RMVB file format
| Extension | .rmvb |
| Category | video |
| Programs | VLC Media Player |
| Main program | RealPlayer |
| Description | The `.rmvb` (RealMedia Variable Bitrate) file format is a multimedia container developed by RealNetworks. It has several key characteristics. Its variable bitrate encoding efficiently compresses video, assigning higher bitrates to complex scenes and lower bitrates to simpler ones. The format utilizes RealNetworks' proprietary RealVideo codec for video and RealAudio for audio, delivering good video quality at lower bitrates, making it suitable for streaming or downloading where bandwidth or storage is limited. Variable bitrate encoding generally results in smaller file sizes compared to constant bitrate formats at similar quality levels. |
| Technical details | The `.rmvb` format's primary support comes from RealPlayer. Compatibility with other players is limited without additional codecs or format conversion. It supports both standard definition and high definition video resolutions. While optimized for streaming, `.rmvb` files are also commonly used for local playback. The format supports various audio codecs, most prominently RealAudio. It can also carry metadata, such as titles, author information, and copyright details. Furthermore, the `.rmvb` format can incorporate digital rights management (DRM) protection. In the early 2000s, it was a popular choice for online video sharing, but its popularity has declined in favor of more widely used formats like MPEG-4 and H.264. The close tie between the `.rmvb` format and RealNetworks software has hindered its wider adoption. Despite its strong compression and streaming capabilities, the `.rmvb` format is less common today due to the rise of more versatile and widely supported video formats. |
| MIME type | application/vnd.rn-realmedia-vbr |