A media container is like a zip file for video or audio: it packages the media streams, their codecs, and related metadata into one file structure. section 6.25
Keep these two layers separate:
- The container organizes multiple pieces of a media file. section 6.25
- A codec encodes, compresses, decodes, and decompresses the video or audio inside the container. section 6.25
- Metadata travels alongside the media and codecs within the container. section 6.25
Embedding a media file
When an HTML5 page uses the video or audio element, the embedded file arrives in a particular format with a particular container and supported codecs. There is no single universal web-media format, so compatibility involves more than choosing a file extension. section 6.25
Web layouts use the same word differently: a CSS container can center content, limit it to 800 pixels, and clear floated elements. That layout meaning is separate from media packaging. section 10.40 section 10.39
