A codec is a tool or laptop program that encodes or decodes a digital knowledge stream or sign. The time period is a portmanteau of coder-decoder. Codecs may be both {hardware} or software program, they usually can be utilized for a wide range of functions, together with audio and video compression, encryption, and error correction.
Codecs are important for the transmission and storage of digital knowledge. They permit knowledge to be compressed, which reduces the quantity of space for storing or bandwidth required. Codecs additionally permit knowledge to be encrypted, which protects it from unauthorized entry. Moreover, codecs can be utilized to appropriate errors that happen throughout knowledge transmission.