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Codec

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This article is about encoding and decoding a digital data stream. For other uses, see Codec (disambiguation).

Further information: List of codecs and Video codecs

A codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding or decoding a digital data stream or signal.[1][2][3][4] The word codec is a portmanteau of "coder-decoder" or, less commonly, "compressor-decompressor". A codec (the program) should not be confused with a coding or compression format or standard – a format is a document (the standard), a way of storing data, while a codec is a program (an implementation) which can read or write such files. In practice, however, "codec" is sometimes used loosely to refer to formats.

A codec encodes a data stream or signal for transmission, storage or encryption, or decodes it for playback or editing. Codecs are used in videoconferencing, streaming media and video editing applications. A video camera's analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts its analog signals into digital signals, which are then passed through a video compressor for digital transmission or storage. A receiving device then runs the signal through a video decompressor, then a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for analog display. The term codec is also used as a generic name for a videoconferencing unit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec