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What does “bitstream freeze” means in the context of video and audio codecs?
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In the context of video and audio codecs, “bitstream freeze” refers to a point in the development process of a codec where the bitstream format and syntax are finalized and no further changes are allowed. Once the bitstream freeze is implemented, any changes made to the codec must be backward compatible with the existing bitstream format.
The bitstream is the sequence of bits that represents the encoded video or audio data. It contains all the information needed to decode the data and play it back. The bitstream format and syntax are defined by the codec and determine how the encoded data is represented in the bitstream.
Freezing the bitstream is an important step in the codec development process because it ensures interoperability between different implementations of the codec. Once the bitstream format and syntax are frozen, codec implementers can create their own decoders that conform to the specification, and users can be confident that their encoded data will be compatible with any compliant decoder.
In summary, “bitstream freeze” refers to the point in the development process of a codec where the bitstream format and syntax are finalized, and any further changes must be backward compatible with the existing bitstream format to ensure interoperability between different implementations of the codec.