Häviötöntä

Häviötöntä is a Finnish term that translates to "lossless" in English. It is most commonly used in the context of digital media, particularly audio and image files. A lossless file format is one that does not discard any data during the compression process. This means that when a lossless file is decompressed, it is an exact replica of the original data.

In audio, lossless formats like FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) and ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) are preferred by audiophiles for their ability to preserve the full fidelity of the original recording. Unlike lossy formats such as MP3 or AAC, which remove certain frequencies deemed less perceptible to the human ear, lossless audio retains all the details, resulting in a higher quality listening experience. This comes at the cost of larger file sizes compared to their lossy counterparts.

Similarly, in image formats, lossless compression is used by formats like PNG (Portable Network Graphics) and TIFF (Tagged Image File Format). These formats are ideal for graphics, logos, and images where preserving every pixel detail is crucial, such as in graphic design or medical imaging. Lossy image formats like JPEG, while offering significantly smaller file sizes, introduce artifacts and degrade image quality, making them less suitable for applications requiring perfect reproduction. The choice between lossless and lossy formats depends on the intended use and the balance between file size and data integrity.