What is a TS File?
While using your computer, you might run into a file with a .TS extension. Unlike most extensions that represent a specific kind of data, a file with “.ts” extension can be either a video file or a TypeScript code file. So, what’s the difference between them, and what’s a TS file anyway?
What Is a Transport Stream (TS) File?
The meaning of a TS file depends on what kind of content it holds. For instance, if you come across a TS file while working with videos and DVDs, then it stands for Transport Stream. These files use the MPEG-2 compression algorithm to achieve maximum efficiency and compatibility across various media types, including internet streaming and broadcasting.
You’ll commonly find these files on DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and digital broadcasting systems like DVB, ATSC, and IPTV. The data stored in these files (video, audio, subtitles, etc.) is broken down into small chunks. You’ll have a tiny piece of video, followed by a tiny piece of audio, and then maybe a subtitle chunk. Each of these chunks carries some extra data that helps detect errors within them. This data also tells each chunk when it’s supposed to play.
This way of representing data includes extra information that isn’t useful for storage but has advantages for broadcasting. Since all the data is broken into small pieces, you can send each piece over a connection in real time. And if there’s any error in a chunk, the receiver can use the extra data present in each chunk to detect the error and skip over it.
The most important thing to note is that the receiver doesn’t need the entire stream. It can easily start from anywhere in the middle of the transmission, assemble the data from that point on, and use it in real time.
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