WHAT IS IT AND WHAT DOES THE BIT RATE AFFECT?
Bit rate, a value that, in digital audio and video material, is the rate of data flow (the number of units of information) transmitted per unit of time (second). It can be indicated as the minimum value required to reproduce the original or compressed format, without delays and stops of video, audio, and the average or maximum quality value for the data storage format used. Most of the time, it is expressed in bits per second for audio and megabits for video.
It can have a constant, average, or variable value.
CBR (constant bit rate): data rate, remains unchanged, from the beginning to the end of the file.
ABR (Average Bit Rate): An average value, usually fixed, is used that is greater than the minimum limit, but less than the maximum possible.
VBR (Variable Bit Rate) – Bit rate varies throughout the file and depends on many factors, the end result can be unpredictable.
The higher the bitrate, the better the video and audio quality? It is not entirely true .
The bit rate, or the number of information units spent per unit of time, one second, is similar to the flow of water, the speed of which will change the filling time of the container, but the quality of the water itself.
The best quality requires high quality source video or audio material, therefore equipment capable of providing it. The same goes for water, for better water quality the composition is important first, not the force of the flow.
In other words, it makes no sense to increase the value of the bitrate (water stream), expecting to improve the quality if the quality of the initial data (water) is worse. Similarly, and vice versa, reducing the bit rate, to obtain a better material, will worsen the final result, but it will reduce the size needed to store data.
Bit rate is not a primary indicator of quality, but rather options for the minimum and maximum allowable flow conditions necessary to meet the remaining conditions to obtain the desired quality, provided that materials similar to the desired quality are used.
