Image JPEG DIB
MJPG Microsoft - Motion JPEG DIB Format
PHMO IBM - Photomotion
ULTI IBM - Ultimotion
VDCT Vitec Multimedia - Video Maker Pro DIB
VIDS Vitec Multimedia - YUV 4:2:2 CCIR 601 for V422
YU92 Intel - YUV

 

Source: Microsoft.com

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