What does Inter-frame prediction mean?
Inter-frame prediction compresses video by describing relationships between pictures over time. Instead of independently storing every frame, the encoder can reuse information from reference pictures and encode the remaining differences.
Why it matters
This can save substantial data, especially when much of the scene remains similar, but it makes decoding depend on the correct reference structure and timing. Complex motion, occlusion and rapidly changing texture are harder to predict. The method does not mean a stream contains fewer intended display frames; it means those frames are represented using temporal relationships rather than complete standalone pictures.
A practical example
A camera pan across grass and a crowd can challenge prediction more than a still studio interview. If the data budget is restrictive, fine texture may become unstable or blocky. A higher pixel count alone does not remove that encoding trade-off.
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Related terminology: Installer checksum, International television feed.
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