What is an MP5 file?

A file with “.MP5” extension typically refers to video file specifically designed for playback on Chinese MP5 portable media players. These MP5 files are essentially similar to standard .MP4 files as they use MPEG-4 or MPEG-H codecs for encoding. The primary distinction lies in optimization of MP5 files ensuring they are well-suited for playback on Chinese MP5 media players. Essentially, it is a specialized video format tailored for compatibility and optimal performance on these particular portable media devices.

Difference between MP4 and MP5

To distinguish themselves from other media players, numerous Chinese portable media players market themselves as “MP5 players”. In reality, there is not distinct MP5 file format; the so-called MP5 files associated with these media players are essentially MP4 files that have been renamed. Typically encoded using the H.264/AVC or MPEG-4 codec, these files can often be played on any MP4 media player by simply changing their file extension to .mp4. Essentially, the term “MP5” in this context does not refer to unique file format but rather serves as marketing label for compatibility with MP4-encoded content on these devices.

How to open an MP5 file

MP5 files can directly be played on Chinese portable media players like Baidu Player. But easiest way is to change their extension to .mp4 and play on any MP4 media player e.g. VideoLAN VLC media player.

How to convert MP5 to MP4

MP5 is already an MP4 file, just change the extension of MP5 to MP4 and play it in your MP4 media player.