Video Streaming Definitions

A glossary of video streaming, OTT, and broadcast technology terms explained by industry professionals.

ABR

In the context of video streaming, "ABR" stands for Adaptive Bitrate Streaming. ABR is a technique used to dynamically adjust the quality of a video s...

Addressable TV

Addressable TV refers to a form of targeted advertising that allows advertisers to deliver specific ads to individual households or devices while they...

AV1

AV1 is an open-source video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), a consortium of technology companies including Google, Apple, Am...

B-frames

A B-frame (bi-directional frame) is a type of frame used in video compression algorithms, such as H.264 (AVC) or H.265 (HEVC). B-frames play a crucial...

Buffering

Buffering in the context of video streaming refers to the process of preloading and temporarily storing a portion of the video content on the client d...

CAE

Content Adaptive Encoding (CAE) refers to the technique where the encoding parameters and strategies are dynamically adjusted based on the content bei...

CDN

CDN stands for Content Delivery Network. It is a distributed network of servers strategically placed across various geographic locations to efficientl...

Chunk

a chunk refers to a small, discrete portion of audio or video data that is typically transmitted and played back sequentially during the streaming pro...

CMCD

Common Media Client Data (CMCD) is a specification that allows streaming video players to share information about their playback environment and behav...

Codec

A codec is a software or hardware component that encodes and decodes digital multimedia data, such as audio and video. The term "codec" is a combinati...

Content Steering

Content steering, also known as content routing or traffic steering, is a technique used in content delivery networks (CDNs) to optimize the delivery ...

CP2A

C2PA, or Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, is a joint initiative aimed at creating technical standards for certifying the authenticit...

CTV

Connected TV (CTV) refers to any television set or device that is connected to the internet, enabling access to online content, streaming services, an...

DASH

DASH stands for Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP. It is a streaming protocol that allows for the adaptive delivery of multimedia content over the ...

DOOH

DOOH stands for Digital Out-of-Home, which refers to digital advertising and content displayed on digital screens or signage in public spaces. It is a...

DRM

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. It refers to a set of technologies, techniques, and protocols used to protect and manage digital content, su...

Encoder

In video streaming, an encoder and a transcoder are two different components involved in the process of preparing and delivering video content. Here's...

Encoding profile

An encoding profile, in the context of video encoding, refers to a set of parameters and settings that define how a video file is compressed and encod...

FAST

FAST, also known as Free Ad Supported TV, refers to a category of streaming channels or services that offer free access to content supported by advert...

GOP

GOP" stands for Group of Pictures. A GOP refers to a sequence of consecutive frames in a video stream that includes one keyframe (I-frame) followed by...

H.264

H.264, also known as AVC (Advanced Video Coding), is a widely used video compression standard that was jointly developed by the International Telecomm...

HbbTV

HbbTV is an open, industry-wide standard that combines traditional broadcast television with broadband internet services, delivering an interactive an...

HEVC

HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), also known as H.265, is a video compression standard developed by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (J...

HLS

HLS stands for HTTP Live Streaming. It is a streaming protocol developed by Apple Inc. for delivering live and on-demand video content over the intern...

HLS Interstitials

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) Interstitials are a feature introduced in 2021 by Apple that provides a simple way to schedule advertisements (such as prero...

HLS playlist type

In HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), the EXT-X-PLAYLIST-TYPE tag is used to declare the type of the playlist file. This tag has two possible values: VOD (Vid...

HLS tags

HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) tags are part of the protocol developed by Apple for use in their streaming services. They appear in HLS playlist files (als...

IDR

IDR stands for Instantaneous Decoder Refresh. IDR frames are a specific type of keyframe used in video compression standards like H.264 (AVC) or H.26...

Keyframe

In video streaming, a keyframe, also known as an "I-frame" (intra-frame), is a complete and self-contained frame that does not depend on any other fra...

Keyframe interval

A "keyframe interval" refers to the frequency at which keyframes (also known as I-frames) are inserted into a video stream. It determines the rate at ...

L4S

L4S stands for Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable throughput. It is a technology that significantly reduces latency in internet packet delivery, targetin...

LCEVC

LCEVC (Low Complexity Enhancement Video Coding) is a video codec technology developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). It is designed to en...

Live Shopping

Live shopping is a form of online shopping that involves live video content. The concept is similar to television shopping networks like QVC or HSN, b...

Low latency

Low latency refers to the minimized delay or time lag between the transmission of media content and its playback, resulting in near-real-time communic...

MABR

Multicast Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (mABR) is a technology used in video streaming that combines the principles of multicast streaming and adaptive b...

Manifest

A manifest is a file that provides essential information about the structure and metadata of the media content being streamed. The manifest file serve...

Manifest manipulation

Manifest manipulation, in the context of streaming, refers to the process of modifying or manipulating the manifest file associated with a streaming p...

MoQ

Media over QUIC (moq) is an initiative within the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) aimed at developing a streamlined and low-latency solution fo...

MPEG V3C

The MPEG Visual Volumetric Video-based Coding (V3C) standard is a specialized codec designed for the efficient coding and streaming of volumetric vide...

MSE

MSE stands for Media Source Extensions. It is an HTML5 specification that enables web browsers to stream media content, such as audio and video, direc...

Multivariant playlist

A multivariant playlist, also known as a variant playlist or master playlist, is a key component of adaptive bitrate streaming. It is a structured fil...

MV-HEVC

MV-HEVC stands for Multiview High Efficiency Video Coding. It's an extension of the standard High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) that allows for the e...

P-frames

A P-frame (predictive frame) is a type of frame used in video compression algorithms, such as H.264 (AVC) or H.265 (HEVC). P-frames play a crucial rol...

Playout

A "playout" (or play out) refers to the process of scheduling and delivering audio or video content for on-air transmission. It involves the sequencin...

POP

POP stands for Point of Presence. A POP refers to a physical location or network node where multiple networks, internet service providers (ISPs), or c...

PPV

In the context of video streaming, PPV stands for "Pay-Per-View." PPV is a model where viewers are required to pay a specific fee to access and watch ...

RTMP

Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) is a protocol developed by Macromedia (which is now Adobe) for the transmission of audio, video, and other data ov...

SCTE-35

SCTE-35 is a standard developed by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), now a part of the global industry association SCTE•ISBE...

Segment

A segment refers to a small, self-contained part of a video or audio stream. Segments are created by dividing the media content into shorter portions,...

SGAI

Server Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) is an advanced strategy for integrating advertisements into video streaming content, distinguished by its hybrid app...

Simulcasting

Simulcasting, also known as restreaming, is the practice of broadcasting the same live stream simultaneously across multiple platforms or channels. Fo...

Single-frame watermarking

Single-frame watermarking in videos refers to the process of embedding a watermark into individual frames of a video. A watermark is a piece of digita...

SRT

SRT stands for Secure Reliable Transport. It is an open-source video transport protocol and technology stack that optimizes streaming performance over...

SSAI

SSAI stands for Server-Side Ad Insertion. It is a technique used in streaming to seamlessly insert targeted advertisements into the video content at t...

Streaming protocol

A streaming protocol is a standardized method for delivering multimedia (audio and video) over the internet. These protocols define how data travels f...

Transcoder

Transcoder: In video streaming, a transcoder is responsible for converting video files from one format to another, often involving changes in encoding...

Transcoding Ladder

A transcoding ladder, in the context of video streaming, refers to a set of video files that are encoded at various quality levels or bitrates. Each f...

Transport

"Transport" refers to the method or protocol used to deliver audio, video, or other media data over a network from a streaming server to a client devi...

TV as a service

"TV as a Service" is a business model in which television content is provided as a service rather than a product. It's similar to other "as a Service"...

TVOD

TVOD stands for Transactional Video-On-Demand, which is a digital content distribution model used in the streaming industry. In TVOD, viewers can rent...

V-PCC

Video-based Point Cloud Compression (V-PCC) is a codec standard developed for the efficient compression and decompression of point cloud data. Point c...

VMVPD

vMVPD stands for Virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributor. It's a term used to describe streaming services that provide a bundle of televisi...

VOD2Live

VOD2Live and Live+VOD2Live refer to methods of content delivery that blend aspects of live and pre-recorded content. VOD2Live, or "Video on Demand ...

VPU

A Video Processing Unit (VPU) is a type of microprocessor that is designed specifically to handle video data and perform video processing tasks. Simil...

VVC

VVC stands for Versatile Video Coding, which is a video coding standard developed by the Joint Video Experts Team (JVET), a collaboration between the ...

WebRTC

WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a collection of open-source protocols and APIs that enables real-time communication, including audio and video...

WHIP

WebRTC HTTP Ingest Protocol (WHIP) is an application-level protocol that's used in the context of Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC). It's designed ...

Show More Definitions
Browse the blog →