This is a plain-English A–Z glossary of the streaming terms you’ll actually meet — from adaptive bitrate and codecs to HDR, HDCP, IPTV and VPN. Each term is defined in a sentence or two you can understand on its own, with a link to a full guide where one exists. Use it as a quick reference: skim to the letter you need, or search the page for a specific word.
How to use this glossary: each term links to a full guide where we have one. For a printable quick-reference of specs and fixes instead, see the streaming cheat sheet.
A
- Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) — a technique that prepares a video at several quality levels and switches between them in real time based on your connection, so it dips in quality instead of freezing.
- Android TV — Google’s app-focused streaming platform, found on many TVs and boxes, using the Google Play Store.
- APK — Android Package Kit, the installer file for an Android app; used when you sideload an app outside the official store.
- AV1 — a modern, royalty-free video codec that is more efficient than H.265, used by YouTube and Netflix on capable devices.
B
- Bandwidth — the maximum data your connection can carry per second; more bandwidth allows higher-quality streams and more simultaneous viewers.
- Bitrate — the amount of data a video uses per second, in Mbps; higher bitrate carries more detail but needs more bandwidth.
- Buffering — when playback pauses because the player has run out of downloaded video, usually caused by a slow or unstable connection.
C
- CBR / VBR — constant bitrate keeps the data rate fixed; variable bitrate raises it for complex scenes and lowers it for simple ones.
- CDN — Content Delivery Network, a global fleet of servers that cache video close to viewers so streams start quickly and buffer less.
- Codec — software that compresses video for streaming and decompresses it for playback; examples are H.264, H.265 and AV1.
- Cord-Cutting — replacing cable or satellite TV with internet streaming services.
D
- DASH (MPEG-DASH) — an open, codec-agnostic adaptive streaming protocol using an .mpd manifest, used by YouTube and Netflix.
- Direct Play — when a media server streams a file untouched because your device can play it as-is, using almost no server power.
- DNS — Domain Name System, the internet’s address book that turns names into IP addresses; a faster DNS makes apps and streams start quicker.
- Dolby Atmos — an object-based surround sound format that adds height channels for a more immersive, three-dimensional effect.
- Dolby Vision — a premium HDR format using dynamic, scene-by-scene metadata and up to 12-bit colour.
E
- eARC — enhanced Audio Return Channel, an HDMI 2.1 feature that sends high-bitrate audio like Atmos from a TV to a soundbar over one cable.
- EPG — Electronic Program Guide, the on-screen TV schedule showing what’s on now and next across your channels.
- Ethernet — a wired network connection that gives streaming a stable, low-latency link, ideal for a main 4K TV.
- EU Portability — a regulation letting you use your home streaming subscriptions while temporarily in another EU country.
F
- FAST — Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV, free live channels funded by advertising rather than a subscription.
- Fire OS — Amazon’s Android-based system for Fire TV devices, using the Amazon Appstore and Alexa.
G
- Geo-Blocking — restricting content by location, so streaming catalogues differ from country to country because rights are licensed per territory.
- Google TV — Google’s content-first interface layered on Android TV, adding recommendations and a unified watchlist.
H
- H.264 (AVC) — the long-established, universally supported video codec; the baseline others are measured against.
- H.265 (HEVC) — H.264’s successor, about 40–50% more efficient, making practical 4K and HDR streaming possible.
- HDCP — High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, copy protection on the HDMI link; a failed handshake causes a black screen.
- HDMI — the cable and connector standard that carries video and audio between devices; versions set the maximum resolution and frame rate.
- HDR — High Dynamic Range, which widens brightness and colour for more lifelike images than standard SDR.
- HLG — Hybrid Log-Gamma, an HDR format for live broadcast that also looks correct on standard SDR TVs.
- HLS — HTTP Live Streaming, Apple’s widely supported adaptive protocol using an .m3u8 manifest.
I
- IKEv2 — a fast, stable VPN protocol (with IPsec) that reconnects quickly, especially good on mobile.
- IP Address — a numeric address identifying your device online; it also reveals your rough location, which is how geo-blocking works.
- IPTV — Internet Protocol Television, TV delivered over the internet; legal when the provider holds the content rights.
- ISP Throttling — when your provider deliberately slows specific traffic like video, causing buffering on an otherwise fast plan.
J
- Jellyfin — a free, open-source media server for organising and streaming your own library, with a focus on privacy.
L
- Latency — the delay before a connection responds; low latency, aided by a nearby CDN, means streams start and react faster.
M
- M3U / M3U8 — a plain-text playlist file listing media links so a player can load channels; M3U8 is the UTF-8 version.
- Media Server — software (and the computer running it) that stores your video and music and streams it to your devices, like a personal Netflix.
O
- OpenVPN — a mature, highly compatible open-source VPN protocol, excellent at getting through restrictive networks.
- OTT — Over-the-Top, video delivered over the open internet to any device, such as Netflix, independent of any provider.
P
- Plex — a polished, easy-to-use media server with free and premium tiers for streaming your own library.
- Portal URL — a server address a set-top-box-style IPTV app connects to, often tied to your device’s MAC address.
- Protocol (streaming) — the rules that package and deliver video, such as HLS, DASH and RTMP.
Q
- QoS — Quality of Service, a router feature that prioritises traffic like video so it stays smooth when the network is busy.
R
- Resolution — the number of pixels in a picture, from 720p and 1080p up to 4K and 8K; more pixels mean more potential detail.
- RTMP — Real-Time Messaging Protocol, an older protocol now used mainly to send a live feed up to a streaming server.
S
- SDR — Standard Dynamic Range, the traditional brightness and colour range that HDR improves upon.
- Sideloading — installing an app from outside the official store, usually from an APK file.
- Smart TV — a television with streaming apps and an operating system built in.
- Streaming — playing video as small chunks arrive over the internet, rather than downloading the whole file first.
- Streaming Device — a stick or box that plugs into a TV’s HDMI port to add a faster, more up-to-date streaming system.
T
- TiviMate — a popular IPTV player app for organising and watching channels from a playlist or Xtream login.
- Transcoding — converting a media file on the fly so an incompatible device can play it, which uses significant server power.
V
- VOD — Video on Demand, a catalogue you can play whenever you want, as opposed to scheduled live channels.
- VPN — Virtual Private Network, which encrypts your connection and routes it through another server for privacy and a changed apparent location.
W
- Wi-Fi — a wireless network connection; convenient but more variable than Ethernet, especially at distance or with interference.
- WireGuard — a modern, fast VPN protocol with a small codebase, the best default for streaming.
X
- Xtream Codes API — a login system for IPTV using a server URL, username and password that loads channels, VOD and EPG as organised lists.
Keep Learning
This glossary is your quick reference — bookmark it and look up any term the moment you meet it. When you want the deeper explanation, follow the link on each term to its full guide. For the practical numbers and fixes at a glance, keep the streaming cheat sheet handy, and if you’re just starting out, begin with what is IPTV and how streaming actually works.