Encoding Streaming Media Files Encoding is strongly recommended, but not absolutely necessary, for playback of high-quality streaming media.
Encoding is the compression of normal sound or video files.
This process both shrinks files and allows for more efficient streaming. Different codecs optimize encoding for different bandwidths. Both RealPlayer and the QuickTime Player will play back a wide variety of unencoded media files, but keep in mind that most unencoded media files are huge and will stream painfully slowly. Encoding is simple because it is automated, but the process takes time and ties up your computer for the duration. To encode long audio or video files, you may want to consider setting up the program to run overnight.