Compression is the hidden infrastructure behind streaming
This article discusses the fundamental role of data compression in modern civilization, detailing how lossless and lossy algorithms (including H.264, HEVC, AV1) reduce data size while preserving information. It highlights compression's impact on global streaming, cloud computing, and mobile internet, noting the increasing reliance on AI and machine learning for future codecs.
Key Takeaways
- Lossless compression dates back to Huffman coding and Lempel-Ziv, and still powers ZIP files and PNG images.
- Lossy compression in MPEG, JPEG, and MP3 discards data humans are unlikely to notice to reduce bandwidth.
- H.264, HEVC, AV1, and AAC use DCT, motion vector prediction, temporal redundancy elimination, quantization, entropy encoding, and perceptual modeling.
- A raw uncompressed 4K video stream may exceed 12 Gbps; modern compression can bring it under 20 Mbps.
- The post says modern compression now supports IPTV, satellite television, global streaming, cloud computing, mobile internet, video conferencing, social media, remote work, and AI dataset storage and transport.
Why It Matters
For streaming operators, compression is not an abstract theory topic; it is the difference between a 12 Gbps raw 4K signal and something that can move at under 20 Mbps. The post ties that efficiency directly to global streaming, cloud computing, mobile internet viability, and video conferencing, which makes codec choice a core infrastructure decision rather than a backend detail. It also points to AI and machine learning as a path for future codecs, including neural and partially generative systems. The concrete thing to watch is whether future codec work shifts from pixel or sample encoding toward neural prediction and reconstruction.
Read full article at linkedin.com
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