Understanding video codecs and container formats is essential for datamoshing and file-based glitch art.

Codecs

A codec encodes and decodes video data. Common codecs include H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), ProRes, and VP9. For datamoshing, the codec determines what kind of artifacts you get when you manipulate the compressed data.

Containers

Container formats (MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV) wrap encoded video and audio streams together. The container doesn’t affect visual quality — it’s just packaging. Different containers support different codecs and features.

For Datamoshing

H.264 is the most commonly datamoshed codec because its I-frames (keyframes) and P-frames (predicted frames) create distinctive artifacts when manipulated. Removing I-frames causes the classic “bloom” datamosh effect where motion vectors from old frames are applied to new content.

Recording Format

When capturing glitch art, record in the highest quality format your system supports. ProRes or uncompressed for editing, H.264/H.265 for sharing. You can always compress later — you can never add back quality that was lost.