Ffprobe.exe |work| Here

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'example.mp4': Metadata: major_brand : isom minor_version : 512 compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41 encoder : Lavf58.76.100 Duration: 00:02:30.15, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1024 kb/s Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 896 kb/s, 30 fps, 30 tbr, 15360 tbn (default) Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default) This tells you: container format, duration, bitrate, video codec (H.264), resolution (1080p), frame rate, audio codec (AAC), sample rate, and channels. 1. -show_format Displays container-level information: format name, duration, overall bitrate, number of streams, and format metadata.

Create an alias or batch file called mediainfo that runs ffprobe -hide_banner -show_format -show_streams %1 to get a quick, readable summary anytime. Then explore deeper as needed. ffprobe.exe

Start with simple -show_streams commands, then graduate to JSON output and scripting. Combine it with ffmpeg for intelligent transcoding decisions (e.g., "only re-encode if the bitrate exceeds 5 Mbps"). Master ffprobe , and you will never again wonder what's really inside a media file. Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'example