M2V not correct?

[Syro]

I just read that the SVCD/MPEG-2 music videos I have with extension '.m2v' are labeled wrong (https://www.videohelp.com/glossary?M#MPV,%20M1V,%20M2V) since these files contain both audio and video (apparently'.m2v' is designated for MPEG-2 files with video).

What is the correct extension I should be using? If it's '.mpg', what do I do about my VCD/MPEG-1 music videos which have the '.mpg' extension? (I want to be able to distinguish between the two because I have them all in the same folder)

TIA

[Baldrick]

you can name them whatever you like on your computer. just associate them with a mpeg player.

[Syro]

the thing is I've noticed when trying to convert them to another format programs only grab the video stream because of their extension. when I change it to '.mpg', then the programs get both the video and audio streams. but that extension is a conflict for me cuz my VCD/MPEG-1 music videos have '.mpg'.

[guns1inger]

Then you have a problem of your own making - find a better filing system. .mpg indicates an mpeg program stream (combined audio and video), which is what you have. As baldrick says, you can have any extension you want, so long as you associate it correctly, however some software will expect the correct extension. If this conflicts with your particular filing system then you have the choice of changing that filing system, or having to remember to rename certain files before converting.

[AlanHK]

What is the correct extension I should be using? If it's '.mpg', what do I do about my VCD/MPEG-1 music videos which have the '.mpg' extension? (I want to be able to distinguish between the two because I have them all in the same folder)

MPG is valid for both MPEG1 (VCD) and MPEG2 (DVD).

You can always check them with something like GSpot if you forget which variety of MPEG a file is.

If you wanted to use a distinct extension, perhaps you could use .mpeg for the MPEG2. I believe that's normally also associated with that filetype. (As you can usually use either .jpg or .jpeg for image files).

Otherwise you can hack your file associations, which however can be rather complicated and can have unexpected side effects (though not really fatal, don't be afraid to try if you want to do some research).

[Syro]

thanks everyone. i think i'll simply replace the VCD/XVCD/MPEG-1 music videos i have with the SVCD/DVD versions and stick with the '.mpg' extension only

thanks again