Open-source, royalty-free and endlessly extensible, Matroška has become the container of choice for modern video distribution and the foundation for formats like WebM. This guide explains its nested element structure, maps the IANA registries that govern it, and shows why MKV keeps gaining ground.
Thirty years on, Apple’s AIFF format remains a reliable workhorse for uncompressed audio production and archiving. We explore its chunk-based structure, clarify the differences between AIFF and AIFF-C, and demonstrate why this ancient format refuses to fade away.
AES31 may not be starring in any headlines, but its Broadcast Wave Format remains a workhorse for professional audio exchange. Here we chart the development of the four-part AES31 standard, and prove why BWF still matters in modern workflows.
MPEG-4 is far more than just a codec or container — it’s a sprawling multimedia platform spanning 34 separate parts, from audio and video compression to interactive scene description and rights management. This guide maps the standard’s architecture, separates what succeeded from what didn’t, and untangles the patent landscape.
Born out of Apple’s QuickTime format, ISOBMFF underpins the ubiquitous MP4 container and countless derivatives. Here we explain the atom-based structure that made it so extensible and map the sprawling family of formats it spawned.
Media containers are the invisible infrastructure that holds audio, video, subtitles and metadata together in a single synchronized package. This guide maps the landscape of container formats – from legacy AVI to modern MP4 and MXF – and explains how to choose the right one for production, distribution or archiving.
From the six-channel 5.1 systems in living rooms, to the 24-channel arrays of theatrical Dolby Atmos installations, surround sound has evolved into a highly complex discipline. This guide maps the key formats and standards, and looks ahead to Next Generation Audio systems that adapt dynamically to any listening environment.
The AES standards library underpins professional audio engineering worldwide, from digital interconnects and synchronization to IP streaming and loudness. These are the standards that are the most relevant to broadcast and IP studio workflows; we examine what each one does and why it matters.
