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codec

noun
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co·​dec | \ ˈkō-ˌdek How to pronounce codec (audio) \

Definition of codec

: a device or software system that can digitize and often compress an audio or video signal for transmission (as over a telephone line) and convert an incoming signal to audio or video for reception To permit satellite communication through such a compact antenna, an electronic device called a voice coder-decoder—or codec—translates speech into a digital signal. — Discover

Examples of codec in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Further, Apple TV is getting support for the VP9 video codec, meaning Apple TV 4K owners will finally be able to watch 4K YouTube videos in that device's YouTube app. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "The Apple TV is getting 4K YouTube, and Macs are getting 4K HDR Netflix," 30 June 2020 And, most irritatingly, Apple refuses to support Google’s VP9 video codec, so there is literally no way to watch YouTube in 4K on the iPad Pro. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, "Apple iPad Pro review 2018: the fastest iPad is still an iPad," 5 Nov. 2018 People who are up on the latest Bluetooth technology will appreciate this turntable’s compatibility with aptX codec to give you better wireless sound. — Popular Science, "Turntables that may inspire you to start a record collection," 23 Jan. 2020 Google pushed its own VP8 codec as a more open alternative. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain," 10 June 2018 In order to pull off these new shooting modes, GoPro’s leveraging the new-school video codec, High-Efficiency Video Coding (aka H.265). — Brendan Nystedt, WIRED, "Review: GoPro Hero6 Black," 24 Oct. 2017 Previously, lossless quality of FLAC (free lossless audio codec) was available exclusively through Sonos. — Tatiana Tenreyro, Billboard, "Deezer Expanding and Rebranding High-Fidelity Offerings, Integrating With Voice Enabled Services," 30 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'codec.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of codec

1967, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for codec

coder + decoder

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Cite this Entry

“Codec.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codec. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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