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Video Glossary

All video streaming terms explained clearly, from HLS to transcoding.

A

Streaming

ABR

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming

A technique that automatically adjusts video quality in real time based on the viewer's bandwidth and device capabilities, preventing buffering.

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B

Codec & Encoding

Bitrate

Video Bitrate

The amount of data processed per second in a video stream, measured in Mbps or kbps. Higher bitrate generally means better quality but larger file sizes.

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C

Infrastructure

CDN

Content Delivery Network

A distributed network of servers that caches and delivers video content from locations close to viewers, reducing latency and buffering.

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Codec & Encoding

Codec

Coder-Decoder

Software that compresses (encodes) and decompresses (decodes) video data, balancing file size and visual quality. Common codecs include H.264, H.265, VP9, and AV1.

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D

Platform

DRM

Digital Rights Management

Technology that protects video content from unauthorized copying and redistribution using encryption and license-based access control.

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E

Codec & Encoding

Encoding Profile

Streaming Encoding Profile

A pre-configured set of encoding parameters — codecs, resolutions, bitrates, and audio settings — that determines how a video is transcoded for adaptive streaming delivery.

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H

Streaming

HLS

HTTP Live Streaming

Apple's adaptive streaming protocol that delivers video in small segments over HTTP, enabling smooth playback across devices and network conditions.

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O

Platform

OTT

Over-The-Top

Content delivered directly to viewers via the internet, bypassing traditional cable or satellite TV distributors.

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T

Codec & Encoding

Transcoding

Video Transcoding

The process of converting a video file from one format, codec, or resolution to another, enabling playback across different devices and network conditions.

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V

Platform

VOD

Video on Demand

A distribution model where viewers choose what to watch and when, as opposed to live broadcast or linear TV schedules.

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W

Streaming

WebRTC

Web Real-Time Communication

An open standard enabling real-time audio, video, and data communication directly between browsers without plugins, used for ultra-low-latency live streaming.

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No terms found.