Different encoders are available for storing digital data, with specialized encoders being the best for certain types of data. An encoder combines a compression algorithm with a program to form a complete program. Image encoders and general archiving encoders are available, as well as specialized encoders for streaming video, audio tracks, and 3D data. Choosing the best encoder depends on the cost and features.
There are many encoders available for storing digital data. While there are general purpose encoders that implement different compression algorithms, the best encoder is specifically designed to compress certain types of data. This is because some algorithms are better suited for particular uses, and the encoder used can be optimized to work faster, more efficiently, and provide targeted functionality than simply compressing anonymous data. Encoders specializing in general storage of arbitrary files are regularly used, although some of these files already use complex encoding schemes, so the extra compression may actually increase the file size instead of reducing it.
An encoder is computer software that combines two other pieces of software, or computer libraries, to form a complete program. The first is the compression algorithm, which is the actual formula used to take digital data and convert it into a smaller file than the original. The algorithm is wrapped up in a program that can be built into an operating system called a compress-decompressor, or codec, which is the implementation of the compression scheme. A software encoder provides a usable interface that can call the codec to convert the data into the format specified by the algorithm so that it can be decompressed later or stored in a small amount of space.
Some of the most used encoders deal mainly with images. Depending on the depth of functionality required, the best image encoder for some people will have a simple interface and support multiple file formats so that images can be converted to whatever type another program needs. Some image encoders also include alternative implementations of standard algorithms, providing better quality for slightly larger file sizes or maximum compression with some loss of image resolution.
For general archiving, there are different types of encoding software with different features. In case you need to compress a large amount of files, there are encoders optimized with only one powerful algorithm that can achieve incredibly high compression rates, at the expense of speed and lack of portability to other encoding software. Alternatively, there are encoding programs that will compress multiple files and create an easily usable self-extracting file that results in a larger file size but adds portability and an easy way to reproduce a file tree or directory structure effortlessly.
There are many other specialized encoders, including those for rapidly compressing streaming video, audio tracks, or three-dimensional (3D) data. Each of these requires a special codec and, in some cases, external support hardware. These types of encoders can include free versions as well as their professional counterparts that have become industry standards, so choosing the best one will be a matter of weighing the cost of the software against the features that come with it.
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