bithastighet

Bithastighet, or bit rate, is the rate at which bits are transmitted or processed in a digital system. It is commonly expressed in bits per second (bps) and is used to describe both network links and encoded media streams. In networking, bithastighet represents the maximum data that can be sent per unit time, while in media, it represents the amount of data used to represent audio or video over time.

Units and bitrate types: The most common units are kilobits per second (kbit/s or kbps) and megabits per second (Mbps). Larger values include gigabits per second (Gbit/s). Bitrate can be constant (CBR) or variable (VBR). In CBR, the same bitrate is used throughout; in VBR, bitrate varies depending on content complexity but aims for a target average.

Relation to quality and bandwidth: Higher bitrate generally allows higher quality for compressed audio or video, but requires more bandwidth and storage. The actual perceived quality also depends on the codec and the content type.

Examples: A standard audio MP3 stream might use 128–320 kbps; high-quality streaming music often 256–320 kbps. HD video streaming commonly 5–10 Mbps per stream; 4K video often 25–50 Mbps or higher. Mobile networks vary widely. Bitrate is influenced by resolution, frame rate, color depth, and compression efficiency.