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jason2811

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 8, 2006
729
2
When ripping DVDs I usually use the Apple TV 2 preset in Handbrake. I notice that this saves the files in a m4v format. Is this better quality or worse than mp4 format? Also, I want these files to have some value in the future-- meaning that 5 years down the line I want to be able to watch them even if I no longer rely on iTunes or an Apple TV. What is the best Handbrake setting for good quality and small file size (below 2GB). Does XBMC play m4v files?
 
m4v = mp4

It's just an alternative file extension. You can manually switch from one to the other in Finder. It makes no difference.
 
m4v is a container, mp4 is a codec. The video should be encoded using mp4, so it'll be identical.
 
Thank you everyone for the clarification.

Also, I want these files to have some value in the future-- meaning that 5 years down the line I want to be able to watch them even if I no longer rely on iTunes or an Apple TV. What is the best Handbrake setting for good quality and small file size (below 2GB)? And is m4v a format that is likely to be compatible with other media players in the future?
 
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