Well, they’re basically just fancy algorithms that allow us to encode or decode data in different formats. And when we talk about DASH (which stands for Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP), these codecs come into play because they help us deliver high-quality video streams to our viewers without buffering or lagging.

Now, let’s dive a little deeper and look at some examples of how this works in practice. Let’s say we have a video file that needs to be streamed over the internet using DASH. To do this, we first need to encode the video into a format that can be easily transmitted over HTTP (which is what DASH uses).

One popular codec for encoding videos is HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), which allows us to compress our video files by up to 50% compared to traditional formats like MPEG-2 or AVC. This means that we can deliver the same quality video stream using less bandwidth, which is a huge advantage when it comes to streaming over the internet.

But here’s where things get interesting: DASH allows us to use multiple codecs and bitrates for our video streams, depending on the viewer’s device and network conditions. For example, we might have a high-quality version of our video encoded using HEVC at 1080p resolution with a bitrate of 5 Mbps, as well as a lower quality version encoded using AVC at 720p resolution with a bitrate of 3 Mbps.

When the viewer requests our video stream, DASH will automatically select the best codec and bitrate based on their device and network conditions. This means that they’ll get a high-quality streaming experience without any buffering or lagging, even if they have a slow internet connection. And because we can use multiple codecs and bitrates for our video streams, DASH is able to deliver the same quality video stream using less bandwidth than traditional formats like MPEG-2 or AVC.

It’s a pretty complex topic, but hopefully this explanation has helped make things clearer for you. And if you ever need any more help with coding or streaming video over the internet, don’t hesitate to reach out we’re always here to lend a hand!