Codec
A codec is a computer program or device that compresses and decompresses digital data, especially audio and video, by using algorithms to encode information into a smaller, more manageable format for storage and transmission, and then decode it for playback or display. Codecs can use lossy compression, which discards some data to achieve smaller file sizes, or lossless compression, which preserves all original data but results in larger files. Common examples of codecs include H.264 for web video and MP3 for audio.
What it does
Encodes: Takes raw, large data files (like video) and reduces their size by applying complex algorithms.
Decodes: Reverses the compression process to reconstruct the data into a usable format for playback, streaming, or editing.
Types of codecs
Lossy Codecs: These codecs remove some information that is considered less important to the overall quality, resulting in significantly smaller files. This trade-off often goes unnoticed in everyday use, such as streaming video, but can lead to noticeable quality degradation if the files are re-encoded multiple times.
Lossless Codecs: These codecs compress data without discarding any original information, ensuring the original file can be perfectly reconstructed. They are ideal when data integrity is crucial but result in larger file sizes compared to lossy methods.
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