Bitstream

<p>A bitstream (or bit stream), also known as binary sequence, is a <a href="/facts/Sequence/gV2S4uqp">sequence</a> of <a href="/facts/Bit/S972NSaD">bits</a>.
A bytestream is a sequence of <a href="/facts/Byte/BNHUp9Qq">bytes</a>.  Typically, each byte is an <a href="/facts/Octet_(computing)/dqCHsuUF">8-bit quantity</a>, and so the term octet stream is sometimes used interchangeably. An octet may be encoded as a sequence of 8 bits in multiple different ways (see <a href="/facts/Bit_numbering/94h4P3qr">bit numbering</a>) so there is no unique and direct translation between bytestreams and bitstreams.
</p><p>Bitstreams and bytestreams are used extensively in <a href="/facts/Telecommunications/vxoj1cxR">telecommunications</a> and <a href="/facts/Computing/Kghtm9fX">computing</a>. For example, <a href="/facts/Synchronous/L39sYwbr">synchronous</a> bitstreams are carried by <a href="/facts/SONET/G3LgtGS6">SONET</a>, and <a href="/facts/Transmission_Control_Protocol/WW4sPrt9">Transmission Control Protocol</a> transports an <a href="/facts/Asynchronous_communication/sz5DacK8">asynchronous</a> bytestream.
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Bitstream open-in-new

Bitstream