> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Video Format Options

> Select and configure video/audio formats, quality, and container preferences

## Format Selection

<ParamField path="-f, --format" type="string">
  Video format code

  See "FORMAT SELECTION" for more details

  **Example:**

  ```bash theme={null}
  yt-dlp -f "bestvideo+bestaudio" URL
  yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]" URL
  yt-dlp -f 137+140 URL  # Specific format codes
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-S, --format-sort" type="string">
  Sort the formats by the fields given

  See "Sorting Formats" for more details

  **Example:**

  ```bash theme={null}
  yt-dlp -S "res,fps" URL
  yt-dlp -S "quality,codec:h264" URL
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--format-sort-reset" type="flag">
  Disregard previous user specified sort order and reset to the default
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--format-sort-force" type="flag">
  Force user specified sort order to have precedence over all fields

  See "Sorting Formats" for more details

  Alias: `--S-force`
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-format-sort-force" type="flag" default="true">
  Some fields have precedence over the user specified sort order
</ParamField>

## Multistream Options

<ParamField path="--video-multistreams" type="flag">
  Allow multiple video streams to be merged into a single file
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-video-multistreams" type="flag" default="true">
  Only one video stream is downloaded for each output file
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--audio-multistreams" type="flag">
  Allow multiple audio streams to be merged into a single file
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-audio-multistreams" type="flag" default="true">
  Only one audio stream is downloaded for each output file
</ParamField>

## Container Preferences

<ParamField path="--prefer-free-formats" type="flag">
  Prefer video formats with free containers over non-free ones of the same quality

  Use with "-S ext" to strictly prefer free containers irrespective of quality
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-prefer-free-formats" type="flag" default="true">
  Don't give any special preference to free containers
</ParamField>

## Format Checking

<ParamField path="--check-formats" type="flag">
  Make sure formats are selected only from those that are actually downloadable
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--check-all-formats" type="flag">
  Check all formats for whether they are actually downloadable
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--no-check-formats" type="flag">
  Do not check that the formats are actually downloadable
</ParamField>

## Format Listing

<ParamField path="-F, --list-formats" type="flag">
  List available formats of each video

  Simulate unless `--no-simulate` is used

  **Example:**

  ```bash theme={null}
  yt-dlp -F URL
  ```
</ParamField>

## Merge Output Format

<ParamField path="--merge-output-format" type="string">
  Containers that may be used when merging formats, separated by "/"

  Ignored if no merge is required.

  Currently supported: `avi`, `flv`, `mkv`, `mov`, `mp4`, `webm`

  **Example:**

  ```bash theme={null}
  yt-dlp --merge-output-format "mp4/mkv" URL
  ```
</ParamField>