Nov 05 2008
Codecs Explained
A codec is short for Compressor-DeCompressor which is basically a program that is capable of encoding/decoding digital media in the form of audio and video. Most music and videos and highly compressed so they are smaller file sizes that can be easily and quickly transferred over the Internet.
Examples of audio compressions are MP3, WMA and OGG. Examples of video compressions are DivX, XviD, ASF and WMV. To playback on a computer these type of files you will need a specific codec that can decompress the file.
It gets really confusing because their are many many types of compressions and codecs that are used today. If you know the type of compression used on a file, a quick Google search will lead you in the right direction for the appropriate codec that is needed. Without the appropriate codec you will be unable to hear and/or see the music/video.
