Streaming & Delivery
Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR)
A technique where a player app automatically adjusts video quality in real time to match your available bandwidth.
Adaptive bitrate streaming is the algorithm behind smooth playback on a fluctuating connection. Content is encoded at several quality levels in advance, and the player continuously estimates your available bandwidth and buffer health to pick the best level at any given moment, stepping down gracefully during a network dip rather than freezing.
This is why a stream can briefly look softer during a busy network moment instead of stopping outright — the player is deliberately trading resolution for continuity.