POTS codec

rdf:langString POTS codec

rdf:langString A POTS codec is a type of audio coder-decoder (codec) that uses digital signal processing to transmit audio digitally over standard telephone lines ("Plain Old Telephone Service") at a higher level of audio quality than the telephone line would normally provide in its analog mode. The POTS codec is one of a family of broadcast codecs differentiated by the type of telecommunications circuit used for transmission. The ISDN codec, which instead uses ISDN lines, and the IP codec which uses private or public IP networks are also common. Primarily used in broadcast engineering to link remote broadcast locations to the host studio, a hardware codec, implemented with digital signal processing, is used to compress the audio data enough to travel through a pair of a 33.6k modems. POTS codecs have the disadvantages of being restricted to relatively low bit rates and being susceptible to variable line quality. ISDN and IP codecs have the advantage of being natively digital, and operate at much higher bitrates, which results in fewer compression artifacts. Special lines must be run to a location, however, and must be ordered well in advance of the event so that there is ample time for installation of equipment. Since POTS lines are almost universally available, the POTS codec can be set up nearly anywhere with little or no notice.