Format shifting

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United Kingdom and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (December 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Format shifting is the conversion of media files into different file format or data compression (video coding format and audio coding format). This may be required to play the media on different devices, for example when converting or ripping audio files on CDs into digital formats such as MP3. Other media shifting processes include time shifting (also known as place shifting), a process whereby a radio or television broadcast is recorded to disk storage and played back at a different time, and space shifting where media is stored on one device and can be accessed from another place through another device which is normally located at another location.^[1]