Adaptive bitrate playback lets a compatible player choose among several encoded versions of the same presentation as conditions change. The source must provide suitable alternatives and switching information. A player can then balance available delivery capacity, buffer state and device capabilities, rather than relying on one fixed encoded stream throughout viewing.
A practical example
A player might begin a programme at a modest quality while filling its buffer, then select a higher-quality variant when delivery remains stable. If conditions worsen, another available variant can reduce data demand without changing the programme itself.
A common misunderstanding
Adaptive playback cannot select a quality that the source does not offer. A menu labelled Auto also does not prove that every channel exposes several correctly aligned variants.
Related terms
Stable technical definition. Editorial approach