What does a codec do in digital audio and video?

A codec is essential in digital audio and video as it performs the functions of compressing and decompressing data. Compression allows large media files to be reduced in size, making them easier to store and transmit without a significant loss in quality. When the compressed data needs to be played back or edited, the codec decompresses the file, restoring it to a format that can be understood and used by audio and video playback systems.

Compression is particularly important for streaming media, as it helps to ensure that data transmission is efficient and can fit within the bandwidth limits available. Without codecs, it would be challenging to manage the vast amounts of data generated by high-resolution audio and video content, leading to inefficiencies and potential delays in streaming or playback.

The other options relate to different aspects of audio and video processing. Transforming video signals into audio is not a role of a codec; instead, a codec works with both audio and video data but does not convert one into the other. Increasing resolution involves upscaling, which is a separate process that might occur after decoding. Storing media files is a function of storage devices and file systems rather than the codec itself, which focuses specifically on data processing. Thus, focusing on compression and decompression serves as a clear and