What is Codec?

What is Codec? Codec is short for coder-decoder. It describes specification of a developed software, hardware or a combination thereof, for transforming a file. In a very old article, named Differences between DivX and XviD, essentially arose the need to explain the technical fact – What is Codec ?
That is what we will discuss within this article.

What is Codec : The Basics

What is Codec? The codecs can encode (often for transmission, storage or encryption) and recover or decrypt the same way for reproduction or manipulation in a format appropriate for these operations. Codecs are often used in video and media broadcasts. We previously wrote about what is Encryption and Decryption in Technology.

Most codecs are lossy to achieve the smallest possible size of the destination file. There are also lossless codecs, but in most practical applications, imperceptible quality not worth a considerable increase in data size. The exception is if the data undergo other treatments in the future. In this case, repeated lossy coding eventually damage the quality.

Many multimedia files containing both audio data and video and often some reference that enables the synchronization of audio and video. Each of these three streams of data can be handled with programs, processes or different hardware; but for these streams are useful for storage or transmission, they must be encapsulated together. This function is performed by a video file format ( container ) as .mpg , .avi , .mov , .mp4 , .rm , .ogg , .mkv etc. Some of these formats are limited to containing streams which are reduced to a small set of codecs, while others are used for more general purposes. Endec is a concept similar (but not identical) for the hardware.

Development cycle and Performance Improvement of the codecs

In engineering, a development cycle is the time that elapses from the implementation of a standard technology to the development of new tools of greater complexity and efficiency. In the world of digital compression, a development cycle corresponds to the lifetime of a system improvements, such as a compression system that will undergo modifications to improve the efficiency since the time is standardized.

This will occur until the development of new tools which lead to a gain in efficiency of the quality. For new codecs, it is intended that these have a compression system increasingly smarter, i.e. those are able to adapt themselves to the type of content of the images and also generate a bit rate less and less to offer the same level of quality.

Digital video compression are all based on a common structure. First, extract the redundant information of the images, so that by sending the information can be reconstructed at the receiver. Secondly, the systems perform signal approaches, in order to reduce the bitrate of the signal to be transmitted. Finally the system is responsible for finding the most efficient way to post all of this data or information. The compression is performed in 3 consecutive steps.

 in Technology.

Most codecs are lossy to achieve the smallest possible size of the destination file. There are also lossless codecs, but in most practical applications, imperceptible quality not worth a considerable increase in data size. The exception is if the data undergo other treatments in the future. In this case, repeated lossy coding eventually damage the quality.

Many multimedia files containing both audio data and video and often some reference that enables the synchronization of audio and video. Each of these three streams of data can be handled with programs, processes or different hardware; but for these streams are useful for storage or transmission, they must be encapsulated together. This function is performed by a video file format ( container ) as .mpg , .avi , .mov , .mp4 , .rm , .ogg , .mkv etc. Some of these formats are limited to containing streams which are reduced to a small set of codecs, while others are used for more general purposes. Endec is a concept similar (but not identical) for the hardware.