How does compression affect video files?

Compression is a process applied to video files to reduce their size by removing redundant or unnecessary data while preserving as much of the important visual and audio information as possible. This is crucial for the efficient storage and transmission of video content, especially given that high-resolution video files can be very large and difficult to manage. By reducing the file size, compression allows for faster upload and download times, easier streaming, and more efficient use of storage resources without significantly sacrificing quality.

Through various methods, such as lossy and lossless compression, data that does not significantly contribute to the viewer's experience can be eliminated. For example, in lossy compression, data that the human eye may not easily perceive is often targeted, allowing for a much smaller file size at the cost of some quality. This fundamental principle of how compression operates makes it indispensable in video processing and broadcasting, specifically in the context of modern media consumption where bandwidth and storage are considerations.