Codecs & Compression
AC3 (Dolby Digital)
A long-established surround sound audio codec supporting up to 5.1 channels, common in live broadcast and IPTV feeds.
AC3 has been a broadcast and home theater standard for decades, which is why it remains extremely common in live TV and IPTV specifically — many channels originate from broadcast feeds already using it. It requires a compatible receiver or soundbar for full surround decoding.