Container format

This article is about a kind of computer file. For other uses, see container format (disambiguation).

A container format (informally, sometimes called a wrapper) or metafile is a file format that allows multiple data streams to be embedded into a single file, usually along with metadata for identifying and further detailing those streams.[1] Notable examples of container formats include archive files (such as the ZIP format) and formats used for multimedia playback (such as Matroska, MP4, and AVI). Among the earliest cross-platform container formats were Distinguished Encoding Rules and the 1985 Interchange File Format.

  1. ^ Ho, Anthony T. S.; Li, Shujun (20 May 2016). Handbook of Digital Forensics of Multimedia Data and Devices, Enhanced E-Book. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 146–(?). ISBN 9781118757079. OCLC 953319457.