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What is Codec?

Codec: Here, we are going to learn what is Codec? Types of Codec, different formats of Codec, etc.
Submitted by Anushree Goswami, on September 19, 2020

Codec

A codec is a piece of equipment or collection of program instructions that perform the function of encoding and decoding to compress and decompress the files of a digital data stream or signal.

The function of encoding is done by the coder in the codec, which encodes a data stream or a signal for broadcasting communication or storage, probably in an encrypted format and the function of decoding is done by the decoder in the codec, which reverses the process of encoding for the objective of playback or editing. Codecs are used in videoconferencing, streaming media, and video editing applications.

Types of Codec

Codec are classified into two types, which comprise:

• Lossless Codec: Lossless codec's make an exact copy of the same file as the original and restores and restructure the data in its original format by the process of decompression such as PKZIP.
• Lossy Codec: Lossy codec's make an exact copy of the same file as the original but doesn't restores and restructure the data in its original format by the process of decompression.
  Two types of compression are used in Lossy compression technologies, which comprise:
  1. Intra-frame compression: Intra-frame compression is fundamentally based on immobile image compression which is pertained to videos, by means of each frame compressed not including a reference to any other frame.
  2. Inter-frame compression: Inter-frame compression makes use of the state of not being useful or required between frames to compress video.

Different formats of Codec

Some of the different formats of Codec are:

• MPEG: It stands for Moving Picture Experts Group, which is the most extensively acknowledged family of codecs.
• MPEG-4: MPEG-4 files make use of developing and interlaced video in cooperation. It makes use of an enhanced compression system of practices in contrast to MPEG-1 and is an extensively acknowledged compression standard.
• ProRes: It is one more extensively acknowledged codec standard. The format was called as Apple ProRes and found on Apple products like Final Cut and iMovie.
• WMV: an additional well-recognized codec standard or family of codecs is WMV, which stands for Windows Media Video.

Reference: Codec

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