Glossary

Video hosting glossary

Clear definitions for 24 video hosting and streaming terms.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming

A technique that dynamically adjusts video quality during playback based on the viewer's network conditions.

DRM

Digital Rights Management is a set of technologies that control how video content is accessed, copied, and distributed.

H.264 vs H.265

A comparison of the two most widely used video codecs, where H.265 offers better compression at the cost of compatibility and encoding speed.

HLS Streaming

HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) is a protocol that breaks video into small chunks and delivers them over standard web infrastructure.

Iframe Embed

An HTML element that loads external content — like a video player — inside a web page, isolating it in its own browsing context.

MP4 vs WebM

A comparison of two video container formats, where MP4 offers universal compatibility and WebM provides royalty-free, web-optimized delivery.

MPEG-DASH

An adaptive bitrate streaming protocol that works similarly to HLS but is an open international standard rather than a proprietary format.

TUS Protocol

An open protocol for resumable file uploads that picks up where it left off if the connection drops.

Video Accessibility

Making video content usable by everyone, including people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities.

Video Analytics

The measurement of how viewers interact with video content, including plays, watch time, engagement, and drop-off points.

Video Bitrate

The amount of data processed per second of video, directly affecting both visual quality and file size.

Video CDN

A content delivery network optimized for video, distributing files across global servers so viewers load content from the nearest location.

Video Chaptering

Dividing a video into labeled sections so viewers can navigate directly to the content they need.

Video Codec

Software that compresses and decompresses video data, determining the tradeoff between file size, quality, and processing power.

Video Compression

The process of reducing video file size while preserving as much visual quality as possible.

Video Embedding

The practice of placing a video player on a web page so visitors can watch without leaving the site.

Video Hosting

A service that stores, processes, and delivers video files so they can be embedded and played anywhere on the web.

Video Latency

The delay between when a video frame is captured or sent and when it appears on the viewer's screen.

Video Resolution

The number of pixels in each frame of a video, determining the level of visual detail and sharpness.

Video SEO

The practice of optimizing video content so it ranks in search engines and drives organic traffic.

Video Thumbnails

A static preview image representing a video, displayed before playback begins to help viewers decide whether to click.

Video Transcoding

The process of converting a video file from one format, codec, or resolution into another so it can be played on different devices and connections.

Video Watermarking

The practice of embedding visible or invisible identifiers into video to deter piracy and trace unauthorized distribution.

WebRTC

A browser technology that enables real-time audio, video, and data communication directly between users without plugins.