Final answer:
In a digital video file, a codec is software that performs compression and decompression of digital media, with the intent to reduce file size or to enable playback and editing.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a digital video file, a codec is software that compresses and decompresses digital media. Compression reduces the size of video files so they can be more easily stored and transmitted, while decompression reverses this process, allowing the original content to be viewed or edited.
There are many types of codecs, and each one can be optimized for different purposes, such as improving quality or reducing file size. Two common categories of codecs are lossy and lossless. Lossy codecs reduce file size by eliminating some data permanently, which can affect the quality of the video, while lossless codecs compress without losing any original data, preserving quality but usually resulting in larger files.
In a digital video file, a codec is software that compresses and decompresses the video and audio data. It converts the raw data into a format that can be easily transmitted, stored, and played back.
Codecs use various algorithms to reduce the filesize without significantly affecting the quality of the video or audio. They achieve this by removing unnecessary information and optimizing the data for efficient storage and transmission.
Popular codecs include H.264, MPEG-4, and VP9, which are widely used in formats like MP4 and AVI.