Plain-English explanations of video and image engineering concepts.https://mediacodec.dev/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/alpha-in-video/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/alpha-in-video/Which video codecs can carry an alpha channel, why MP4 usually cannot, and the tricks used when it cannot.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/aspect-ratio-sar-dar/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/aspect-ratio-sar-dar/Why a video plays stretched in one player and correct in another, and what the three aspect ratios in every file actually mean.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/audio-codecs/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/audio-codecs/Which audio codec to use for video, for the web and for archives, and what bitrate is actually enough.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/bit-depth-and-banding/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/bit-depth-and-banding/Why 8-bit video bands in skies and gradients, and why encoding in 10-bit helps even when the source and the screen are both 8-bit.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/frame-types/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/frame-types/The three kinds of frame every video codec uses, why B-frames save so much, and what they cost you in latency and seeking.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/hardware-vs-software-encoding/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/hardware-vs-software-encoding/Why NVENC is twenty times faster than x264 and still makes bigger files, and how to choose between them.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/hdr-video/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/hdr-video/What HDR actually changes in the signal, why HDR content looks grey on SDR screens, and which of the four formats you need.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/low-latency-streaming/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/low-latency-streaming/Where the seconds of delay in a live stream actually come from, and what LL-HLS, CMAF and WebRTC each buy you.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/profiles-and-levels/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/profiles-and-levels/Why a valid H.264 file refuses to play on a TV, and what profile, level and tier actually constrain.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/subtitles-and-captions/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/subtitles-and-captions/Soft subs, hard subs and burned-in text: which format survives which container, and when to give up and render the words into the pixels.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/video-quality-metrics/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/video-quality-metrics/What each quality metric actually measures, why PSNR misleads, and how to use VMAF without fooling yourself.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/browser-vs-ffmpeg/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/browser-vs-ffmpeg/A capability map of browser-native video processing in 2026: what WebCodecs genuinely replaces, what still needs FFmpeg, and where the line actually sits.Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/adaptive-bitrate-streaming/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/adaptive-bitrate-streaming/How one video becomes dozens of files, why keyframe placement decides whether it works, and what HLS and DASH actually differ on now.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/choosing-an-image-format/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/choosing-an-image-format/What each format is genuinely good at, what browsers really support in 2026, and a delivery decision that survives contact with production.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/colour-spaces-and-washed-out-video/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/colour-spaces-and-washed-out-video/Rec.709, limited vs full range, and the tagging mistakes that drain the contrast out of an export without touching a pixel.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/containers-vs-codecs/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/containers-vs-codecs/Why .mp4 tells you almost nothing about a file, which codec goes in which container, and why changing container is usually free.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/rate-control-modes/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/rate-control-modes/The four ways to tell an encoder how many bits to spend, what each one guarantees, and which job each belongs in.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/chroma-subsampling/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/chroma-subsampling/Why video throws away three quarters of its colour information, why you almost never notice, and when you absolutely do.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/keyframes-and-gop/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/keyframes-and-gop/I, P and B frames, what a Group of Pictures is, and why keyframe placement decides how your video seeks, streams and cuts.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://mediacodec.dev/wiki/understanding-crf/https://mediacodec.dev/wiki/understanding-crf/What Constant Rate Factor actually does, why it beats fixed bitrates for files, and what the numbers mean in x264, x265, VP9 and AV1.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT