BIK: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:29, 15 July 2025

Valve "Open Your Mind" intro (2007 - 2011), which was created using Bink.

vgui_movie_display on elevator screens in

Portal 2, which uses Bink video.

BIK files are the video files created using Bink Video codec, a part of RAD Video Tools (developed by Epic Games Tools, formerly RAD Game Tools).

The startup videos that play on all Valve and third-party games (since the Source 2007 update) are Bink videos, and are listed in [gamedir]/media/startupvids.txt. They are also used in the menu backgrounds in Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Alien Swarm, Portal 2 and the elevator screens in Portal 2. Prior to Bink being added to Source, previous games or older versions of those games used AVI files instead. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, which runs on beta version of Source 2004, was the first Source game to utilize Bink video for its startup video.

The original version of Bink (retroactively Bink version 1.0) by today standards, are less efficient when it's come to compression (having large file sizes while resulting in lower quality, lower framerate), and is much more complicated when it comes to converting files, such as AVI or MP4 to BIK, only to ended up causing audio/video de-sync or other issues. On some systems, the MP4 to BIK process may fail with "Unable to open file". Bink 2 was later created as a successor to Bink 1.0, which has massive improvements over Bink 1. Furthermore, there are alternatives to Bink video, such as WebM, which is open-source, and does not require licensing.

Note:Newer versions of RAD Video Tools (since late 2010s), no longer requires QuickTime to be installed in order to convert MP4 to BIK.

This is a list of some Source games or ports upgraded to Bink 2, or have switched to, or use other file format instead:

Mac ports of Source engine games use QuickTime's MOV video file.
On Xbox 360 prior to Left 4 Dead 2, it uses Windows Media Video (WMV) format, and on Nintendo Switch (Portal Companion Collection), it uses MKV.
The Titanfall branch has been upgraded to use Bink 2 (using BIK or BK2 format), which has more features, such as supporting multi-core rendering, HDR output, a full-color range, and better video quality & compression than Bink 1.
In post-panorama versions of the CS:GO engine branch, newer versions of Hunt Down the Freeman, all Source 2 games, as well as Strata Source, it is replaced by WebM.
Team Fortress 2 branch games uses WebM, but only on 64-bit executable. 32-bit executable still uses Bink.
In The Stanley Parable it is replaced by IVF to avoid having to license Bink.
In Black Mesa you can use MP4 videos in QtUI, all the startup video code is removed.

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-'''BIK''' files are the video files created using [http://www.radgametools.com/bnkmain.htm Bink], as part of Epic Video Tools. The startup video that plays on all Valve games, and third-party games (since the {{src07|4}} update) is a .bik file. They are also used in the menu backgrounds and the [[Vgui movie display|elevator screens]] in {{portal2|4}}. Prior to Bink being added to Source, previous games or older versions of those games used AVI files instead. {{vtmb|4}}, which runs on {{src04|1}}, was the first Source game to utilize Bink video for it's startup video.
+[[File:Bink-video-logo.png|left|64px]]
+[[File:Screenshot - Valve Open Your Mind intro.jpg|320px|thumb|right|Valve "Open Your Mind" intro (2007 - 2011), which was created using '''Bink'''.]]
+[[File:Screenshot - Portal 2 - vgui movie display.png|320px|thumb|right|{{code|[[vgui_movie_display]]}} on elevator screens in {{p2|4}}, which uses Bink video.]]'''BIK''' files are the video files created using '''[http://www.radgametools.com/bnkmain.htm Bink Video codec]''', a part of RAD Video Tools (developed by Epic Games Tools, formerly RAD Game Tools).
-By today's standards, Bink (retroactively Bink version 1.0), suffers from large file sizes while having lower quality and is much more complicated when it comes to converting files, such as AVI or MP4 (with deprecated the QuickTime application) to BIK, which ends up causing audio/video de-sync or other issues. Due to these and many other issues, Bink 2 was created, which has massive improvements over Bink 1. Furthermore, there are alternatives to Bink video, such as [[WebM]], which is open-source.
+The startup videos that play on all Valve and third-party games (since the {{src07|4}} update) are Bink videos, and are listed in {{code|[gamedir]/media/startupvids.txt}}. They are also used in the menu backgrounds in {{l4d|1}}, {{l4d2|1}}, {{as|1}}, {{p2|1}} and the [[Vgui movie display|elevator screens]] in {{portal2|1}}. Prior to Bink being added to Source, previous games or older versions of those games used AVI files instead. {{vtmb|1}}, which runs on beta version of {{src04|1}}, was the first Source game to utilize Bink video for its startup video.
-Some {{mac|4|nt=0}} ports of Source engine games may instead use QuickTime's [[MOV]] video file.<br>
+The original version of Bink (retroactively Bink version 1.0) by today standards, are less efficient when it's come to compression (having large file sizes while resulting in lower quality, lower framerate), and is much more complicated when it comes to converting files, such as AVI or MP4 to BIK, only to ended up causing audio/video de-sync or other issues. On some systems, the MP4 to BIK process may fail with "Unable to open file". Bink 2 was later created as a successor to Bink 1.0, which has massive improvements over Bink 1. Furthermore, there are alternatives to Bink video, such as [[WebM]], which is open-source, and does not require licensing.
-The {{tfbranch|4}} has been upgraded to use '''Bink 2''', which uses the '''.bk2''' file format instead, and has more features, such as supporting multi-core rendering, [[HDR]], a full color range, and better video quality than Bink 1.<br>
-In post-panorama versions of the {{csgobranch|4}}, newer versions of {{hdtf|4}}, all {{source2|4}} games, as well as {{strata|4}}, it is replaced by [[WebM]].
+{{Note|Newer versions of RAD Video Tools (since late 2010s), no longer requires QuickTime to be installed in order to convert MP4 to BIK.}}
+This is a list of some Source games or ports upgraded to Bink 2, or have switched to, or use other file format instead:
+*{{mac|2|nt=0}} ports of Source engine games use QuickTime's [[WP:.mov|MOV]] video file.<br>
+*On {{360|2}} prior to {{l4d2|1}}, it uses Windows Media Video ([[WP:Windows_Media_Video|WMV]]) format, and on {{switch|1}} ({{pcc|1}}), it uses [[WP:Matroska|MKV]].
+*The {{tfbranch|1}} has been upgraded to use '''Bink 2''' (using BIK<!-- titanfall 2 seems to use BIK as file format but cannot be viewed on most media player unlike Bink 1 --> or BK2 format), which has more features, such as supporting multi-core rendering, [[HDR]] output, a full-color range, and better video quality & compression than Bink 1.
+*In post-panorama versions of the {{csgobranch|1}}, newer versions of {{hdtf|1}}, all {{source2|4}} games, as well as {{strata|1}}, it is replaced by [[WebM]].
+*{{Tf2branch|1}} games uses WebM, but only on 64-bit executable. 32-bit executable still uses Bink.
+*In {{tsp|1}} it is replaced by [http://www.grimrock.net/modding/creating-cinematics/ IVF] to avoid having to license '''Bink'''.
+* In {{bms|1}} you can use MP4 videos in [[Qt|QtUI]], all the startup video code is removed.
+== See also ==
+*[[AVI]]
+*[[WebM]]
 {{todo|Expand on this more}}
 {{stub}}
+[[Category:File formats]]

BIK: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:29, 15 July 2025

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