Does mpeg4= mp4= m4v ???

[blurij]

I'm looking around for digital photo frames that also show video files.
It gets real confusing real fast as to what kind of files different digital
photo frames accept.

Kodak has a frame M1020 that runs mpeg4 video files. Does that mean that
it would also work with an mp4 file or an m4v file?

Would appreciate a bit of help from the more tekkie savvy. thanks

Any good digital photo (Mac friendly) frames that anyone can recommend -
especially want one that shows pictures and video files in a random order.

Thank you

 

[mkrishnan]

This is slightly tough to get a straight answer to. MPEG-4 is an overall standard that defines, as I understand it, the container and some properties -- it specifies to some extent what kind of codecs can be used, but it doesn't specify only one audio or video codec.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4

An MPEG 4 file can have H.264 video and AAC audio (the format used most commonly on Macs) but it does not have to (and Macs for instance previously used another codec for video after adopting MP4 and before adoptin H.264). However, it seems like most devices advertising MP4 support do usually support the H.264/AAC combination, and in the very worst, you can use a program like VLC or Handbrake to convert the video to acceptable codecs.

Now a couple of caveats... Kodak does not list Mac compatibility on their website

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=13455&pq-locale=en_US#wg02_5

and this review also says that this frame doesn't come with Mac software...

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2R1Q9FFJBC7E1

 

[jodelli]

Does mpeg4= mp4= m4v ???

Yes and no. Mp4 and m4v are subsets within the mpeg4 set. So mpeg4 includes the other two but equivalency doesn't necessarily take place.