What are HLS, DASH, manifest, and segment?

HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) and DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) are adaptive streaming video protocols that allow video playback over the internet with automatic quality adjustment based on the connection speed.

A manifest is a file (usually in .m3u8 format for HLS or .mpd for DASH) that describes the stream structure: a list of available quality options, segment addresses, and other metadata.

A segment is a small fragment of a video file (usually a few seconds long) that is downloaded and played separately. Dividing video into segments allows the player to quickly switch between different qualities, adapting to the current network bandwidth.