File extension | .m4r |
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File category | Audio |
Stands for | MPEG-4 PART 14 for iPhone ringtones |
Developer | Apple Inc. |
Overview | M4R is one of the extensions of MPEG-4 Part-14 and it is specially designed by Apple for iPhone ringtones. It is just the relabelling of AAC and M4A. This extension provides an excellent quality of ringtones for iPhones and the size of the ringtone is also small. There are certain steps that one needs to follow for the conversion of any song into this format (iPhone ringtone). Firstly, select any song of 30 seconds and covert it to AAC format using iTunes. Then rename this file using .m4r extension. Finally, by using the iTunes transfer your ringtone file to iPhone. This can be done by connecting your iPhone to the computer and syncing the playlist. Now a user can easily use this ringtone for phone ring, alerts, alarms etc. It should be noted that these files will be supported only by the latest version. Hence, use the current version of iTunes. |
Technical description | It uses a lossy compression algorithm to encode the ringtones that is same as AAC and MP3 eareensions. But it has the additional feature of auditory masking which means it neglects other sounds which can be detected or recognized while listening or hearing another sound. It only discards the information which is surplus for the human ear. This results in good quality of iPhone ringtones. It takes less storage space without affecting the quality of audio. It is also a segment of MPEG-4 standard and this is stated in the ISO-IEC standard 14495-3. |
Links | wikipedia.org (opens in new tab - official documentation) |
File extension | .wmv |
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File category | Video |
Stands for | Windows Media Video |
Developer | Microsoft |
Overview | It is a video format based on the Microsoft Advanced systems format(ASF) and it is a sequel of video codecs. There are three varied codecs for this format. Actual WMA compression technique was developed only for internet streaming applications and it gave tough competition to RealVideo. The other compression techniques include WMV screen and WMV image which are designed for specialized content. These files are compatible with both Mac and Personal computers ;etc. This format attracts companies those want to sell audios and videos online due to DRM technology. This is the most popular among its family members. Interlaced videos can also be played using this video extension. There is an advanced version named WMA 9 which automatically comes into play when video resolution exceeds 300,000 pixels and the bitrate 1000 kbit/sec. |
Technical description | It is based on DRM(Direct Rights Management), thereby, it restricts users from making unauthorized copies that are often bought online from stores. HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc are formats for physical delivery which were adapted when WMV version was standardized by the SMPTE(Society of Motion picture and Television Engineers). It is now termed as VC-1. MPEG-4 AVC, AVS and MPEG-4 ASP are other competitors against this format. Furthermore, it can also provide support to the variable bit rate, average bit rate and constant bit rate. It enables makers to use non-square pixels as well. Lastly, it can process videos using frame interpolation in which intermediate animation frames are created between the existing frames. |
Links | wikipedia.org (opens in new tab - official documentation) |