# Bitstream format

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{{More sources needed|date=December 2009}}
A '''bitstream format''' is the format of the data found in a [stream](/source/stream_(computing)) of bits used in a [digital communication](/source/digital_communication) or [data storage](/source/data_storage_device) application.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Build software better, together |url=https://github.com/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>  The term typically refers to the data format of the output of an encoder, or the data format of the input to a decoder when using [data compression](/source/data_compression).

== {{Anchor|BIT-STREAM-DECODER}}Processing ==
{{Main|Stream processing}}

Standardized [interoperability](/source/interoperability) specifications such as the [video coding](/source/video_coding) standards produced by the [MPEG](/source/MPEG) and the [ITU-T](/source/ITU-T), and the audio coding standards produced by the MPEG, often specify only the [bitstream](/source/bitstream) format and the decoding process. This allows encoder implementations to use any methods whatsoever that produce bitstreams which conform to the specified bitstream format.{{clarifyme|reason=What else could the standards specify?|date=January 2012}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miles |first=Stephen |date=2021-11-28 |title=PCM Vs Bitstream: Pros and Cons |url=https://musicstudioinsights.com/pcm-vs-bitstream-pros-and-cons |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Music Studio Insights |language=en-us}}</ref>

Normally, decoding of a bitstream can be initiated without having to start from the beginning of a [file](/source/computer_file), or the beginning of the data transmission. Some bitstreams are designed for this to occur, for example by using indexes or [key frame](/source/key_frame)s.{{citation needed|reason=Probably should go in the bitstream article anyway|date=January 2012}}

Uses of ''bit stream decoders'' (BSD):
* [Graphics processing unit](/source/Graphics_processing_unit) (GPU)
* [H.264/MPEG-4 AVC](/source/H.264%2FMPEG-4_AVC)
* [Unified Video Decoder](/source/Unified_Video_Decoder) (UVD){{snd}} the video decoding bit-stream technology from ATI Technologies/AMD
* [PureVideo](/source/Nvidia_PureVideo){{snd}} the video decoding bit-stream technology from Nvidia
* [Quick Sync Video](/source/Intel_Quick_Sync_Video){{snd}} the video decoding and encoding bit-stream technology from Intel

==See also==
* [Elementary stream](/source/Elementary_stream)
* [Stream processing](/source/Stream_processing)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bitstream Format}}
Category:Data compression

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bitstream format](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitstream_format) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitstream_format?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.