Four-Character Codes (FOURCC), a set of codes that are four characters in length, was introduced by Microsoft to clearly identify video data stream formats. The unique FOURCC value assigned to every compression format and pixel layout allows video frames to be passed between file and codec by ensuring the FOURCC of the source frame matches a FOURCC supported by the codec.

FOURCCs describe the software technology that was used to produce multimedia data. By implication, they also describe the format of the data itself.


1. Here is a list of registered FOURCCs:

Compressor Code	Description
3IV0	MPEG4-based codec 3ivx
3IV1	MPEG4-based codec 3ivx
3IV2	MPEG4-based codec 3ivx
3IVD	FFmpeg DivX ;-) (MS MPEG-4 v3)
3IVX	MPEG4-based codec 3ivx
AAS4	Autodesk Animator codec (RLE)
AASC	Autodesk Animator codec (RLE)
ABYR	Kensington codec
ADV1	Loronix WaveCodec (used in various CCTV products)
ADVJ	Avid M-JPEG Avid Technology (also known as AVRn)
AEMI	Array VideoONE MPEG1-I Capture
AFLC	Autodesk Animator FLC (256 color)
AFLI	Autodesk Animator FLI (256 color)
AMPG	Array VideoONE MPEG
ANIM	Intel - RDX
AP41	AngelPotion Definitive (hack MS MP43)
ASV1	Asus Video V1
ASV2	Asus Video V2
ASVX	Asus Video 2.0
AUR2	AuraVision - Aura 2 Codec - YUV 422
AURA	AuraVision - Aura 1 Codec - YUV 411
AVDJ	Avid Motion JPEG
AVI1	MainConcept Motion JPEG Codec
AVI2	MainConcept Motion JPEG Codec
AVRN	Avid Motion JPEG (also known as ADVJ)
AZPR	Quicktime Apple Video
BGR	Uncompressed BGR32 8:8:8:8
BGR(15)	Uncompressed BGR15 5:5:5
BGR(16)	Uncompressed BGR16 5:6:5
BGR(24)	Uncompressed BGR24 8:8:8
BINK	Bink Video (RAD Game Tools) (256 color)
BITM	Microsoft H.261
BLZ0	FFmpeg MPEG-4
BT20	Conexant (ex Brooktree) - MediaStream codec
BTCV	Conexant (ex Brooktree) - Composite Video codec
BTVC	Conexant (ex Brooktree) - Composite Video codec
BW10	Data Translation Broadway MPEG Capture/Compression
CC12	Intel - YUV12 codec
CDVC	Canopus - DV codec
CFCC	Conkrete DPS Perception Motion JPEG
CGDI	Camcorder Video (MS Office 97)
CHAM	Winnov, Inc. - MM_WINNOV_CAVIARA_CHAMPAGNE
CJPG	Creative Video Blaster Webcam Go JPEG
CLJR	Cirrus Logic YUV 4:1:1
CLPL	Format similar to YV12 but including a level of indirection.
CMYK	Common Data Format in Printing
COL0	FFmpeg DivX ;-) (MS MPEG-4 v3)
COL1	FFmpeg DivX ;-) (MS MPEG-4 v3)
CPLA	Weitek - 4:2:0 YUV Planar
CRAM	Microsoft Video 1
CVID	Supermac - Cinepak
CWLT	reserved
CYUV	Creative Labs YUV 4:2:2
CYUY	ATI Technologies YUV
DUCK	Duck Corp. - TrueMotion 1.0
DVE2	InSoft - DVE-2 Videoconferencing codec
DXT1	reserved
DXT2	reserved
DXT3	reserved
DXT4	reserved
DXT5	reserved
DXTC	DirectX Texture Compression
FLJP	D-Vision - Field Encoded Motion JPEG With LSI Bitstream Format
GWLT	reserved
H260	Intel - Conferencing codec
H261	Intel - Conferencing codec
H262	Intel - Conferencing codec
H263	Intel - Conferencing codec
H264	Intel - Conferencing codec
H265	Intel - Conferencing codec
H266	Intel - Conferencing codec
H267	Intel - Conferencing codec
H268	Intel - Conferencing codec
H269	Intel - Conferencing codec
I263	Intel - I263
I420	Intel - Indeo 4 codec
IAN	Intel - RDX
ICLB	InSoft - CellB Videoconferencing codec
ILVC	Intel - Layered Video
ILVR	ITU-T - H.263+ compression standard
IRAW	Intel - YUV uncompressed
IV30	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV31	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV32	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV33	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV34	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV35	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV36	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV37	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV38	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV39	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV40	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV41	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV42	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV43	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV44	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV45	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV46	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV47	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV48	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV49	Intel - Indeo Video 4 codec
IV50	Intel - Indeo 5.0
MP42	Microsoft - MPEG-4 Video Codec V2
MPEG	Chromatic - MPEG 1 Video I Frame
MRCA	FAST Multimedia - Mrcodec
MRLE	Microsoft - Run Length Encoding
MSVC	Microsoft - Video 1
NTN1	Nogatech - Video Compression 1
qpeq	Q-Team - QPEG 1.1 Format video codec
RGBT	Computer Concepts - 32 bit support
RT21	Intel - Indeo 2.1 codec
RVX	Intel - RDX
SDCC	Sun Communications - Digital Camera Codec
SFMC	Crystal Net - SFM Codec
SMSC	Radius - proprietary
SMSD	Radius - proprietary
SPLC	Splash Studios - ACM audio codec
SQZ2	Microsoft - VXtreme Video Codec V2
SV10	Sorenson - Video R1
TLMS	TeraLogic - Motion Intraframe Codec
TLST	TeraLogic - Motion Intraframe Codec
TM20	Duck Corp. - TrueMotion 2.0
TMIC	TeraLogic - Motion Intraframe Codec
TMOT	Horizons Technology - TrueMotion Video Compression Algorithm
TR20	Duck Corp. - TrueMotion RT 2.0
V422	Vitec Multimedia - 24 bit YUV 4:2:2 format (CCIR 601). For this format, 2 consecutive pixels are represented by a 32 bit (4 byte) Y1UY2V color value.
V655	Vitec Multimedia - 16 bit YUV 4:2:2 format.
VCR1	ATI - VCR 1.0
VIVO	Vivo - H.263 Video Codec
VIXL	Miro Computer Products AG - for use with the Miro line of capture cards.
VLV1	Videologic - VLCAP.DRV
WBVC	Winbond Electronics - W9960
XLV0	NetXL, Inc. - XL Video Decoder
YC12	Intel - YUV12 codec
YUV8	Winnov, Inc. - MM_WINNOV_CAVIAR_YUV8
YUV9	Intel - YUV9
YUYV	Canopus - YUYV compressor
ZPEG	Metheus - Video Zipper

2. The following list shows the FOURCC values for DIB compression.

Compressor Code	Description
CYUV	Creative Labs, Inc - Creative Labs YUV
FVF1	Iterated Systems, Inc. - Fractal Video Frame
IF09	Intel - Intel Intermediate YUV9
JPEG	Microsoft - Still Image JPEG DIB
MJPG	Microsoft - Motion JPEG DIB Format
PHMO	IBM - Photomotion
ULTI	IBM - Ultimotion
VDCT	Vitec Multimedia - Video Maker Pro DIB
VIDS	Vitec Multimedia - YUV 4:2:2 CCIR 601 for V422
YU92	Intel - YUV

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• Related links:
- Audio Codec Tags
- AVI FourCC Code Changer
- Source: Microsoft.com
- Also you can check this site, dedicated to FourCCs: www.fourcc.org/codecs.php