Run-length encoding

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Categories: Digital Basics

Run Length Encoding is a system for data-rate reduction. The principle is to store a sample value along with a message detailing the number of adjacent samples with that same value. This gives a very efficient way of storing large areas of flat color and text but is not so efficient with pictures from a camera, where the random nature of the information, including noise, may actually mean that more data is produced than was needed for the original picture. The use of a DCT transform, possibly followed by re-quantization prior to run length encoding can be very effective however.