Supported Video Formats

When creating a Video page or Media Object, Sandvox can handle a wide range of formats. All Quicktime compatible formats are supported, although you will want to make sure that the file is suited for viewing on a wide range of browsers.

File Types

The best file format to use is a .mp4 file, saved with the h.264 codec and the baseline profile. (More here and here and here) Make sure that the video has been exported for iPhone and/or iPad compatibility from the video creation program, if iPhone and iPad compatibility is desired. Also, make sure to test using the iPhone or iPad, so that you know the video is playable. (Apple does not provide a mechanism to verify this from the Mac.)

Remember, just because you can see a video on your Mac, doesn't mean it will be usable on somebody else's computer or device, such as a Windows PC. It is important to choose the right format for the file. If a good, universally viewable/audio format is chosen, then Sandvox should be able to present it in such as way that almost all browsers can handle.

.flv (Flash video)

• Works on almost all desktop/laptop computers (Macs, Windows, Linux etc.)
• Does not play on iPad, iPhone or iPod devices

.mov (QuickTime)

• Good for Macs
• May be viewable on iPad/iPhone/iPod, depending on how it was created
• Only viewable on PCs that have QuickTime installed

.wmv & .avi (Windows Media)

• Not supported by Sandvox

Ogg Theora

• Not supported by Sandvox

WebM

• Not supported by Sandvox

The inspector will show a warning when partially-supported file formats have been chosen.

Cross-Platform Wrapper

Sandvox attempts to make sure that videos are watchable on as many platforms as possible. If an appropriate video format is selected, Sandvox will use the HTML5 "video" tag, which is compatible with many modern browsers. But for browsers that cannot handle the "video" tag (such as older Internet Explorer browsers) or the .mp4 format (such as FireFox and Chrome), Sandvox also includes a video player that uses Adobe Flash to deliver the content. The appropriate player will be displayed automatically.

System Compatibility

Depending on the video format you have chosen, your video should be playable on most systems.

Windows, Internet Explorer

Please use the .mp4 or .flv formats discussed above. For Internet Explorer 8 or lower, Adobe Flash should be installed. For IE 9 and up, the built-in browser video will be used for .mp4 files; Flash must be installed for .flv format.

Firefox

Please use the .mp4 or .flv formats discussed above. Adobe Flash should be installed.

Chrome

Please use the .mp4 or .flv formats discussed above. Adobe Flash should be installed for .flv video playback.

Mac/Windows, Safari

Please use the .mp4 or .flv formats discussed above. Adobe Flash should be installed for .flv video playback.

iPad/iPhone, Safari

Please use the .mp4 format discussed above. (It is highly recommended that you verify that playback works, since the video format can be a bit tricky to get right.)

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