If you haven’t heard about the 3GP file, in this article we will explain everything you need to know. This is one of the types of formats that was initially created to convert and transmit audio and video on 3G-type mobiles, although it also includes simple texts with the ability to be reproduced with a text editor. Read on and you will discover what a 3GP file is and how to open it on your computer or PC, Windows or Mac, quickly and easily.
What is the 3GP format?
The 3GP format is a container that is used to create multimedia files in 2G, 3G and 4G. The audio in this container is saved in formats such as: AACL-LC or AMR-NB and the video is stored in H.263 or MPEG-4. This type of file is a reduction or simplification of the MP4. The result is similar to that generated by QuickTime that Apple users enjoy.
Videos in 3GP format have two resolutions: the first is 176×144 pixels, which is usually used by mobiles that support 3G and the second is 320×240 pixels, which is used in devices with WideScrren with the ability to play in MP4 format.
There are several advantages or benefits that come from using the 3GP format. For example The space occupied by videos is less than other formats, the data packages needed to transmit videos between devices are smaller and, as its content is low in weight, it is widely used by mobile devices.
However, it also has its negative points: The quality of the images is very low, there are very few programs or software with the ability to reproduce this type of file, and finally it is not as practical as the ¨.avi¨ format, which is the means of transmission that computers or PCs bring by default.
How to open 3GP on a computer or PC quickly and easily
Next, we will show you some details to take into account so that you can open 3GP on your PC, and enjoy the audio and videos in this format. Let’s start with the Windows operating system.
Windows Media Player is the player that is installed by default in the existing versions of the Windows operating system, that is, if you need to see the files in 3GP, you can go to that program. To open the 3GP file extensions in any other program compatible with this operating system, carefully follow the following steps that we will indicate here:
- Right-click on the file.
- Then click on the ” Open with” option.
- Windows will show you a software to open the file, where you will have default Windows Media Player. If you don’t want to use the programs on the list, click on ” Choose another application”.
- Click on ” More options” to choose the player of your choice. The player must be downloaded beforehand.
- Check the box below the software list to have the application always open 3GP files.
- To finish, press ” Accept” where appropriate.
You will be able to see how the icon of the file changes and, by double-clicking on it, the selected program with the 3GP extension will be executed. You can also open the file and, once inside the software, proceed as follows:
- Select “Open“ from the menu at the top of the player.
- Locate the file you want to read in the folder where it is saved.
- Click “OK“ and enjoy the playback.
That is how easy and fast it is to open 3GP files on a computer with Windows operating system. Now we will show you how you can do it on a computer or PC with Mac operating system. To open a 3GP file on Mac you must:
- Open the player to be able to play files.
- Click on the “File” option in the toolbar.
- Choose “Open”. It will show you all the available options of your equipment, search among them the one you need and select it.
- Click on the “Accept” button.
- You can check the option ¨ Use this program as default ¨ and thus, from now on, all 3GP files will open in this software.