Audio Video Interleave, known as AVI, is a multimedia container format created by Microsoft in 1992. AVI files contain both audio and video data and support synchronous audio-with-video playback. An AVI container can support virtually any compression scheme including Full Frame (uncompressed), Intel Real Time (Indeo), Cinepak, Motion JPEG, Real Video, MPEG-4 and others.
MPEG-4 is a developing standard used to compress audio and visual data, and is divided into several parts. The standard includes the concept of “profiles” and “levels,” allowing a specific set of capabilities to be defined in a manner appropriate for a subset of applications. The MPEG-4 standard is generally used for streaming media and CD distribution, video conversation, and broadcast television and includes additional features for digital rights management and support of higher-efficiency standards used by streaming media, HD DVD and Blu-Ray. MPEG-4 also supports interactivity and has the ability to crunch massive video files into pieces small enough to send over mobile networks. Within MPEG-4 standards are two very popular formats utilized for broadband video delivery: H.264 and MP4.