What is pixel coding in image compression?

Pixel coding in image compression refers to the process of representing pixel values in a more efficient format to reduce the amount of data needed to store or transmit images. This technique often involves quantization, where pixel values are approximated to lower precision, and entropy coding, which assigns shorter codes to more frequent pixel values. By minimizing redundancy and exploiting perceptual characteristics, pixel coding can significantly decrease file sizes while maintaining acceptable image quality.