When exporting videos for web use in Adobe After Effects, the H.264 codec, often used with the QuickTime container, is widely recognized as the most suitable format. This is due to H.264's ability to deliver high-quality video at relatively low file sizes, which is crucial for efficient streaming and downloading on the web.
The H.264 codec is designed to compress video data while maintaining impressive visual quality, making it ideal for platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and other online media services. The QuickTime container allows for compatibility with a variety of video players and web environments, enhancing the versatility of the exported files.
Additionally, H.264 is widely supported across devices, ensuring that the videos can be easily played back on both desktop and mobile platforms, which is critical for web distribution. Furthermore, when you choose an export setting that utilizes H.264, you are also given options to adjust bitrate and other settings, helping to further optimize the video for web performance.
While other formats like MP4 and MOV might be associated with web use, they can refer to just the container rather than the codec itself, making H.264/QuickTime a more complete answer in this context.