reencoded

Reencoded is the past participle of reencode, meaning that data or media has been encoded again after an initial encoding. In computing and media workflows, reencoding refers to applying a new encoding process to already encoded content in order to change its format, codec, container, bitrate, resolution, or other encoding parameters.

In media, reencoding is common for transcoding video or audio to different formats or devices, such as converting between codecs (for example, from H.264 to H.265), changing resolution or bitrate, or packaging the content in a different container. Reencoding can be lossy or lossless depending on the codecs and settings used; repeated reencoding can lead to generation loss and artifacts, particularly when using lossy codecs. It is often performed to improve compatibility, reduce file size, or adapt content for streaming platforms or playback hardware.

In data and text handling, reencoding can refer to converting data from one encoding to another, such as changing character encodings (for example, from ISO-8859-1 to UTF-8) or re-encoding data with different error handling. When performed on text without lossless mappings, reencoding can be lossless; incompatible mappings, however, can introduce corruption or data loss.

Practical considerations include quality impact, compatibility with target devices or platforms, metadata preservation, and processing time. Understanding whether the reencoding is lossy or lossless helps determine its suitability for archival storage or distribution. See also transcoding, encoding, decoding, and character encoding.