Codec
The term codec is an acronym for coder/decoder, and is commonly referred to when working with data conversion and compression. Codecs encode a stream or signal for transmission, storage or encryption and decode it for viewing or editing. A codec is usually a program that encodes and decodes (compresses and decompresses) a digital data stream or signal. A codec enables an operationg system or pgoram to properly play audio or video in a particular format. DiVX and MPEG are examples of video codecs (unlike AVI, which is actually a "container" format used by other codecs, but not a codec itself).
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