Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections

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QuickTime Video, MJPEG Codec

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Format Description Properties Explanation of format description terms

Identification and description Explanation of format description terms

Full name QuickTime Video, MJPEG Codec
Description File format that wraps a MJPEG video bitstream with other data chunks, e.g., audio.
Production phase Used as a final-state format for enduser delivery; may also be used as a middle-state format, e.g., as the video source when producing lower-resolution streaming versions.
Relationship to other formats
    Subtype of QuickTime, Quicktime File Format
    Contains MJPEG, Motion JPEG Video Codec
    May contain Audio streams not documented at this time

Local use Explanation of format description terms

LC experience or existing holdings See QuickTime
LC preference See QuickTime

Sustainability factors Explanation of format description terms

Disclosure See QuickTime and MJPEG
    Documentation See QuickTime and MJPEG
Adoption Unknown to the compilers of this document.
    Licensing and patents See QuickTime and MJPEG
Transparency See MJPEG
Self-documentation See QuickTime
External dependencies See QuickTime
Technical protection considerations See QuickTime

Quality and functionality factors Explanation of format description terms

Moving Image
Normal rendering Good support.
Clarity (high image resolution) Good to very good, given that this is a format used for compression and which supports interlaced video. QTV_MJPEG would be expected to provide the highest quality of the QuickTime codecs described at this web site, although at relatively high bitrates.
Functionality beyond normal rendering See QuickTime.

File type signifiers and format identifiers Explanation of format description terms

Tag Value Note
Filename extension mov
 
Internet Media Type See related format.  See QuickTime
Magic numbers See related format.  See QuickTime
Apple Video Sample Description mjpa
mjpb
Four-character code identifying Motion JPEG video codecs "A" and "B," from QuickTime File Format, p. 92 or p.96.1

Notes Explanation of format description terms

General  
History  

Format specifications Explanation of format description terms


Useful references

URLs

1There seem to have been at least two printings of the specification carrying the same date. These were not systematically compared by the compiler of this Web page. Pagination varies between these two printings.


Last Updated: 08/04/2021