Every live stream you watch depends on a codec. Without one, delivering video over the internet would be practically impossible. Codecs sit at the core of every streaming pipeline — from WebRTC real-time broadcasts to HLS delivery at scale.
That’s why understanding codecs matters. A codec is a software or hardware algorithm that compresses digital media for transmission and decompresses it for playback. The right codec determines your stream quality, your bandwidth cost, and your viewers’ experience. Choose the wrong one and you’re either burning bandwidth or sacrificing quality you can’t get back.
Ant Media Server supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP8, VP9, and AV1 video codecs alongside Opus and AAC audio — covering every major streaming protocol in production use today. But knowing which codec to use for which use case is where most teams get stuck.
This guide walks through what codecs are, how they work, the types available, and how to pick the right one for your streaming goals.
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