Drop a video file to instantly view codec, resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and container information. Powered by MediaInfo.js WebAssembly — everything runs locally in your browser.
Drag & drop a video file here
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Supports MP4, MKV, AVI, WebM, MOV, FLV, TS, WMV, and more
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Every video file is more than just moving pictures and sound. Embedded within the file structure is a wealth of technical metadata that describes exactly how the video was encoded, what compression algorithms were used, and the precise parameters of each audio and video stream. Understanding this metadata is essential for video professionals, content creators, and anyone troubleshooting playback or compatibility issues.
A video file consists of two fundamental layers: the container and the codec. The container (such as MP4, MKV, AVI, or WebM) is the outer wrapper that organizes multiple streams — video, audio, subtitles, and chapter markers — into a single file. Think of it as a shipping box that holds different items together. The codec (such as H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP9, or AV1) is the compression algorithm that encodes the raw video frames into a compact binary representation. Each codec has different efficiency characteristics, hardware support profiles, and quality-to-size ratios.
Video metadata includes critical technical details: the video resolution (width × height in pixels), frame rate (frames per second), bitrate (data throughput in kilobits or megabits per second), color space and bit depth, aspect ratio, and encoding profile. For audio streams, metadata reveals the codec (AAC, Opus, AC-3), sample rate (typically 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz), channel configuration (stereo, 5.1 surround), and audio bitrate. Container-level metadata shows the overall file duration, total file size, and the number of embedded streams.
This tool is powered by MediaInfo.js, a WebAssembly port of the industry-standard MediaInfo library. The original MediaInfo is a widely-used open-source tool trusted by broadcasters, streaming platforms, and post-production studios worldwide. The WebAssembly version compiles the same C++ analysis engine to run directly in your web browser at near-native speed.
When you drop a file onto this tool, the browser reads the file header and initial data segments using the File API. This data is passed to the MediaInfo WebAssembly module, which parses the container structure, identifies each stream, and extracts all available technical parameters. The entire process happens locally — your file data never leaves your device, and no network requests are made during analysis.
MediaInfo does not need to read your entire file. Most container formats store metadata in the file header (or in a "moov atom" for MP4 files). The tool typically reads only the first few megabytes of data, making analysis nearly instantaneous even for multi-gigabyte video files. For formats where metadata is distributed throughout the file, MediaInfo uses intelligent seeking to locate the relevant data blocks without scanning every byte.
Quickly identify why a video won't play in a specific player or browser by checking codec compatibility, profile levels, and container format support.
Confirm that your video encoder produced the expected output — check resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and codec profile match your encoding preset.
Check that your video meets platform requirements (YouTube, Vimeo, social media) before uploading — verify resolution, codec, and bitrate are within accepted ranges.
Analyze bitrate and codec efficiency to identify videos that could be re-encoded to save storage space without visible quality loss.
Inspect transcoded segments and adaptive bitrate renditions to ensure your streaming pipeline produces correct output for each quality tier.
