Firmware is the low-level software controlling the device hardware. The (or binary) format is the service/recovery structure used by Samsung Odin3, as opposed to the single HOME.tar.md5 file used for end-user updates.
For typical end-users, a is safer. For technicians or developers working with bricked units or custom ROM development, the 4-file format remains the gold standard.
(a leaked internal software from Samsung) acts as the bridge to "flash" these four files onto the device [1, 10]. The Outcome