Final answer:
The codec is a method used for compressing and decompressing media files like images and videos to reduce their size for storage and efficient playback, with JPEG being a common example for images.
Step-by-step explanation:
The codec is a method of compressing and decompressing media clip data. When we talk about compression, we refer to the process of reducing the size of a file by eliminating certain pieces of information. In the case of images, such as with JPEG compression, the algorithm looks at the colors of pixels nearby each other and decides which ones are essential to keep.
Unnecessary colors are then discarded, leading to a smaller file size but also a potential loss in quality. The act of compression and decompression of media files is important for storage and playback efficiency on digital devices. However, it's important to balance the level of compression to maintain an acceptable quality of the photo.