Video codec.
Software (or hardware) that compresses raw video frames into a much smaller encoded bitstream — and decompresses it for playback. A codec lives inside a container (MP4, WebM, MOV).
Common codecs in 2026
H.264 (everywhere, royalty-bearing), H.265 (better compression, expensive licensing), VP9 (royalty-free, dominant in WebM), AV1 (next-gen royalty-free, growing).
What you actually deal with
For browser recording, the browser picks the codec. You see WebM/VP9 from Chromium and MP4/H.264 from Safari. You almost never need to think about it.
Frequently asked
Do I need to choose?
No. The browser picks based on hardware and compatibility.
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