Etterkoding

Etterkoding is a term used in information technology and telecommunications to describe processing that takes place after an initial encoding step. In general, it denotes any additional coding, transformation, or processing applied to a data stream once it has been encoded. The purpose can be to improve error resilience, ensure compatibility with a target system, or prepare data for transport or storage.

In telecommunications, etterkoding may refer to layering of channel coding after an initial source encoding, such as applying a second error-correcting code, interleaving, or modulation adjustments that occur downstream of the primary encoding stage. In media processing, etterkoding describes post-encoding operations including transcoding, re-encoding for different bitrates or formats, packaging into a streaming container, or applying metadata schemes after the source-encoded data has been generated.

Etterkoding is distinct from primary encoding (which converts original data into a coded representation) and from decoding (which reverses encoding). It is often part of processing pipelines and depends on system requirements, bandwidth constraints, and device capabilities. In practice, the term appears in Norwegian technical literature and documentation to describe stages in a pipeline rather than a standardized technical specification.

Challenges associated with etterkoding include potential quality loss from multiple encoding steps, increased processing latency, and the need to manage compatibility across codecs and containers. Proper design aims to minimize degradation while meeting reliability, efficiency, and interoperability goals.

See also: encoding, decoding, error-correcting codes, transcoding, streaming packaging.