Streaming Terminology: 25 Terms Explained in Plain English
Every hobby has its jargon wall. Here’s streaming’s, dismantled — the 25 terms you’ll actually meet, grouped by where you’ll meet them.
Video quality terms
- Resolution — the pixel count: 720p (HD), 1080p (Full HD), 2160p (4K/UHD). More pixels, sharper image — see 4K streaming explained.
- Bitrate — data per second of video, in Mbps. The real quality lever: a high-bitrate 1080p stream beats a starved 4K one.
- Codec — the compression format. H.264 plays everywhere; HEVC (H.265) and AV1 deliver the same quality in roughly half the data but need newer devices.
- HDR / Dolby Vision — brighter highlights and richer color, often more visible than the jump to 4K.
- Frame rate — images per second: 24–30fps for shows and movies, 50–60fps for sports, where smoothness matters most.
- Transcoding — converting one stream into several qualities so viewers on different connections each get a version they can handle.
- ABR (adaptive bitrate) — the auto-switcher that drops you to a softer picture instead of buffering when bandwidth dips.
Delivery terms
- OTT — “over-the-top”: video apps riding over any internet connection.
- IPTV — live TV channels over internet protocol — full explainer in What is IPTV.
- CDN — the network of distributed servers that carries streams close to viewers so millions can watch at once.
- Latency — the delay between real life and your screen — covered in depth in streaming latency explained.
- Buffering — playback pausing to wait for data; causes and fixes in the network hub.
- Multicast/Unicast — one-to-many vs one-to-one delivery; why ISP TV boxes are rock-solid and internet streams need CDNs.
Live TV & IPTV terms
- EPG — the electronic program guide; how it works and breaks.
- M3U playlist — the channel-list file player apps load; explained here.
- Xtream Codes — the server/username/password login format most IPTV apps accept; explained here.
- Catch-up — replaying the last few days of a channel’s schedule.
- VOD — video on demand: a stored library rather than a live schedule.
- PPV — pay-per-view: one-off purchases for big events.
Device & app terms
- Player app — neutral software (like TiviMate or VLC) that plays streams it’s pointed at.
- Sideloading — installing an app from outside the official store; standard on Fire TV, covered in our device guides.
- Casting — sending video from your phone to the TV (Chromecast, AirPlay).
- DRM — the copy-protection layer (Widevine, FairPlay) that decides what quality your device is allowed to receive.
- Geo-blocking — restricting content by location, and the reason VPNs come up in streaming.
- Simultaneous connections — how many screens one subscription can play at once; the fine print that catches families out.
Bookmark this page — every guide on the site links back here when a term needs unpacking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between OTT and IPTV?
Both deliver video over the internet. OTT (over-the-top) usually means on-demand apps like Netflix that ride 'over' any internet connection; IPTV usually means live TV channels delivered over IP. In everyday use the line is blurry — live TV apps are technically both.
What is a codec, in one sentence?
A codec is the compression method that shrinks video for transmission and unpacks it for playback — H.264 is the universal standard, HEVC (H.265) and AV1 are newer and more efficient but need newer hardware.
Do I need to know these terms to stream?
For mainstream apps, no. They matter the moment something breaks (buffering, error codes) or when you evaluate services and devices — spec sheets and support answers assume you know them.
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