Final answer:
Lossy compression is common for networked AV applications because it reduces file sizes significantly while maintaining a reasonable level of quality, making it suitable for streaming and real-time communications over bandwidth-limited networks.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lossy compression is common for networked AV applications, such as streaming media and IP telephony. Lossy compression techniques reduce file sizes by removing less significant information, which can lead to a decrease in quality. This form of compression is essential in applications where bandwidth is limited, and real-time data transmission is crucial. Examples of lossy compression formats include JPEG for images, MP3 for audio, and MPEG-4 for video.
These compression standards are widely adopted because they balance the need for quality with the need for efficient transmission over networks. While lossless compression can also be used for AV applications, it typically does not reduce file sizes as significantly as lossy compression, making it less practical for streaming or real-time communications where speed and bandwidth efficiency are more important than achieving perfect fidelity to the original source.