What is video encoding?
Video encoding is the process of compressing raw video into a format suitable for streaming or storage. Raw video files are extremely large — encoding reduces their size by removing redundant information while maintaining acceptable quality.
Common video codecs
- H.264 (AVC): The most widely supported codec, used by most streaming services
- H.265 (HEVC): Offers 50% better compression than H.264 at the same quality
- VP9: Google's open-source codec, used by YouTube
- AV1: A royalty-free codec offering excellent compression
Adaptive bitrate streaming
Adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR) encodes video at multiple quality levels. The player automatically switches between quality levels based on the viewer's Internet speed, ensuring smooth playback without buffering.