Requirements: macOS 10.12+
, 104MB free space
Version 8.0(2800) (20 Jun, 2021) Release notes
Category: MultimediaApplication
If you’re a Mac user and download some MPEG videos you will soon realize that the built-in video player, QuickTime, isn’t capable of dealing with this format. It may look like it’s going to play MPEG on Mac but it will only load for a while before returning an error. To get over this problem you will need to look for a free MPG player and if you’re in this situation, we have the best solution for your needs! Keep reading to find the best video player for Mac.
2. Add MPEG files to Elmedia Player
Elmedia offers not one, but three different ways of adding files to it. Choose the one you like the most:
Now that you know what’s the best MPEG player for Mac, it’s time to take a closer look at what sets these two formats apart. It’s the natural step after finding the answer to "How to play MPG files on Mac?" as having more info on these differences will help you decide which format to use in the future.
First of all, you should know that MPEG is short for Moving Picture Experts Group and .mpeg or .mpg are the most common formats for it. These can include MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video and audio compression and the main use is combining video content with synced sound. They are widely supported by video players, however, proprietary Apple software doesn’t always play them.
Having said that, the only difference between MPG and MPEG comes from the name. In early versions of windows, they used .mpeg. However, as newer versions rolled out, all extensions needed to be a maximum of three characters. This meant the previously-used .mpeg had to be cut down to .mpg. On the other hand, macOS did not have the three-character limit so they kept using the .mpeg extension. To avoid confusion, most apps will save MPEG files as .mpg no matter if we’re talking about Windows or Mac, to avoid confusion.
You now know what is MPG file extension is as well and all that’s left to do is get Elmedia as your MPG player to enjoy all your favorite videos that are using this format.
| File Extension | MP4 | MPG |
|---|---|---|
| File Type | MPEG-4 Video File | MPEG Video File |
| Description | Movie or video using MPEG-4 compression, and standardly developed by Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG); generally used for sharing videos on the Internet. | Common digital video format that has been standardized by Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG); usually incorporates MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 audio & video compression; often used to create movies for Internet distribution. |
| Developed by | Moving Picture Experts Group | Moving Picture Experts Group |
| Pros | 1) The most frequently-used video format; 2) Compatible with numerous video programs and a wide range of hardware devices; |
1) Provides quality video at smaller file sizes; 2) Most frequently-used for recording videos; |
| Cons | The app used to open MP4 file must be capable of recognizing both the video and audio codecs in order to play the media; | Sacrifices file size in favour of digital quality; |
| Help You Choose | Most times, MP4 performs a lot better than MPG. | If you prefer files of smaller size with decent video quality, MPG might be worth your while. |
FAQ