A codec is a piece of software on either a device or computer capable of encoding and/or decoding video and/or audio data from files, streams and broadcasts. The word Codec is a portmanteau of 'compressor-decompressor'
I have a video for which I'd like to convert the audio codec to AAC 320 kbps / 44.100 kHz. What would I use for ffmpeg switches such that all the video settings and codec remain the same, but only the audio codec and settings change?
In electronic communications, an endec is a device that acts as both an encoder and a decoder on a signal or data stream,[5] and hence is a type of codec. Endec is a portmanteau of encoder/decoder.
A coder or encoder encodes a data stream or a signal for transmission or storage, possibly in encrypted form, and the decoder function reverses the encoding for playback or editing. Codecs are used in videoconferencing, streaming media, and video editing applications.
In the mid-20th century, a codec was a device that coded analog signals into digital form using pulse-code modulation (PCM). Later, the name was also applied to software for converting between digital signal formats, including companding functions.
An audio codec converts analog audio signals into digital signals for transmission or encodes them for storage. A receiving device converts the digital signals back to analog form using an audio decoder for playback. An example of this is the codecs used in the sound cards of personal computers. A video codec accomplishes the same task for video signals.
In addition to encoding a signal, a codec may also compress the data to reduce transmission bandwidth or storage space. Compression codecs are classified primarily into lossy codecs and lossless codecs.
Lossless codecs are often used for archiving data in compressed form while retaining all information present in the original stream. If preserving the original quality of the stream is more important than eliminating the correspondingly larger data sizes, lossless codecs are preferred. This is especially true if the data is to undergo further processing (for example, editing) in which case the repeated application of processing (encoding and decoding) on lossy codecs will degrade the quality of the resulting data such that it is no longer identifiable (visually, audibly, or both). Using more than one codec or encoding scheme successively can also degrade quality significantly. The decreasing cost of storage capacity and network bandwidth has a tendency to reduce the need for lossy codecs for some media.
Many popular codecs are lossy. They reduce quality in order to maximize compression. Often, this type of compression is virtually indistinguishable from the original uncompressed sound or images, depending on the codec and the settings used.[7] The most widely used lossy data compression technique in digital media is based on the discrete cosine transform (DCT), used in compression standards such as JPEG images, H.26x and MPEG video, and MP3 and AAC audio. Smaller data sets ease the strain on relatively expensive storage sub-systems such as non-volatile memory and hard disk, as well as write-once-read-many formats such as CD-ROM, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc. Lower data rates also reduce cost and improve performance when the data is transmitted, e.g., over the internet.
Two principal techniques are used in codecs, pulse-code modulation and delta modulation. Codecs are often designed to emphasize certain aspects of the media to be encoded. For example, a digital video (using a DV codec) of a sports event needs to encode motion well but not necessarily exact colors, while a video of an art exhibit needs to encode color and surface texture well.
Audio codecs for cell phones need to have very low latency between source encoding and playback. In contrast, audio codecs for recording or broadcasting can use high-latency audio compression techniques to achieve higher fidelity at a lower bit rate.
There are thousands of audio and video codecs, ranging in cost from free to hundreds of dollars or more. This variety of codecs can create compatibility and obsolescence issues. The impact is lessened for older formats, for which free or nearly-free codecs have existed for a long time. The older formats are often ill-suited to modern applications, however, such as playback on small portable devices. For example, raw uncompressed PCM audio (44.1 kHz, 16-bit stereo, as represented on an audio CD or in a .wav or .aiff file) has long been a standard across multiple platforms, but its transmission over networks is slow and expensive compared with more modern compressed formats, such as Opus and MP3.
Many multimedia data streams contain both audio and video, and often some metadata that permits synchronization of audio and video. Each of these three streams may be handled by different programs, processes, or hardware; but for the multimedia data streams to be useful in stored or transmitted form, they must be encapsulated together in a container format.
Lower bitrate codecs allow more users, but they also have more distortion. Beyond the initial increase in distortion, lower bit rate codecs also achieve their lower bit rates by using more complex algorithms that make certain assumptions, such as those about the media and the packet loss rate. Other codecs may not make those same assumptions. When a user with a low bitrate codec talks to a user with another codec, additional distortion is introduced by each transcoding.
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) is sometimes erroneously described as a codec, but AVI is actually a container format, while a codec is a software or hardware tool that encodes or decodes audio or video into or from some audio or video format. Audio and video encoded with many codecs might be put into an AVI container, although AVI is not an ISO standard. There are also other well-known container formats, such as Ogg, ASF, QuickTime, RealMedia, Matroska, and DivX Media Format. MPEG transport stream, MPEG program stream, MP4, and ISO base media file format are examples of container formats that are ISO standardized.
WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is an efficient video/audio transcoding program with full codec support. It can easily play and convert all videos and music to Windows-compatible formats for smooth playback with no issues. If you feel getting codecs for Windows Media Player is not suitable for your case, this codec converter will be a better way to go.
If you want to install a particular codec for playing a file on Windows Media Player, you need first know the exactly missing codec, which usually requires the help of third-party detector software (MediaInfo, VideoInspector, and Codec Installer are good options. They can read the video information, check the video/audio codec, and even direct you to the sources where you can download the missing codec). Meanwhile, here is a way you may also give a try without asking for help from these tools:
Step 1. Add the video in the video library of Windows Media Player, under the Videos section, right click on the video, select Properties. You should see the video/audio codec on the new Properties dialog. However, if there is no specified codec information, you still need to switch to a third-party tool that can supply the file information.
Step 2. To make sure that the problem is due to the missing codec, you may further check whether Windows Media Player includes the video or audio codec the file uses. For this, click on Help on the top menu bar of Windows Media Player, select About Windows Media Player, then Technical Support Information.
Due to different scenarios, the way above to check out the missing codec would not always workable. Therefore, by comparison, we strongly recommend that you update the Windows Media Player codec packs or install an all-round codec pack that contains most codecs, as the parts below show.
WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro can read data information in a wide range of video/audio formats. You can use it to view video or audio codec, bit rate, resolution, aspect ratio, frame ratio, sample rate, etc. Meanwhile, it can convert files to be compatible with the player for easy viewing without installing Windows Media Player codecs.
We have summarized all the practical methods of updating, installing and finding downloadable codecs for Windows Media Player. These methods are well tested and effective in most cases. Go and try them.
This software is not just for video conversion or file information viewing. It is a piece of multiple-purpose video process software containing five core functions that enable you to convert, download, edit, make, record videos and achieve more other tasks. A good selection of gadgets in this software will facilitate your digital life.
I have several videos that the audio doesn't work and usually it's because the audio in them is mp3 instead of ACC. Does Apple or another have a "codec pack" for an all-in-one audio resource solution? (something similar to K-Lite for Windows)
A part of the program which understands a type of video or audio (short for Coder/Decoder or Compression/Decompression). DivX and Theora are examples of video codecs; MP3 and Vorbis are audio codecs. The output stream produced when a codec to audio or video is generally "muxed" into a container format, such as AVI or Ogg. As certain codecs are often associated with certain container formats, the name of the container is often used to imply the codec, such as "Ogg", which usually refers to a Vorbis stream in an Ogg container.
There are many open source tools out there for editing, tweaking, and converting multimedia into exactly what you need. Tools like Audacity or Handbrake are fantastic, but sometimes you just want to change a file from one format into another quickly. Enter FFmpeg.
FFmpeg is a collection of different projects for handling multimedia files. It's often used behind the scenes in many other media-related projects. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with the Moving Picture Experts Group or the myriad multimedia formats it has created.
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