Главная ⇒ 💡Articles ⇒ What is a codec


What is a codec

What is a codec?
A codec is software that is used to compress or decompress a digital media file, such as a song or video. Windows Media Player and other programs use codecs to play and create digital media files.
A codec can consist of two components: an encoder and a decoder. The encoder performs the compression (encoding) function and the decoder performs the decompression (decoding) function. Some codecs include both of these components and some codecs only include one of them.
For example, when you rip a song from an audio CD to your computer, the Player uses Window Media Audio codec by default to compress the song into a compact WMA file. When you play the WMA file (or any WMA file that might be streamed from a website), the Player uses the Windows Media Audio codec to decompress the file so the music can be played through your speakers.
There are hundreds of audio and video codecs in use today. Some have been created by Microsoft, but the vast majority of codecs have been created by other companies, organizations, or individuals. By default, the Windows operating system and the Player include a number of the most popular codecs, such as Windows Media Audio, Windows Media Video, and MP3.
There might be times, however, when you want to play content that was compressed with a codec that Windows or the Player doesn’t include by default. In many cases, you can download the necessary codec from the web for free or for a fee. And, in some cases, the Player can automatically use the codecs installed by other digital playback and creation programs on your computer.
If you know the name of the codec or its ID (known as a FourCC identifier for video codecs or a WaveFormat identifier for audio codecs), try searching the Internet. You can often go to a codec manufacturer’s website to download the most recent version of a codec.


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)


Похожие топики по английскому:

  1. Esquire. what i’ve learned: homer simpson When someone tells you your butt is on fire, you should take them at their word. There is no such thing as a bad doughnut....

  2. Playboy interview: stanley kubrick By Eric Norden Published September 01, 1968 “I will say that the God concept is at the heart of 2001, but not any traditional image...

  3. John grisham. the runaway jury The Runaway Jury John Grisham One The face of Nicholas Easter was slightly hidden by a display rack filled with slim cordless phones, and he...

  4. Lost in las vegas The New York Times February 4, 2011 Lost in Las Vegas By MATT GROSS THE minute I walked into the steakhouse, I knew I was...

  5. At the restaurant (from “a thing of beauty” by a. j. cronin) Archibald Joseph Cronin was born in 1896. In 1919 he graduated from Glasgow University where he took a medical course. After that he practised medicine...

  6. Body language of a liar The clue to body language of a liar is in his automatic gestures that are not under his control. When interpreting body language of a...

  7. Star trek – heavy lies the crown Do you remember the episode last June called To Boldly Go…? It was about a group of dedicated Star Trek fans who were making their...

  8. John grisham. the last juror The Last Juror John Grisham PART ONE CHAPTER 1 After decades of patient mismanagement and loving neglect, The Ford County Times went bankrupt in 1970....

  9. Data and processes in computing Introduction This unit provides an introduction to data and processes in software, and provides a basis that enables these fundamental ideas to be developed in...

  10. Esquire’s 70 greatest sentences Esquire’s 70 Greatest Sentences Seventy lines that sparkle, invoke, provoke, or are just damn enjoyable to read. Now he would never write the things that...

  11. John grisham. a time to kill. part 1 A Time to Kill John Grisham Billy Ray Cobb was the younger and smaller of the two rednecks. At twenty-three he was already a three-year...

  12. “the murder of roger ackroyd”, agatha christie.(chapter 1) Chapter 1. Dr Sheppard at the Breakfast Table Mrs Ferrars died on the night of the 16th17th September – a Thursday. I was sent for...

  13. How michael portillo became a single mum I always thought of Michael Portillo, the polician, as an arrogant and self-important man, but in this programme, Portillo comes across as being very different....

  14. Steve pavlina “self-discipline” Self-Discipline This week I’ll be blogging a series on self-discipline. New posts on this topic will appear every day Mon-Fri. I’ve also added a new...

  15. Good advices OLD telephone directories make ideal personal address books. Simply cross out the names and address of people you don’t know. FOOL other drivers into thinking...

  16. Transportation For any business, the cost of transportation is normally the largest single Item in the overall cost of physical distribution. It doesn’t necessarily Follow, though,...

  17. Stephen king – christine part i Stephen King Christine AUTHOR’s NOTE: Lyrics quotes in this book are assigned to the singer (or singers, or group) most commonly associated with them. This...

  18. Pakistan braces for more revenge attacks Pakistan braces for more revenge attacks 3/05 15:15 CET Pakistan has felt the first outburst of revenge from its domestic branch of al Qaeda, which...

  19. The husband Sharon Clark will never forget the day she met Giovanni Vigliotto. She was working in Indiana, as the manager of a large flea market. Early...

  20. Slang – are you in or out Traditional interest in the variety of language called ‘slang’ and the usage of this variety has been highly prescriptive, something that budding linguists are always...


What is a codec