Common Streaming Terms Explained in Plain English
A glossary of frequently used streaming terminology, explained without unnecessary jargon.
Streaming terminology can feel like an unfamiliar language at first. Here's a plain-English glossary of terms you'll commonly come across.
Buffering
The pause that happens when your device needs a moment to load more data before continuing playback, usually related to connection speed.
EPG
Short for Electronic Program Guide, a grid-style guide showing scheduled content in a familiar, TV-like layout.
Bitrate
A measure of how much data is transmitted per second during streaming, generally linked to picture quality.
Player App
The application installed on your device that connects to your account and handles playback.
- Buffering: a temporary pause while more data loads
- EPG: a program guide showing scheduled content
- Bitrate: data transmitted per second, tied to quality
- Player app: the software that connects your account to playback
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to understand all this terminology to use IPTV?
Not at all — this is background knowledge that can help with troubleshooting, but day-to-day use doesn't require understanding the technical details.
Where else can I learn more about these concepts?
Our Streaming Technology blog category covers many of these topics in more depth.
Are these terms specific to IPTV, or used more broadly?
Most of these terms apply broadly across streaming technology in general, not just IPTV specifically.
Final Thoughts
Understanding a handful of common terms makes the broader streaming conversation much easier to follow, even if you never need to use this vocabulary directly yourself.