What Is A Codec
Running Time: 20 Minutes
Description: This is about as technical as it gets! A Codec’s is the software built into your computer that COMPRESSES your raw audio files when you encode them and then DECOMPRESSES the audio file when your customers play your audio files with.
For example if you use RealNetworks Helix Producer Basic, you will be encoding your raw file with Real Networks Version 9 CODEC.
When your customer listens to the audio file with the RealONE player, the RealONE player DECOMPRESSES the audio file and the customer hears your audio. The bottom line is that your customer’s machine must have a player that has the “same CODEC installed” as the one that you encoded it on. The current version of RealOne’s Codec is Version 9. If your customer has an older version of the Real Player they won’t be able to listen to your file because the version 9 codec isn’t installed.
To fix this problem, media player software has the ability to download new CODEC’s as they become available. You shouldn’t have to worry about updating your customer’s media player software.
Today, you might run into problems when your customer’s media player doesn’t support the CODEC you encoded with. A good example is people who only have the Windows Media Player installed on their machines. If you send them an Apple QuickTime .mov file, they can’t play it. If you send them a Real .rm file they can’t play it. Microsoft only wants you to use their Windows Media CODEC.
Before you decide on how you are going to encode your files, do some with your potential customers and find out which players they have installed and if they are able to use an alternative player if they need to.
Of all the media players, RealONE is the most flexible. The Realnetworks strategy is “play every CODEC”. If you have RealONE installed you can watch QuickTime and Windows media files and all of the latest Real Codecs.
Resource Links:
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Windows Media CODEC’s.
: Whiteboard and Audio Session
