Codec stands for Coder-Decoder (some say Compressor-Decompressor) and is used to describe anything which turns data into another form for storage or transmission, then changes it back for use.
In
traditional broadcasting, a codec is a physical device which turns
analog video and audio data into digital form to be sent out over the
air. It is also capable of turning received digital information back
into an analog format. In computers, a codec is used as a way of
compressing video, images and audio to a more manageable size. The
majority of codecs use a lossy method of compression, but some are
lossless. Lossless codecs, such as MSU or Huffyuv, reproduce the
original video exactly, with no subsequent loss if the video is
re-encoded. The more common lossy codecs lose varying degrees of
information, but can save substantial amounts of space.
A lossy
codec may be transformative, predictive, or a combination of both. A
transformative codec cuts up the original image(s) or sound and
quantizes it into a more efficient space, then encodes it. A predictive
codec compares a chunk of known data to adjacent data and eliminates
excess information to save size. There are many types of codec
available, each attempting to strike an ideal balance between the loss
of information and file size. Other factors, such as openness and the processor power needed to decode, are also important when considering a codec.
The MPEG-1 codec is used for VCDs and contains the standard MP3, the most commonly used audio codec. Support for MPEG-1 is incredibly high, both among computers and consumer movie devices. The quality is very high, though not as high as MPEG-2,
and file-sizes for video are fairly large. The MP3 audio standard has
good compression through a number of codecs and is very popular as an
audio-encoding solution.
The MPEG-2 codec is an incredibly high-quality standard used for
DVDs. While the MPEG-1 codec allows for only progressive scanning,
MPEG-2 also supports interlacing, allowing for better display for its
size. While not the most advanced of the available video codecs, MPEG-2
is firmly entrenched because of its use as the standard for commercially
available DVDs.
The MPEG-4
codec is a step beyond the MPEG-2 codec. It has a number of significant
technical advancements and better compression techniques, can handle
both interlaced and progressive-scan video, and is widely supported. A
number of popular online codecs are derived from the MPEG-4 codec. These
include DivX, 3ivx and XviD. Each of these codecs has minor deviations
from the original MPEG-4 codec to give them better compression and
functionality in certain situations.
The Ogg Theora and Ogg Vorbis codecs are a pair of video and audio
codecs, respectively. These codecs have high-quality and good
compression, and are entirely free of patent
restrictions, making them popular amongst many developers. RealVideo
is a video codec designed specifically for streaming use online. While
many codecs can be streamed, RealVideo and its sister codec RealAudio
are particularly optimized for the PNA and Real Time Streaming
protocols.
There are literally hundreds of codecs used online, and everyone has
their own favorites for specific applications. Many programs, such as
Windows Media Player, have features integrated to automatically search for and download
the necessary codec to play a movie or audio file, eliminating the need
for a user to actively find codecs. A number of codec bundles are also
available for download, installing the most common audio and video
codecs all at once.
Download K-Lite Codec Pack 7.1.0 Full, Standard and Basic from the link below:
www.free-codecs.com/download_soft.php?d=6237&s=775
