codec

Acronym for coder-decoder. 1. An assembly consisting of an encoder and a decoder in one piece of equipment. 2. A circuit that converts analog signals to digital code and vice versa. 3. An electronic device that converts analog signals, such as video and voice signals, into digital form and compresses them to conserve bandwidth on a transmission path. Note: Codecs in this sense are used in this sense for video conferencing systems.