.mpg
Video
MPG (MPEG Video)
MPG is the short-form file extension for MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video files, functionally identical to .mpeg. The three-character extension originated from the 8.3 filename limitation of MS-DOS and early Windows systems.
MIME Type
video/mpeg
Type
Binary
Compression
Lossless
Advantages
- + Same broad compatibility as .mpeg files
- + Compatible with all DVD and MPEG players
- + Short extension recognized by legacy systems
Disadvantages
- − Outdated compression — much larger than equivalent H.264
- − Not suitable for web or mobile video
- − Same limitations as the MPEG format family
When to Use .MPG
Use .mpg interchangeably with .mpeg; for new video projects prefer MP4 with H.264 or H.265.
Technical Details
Identical to .mpeg files — MPEG-1/2 program stream with DCT-compressed video. Both extensions contain the same data structure and are decoded by the same players and codecs.
History
The .mpg extension was the original MPEG video extension, conforming to the 8.3 filename convention of DOS and Windows 3.1. As operating systems dropped the restriction, both .mpg and .mpeg became interchangeable.