Bitrate

Measured as "bits per second," and used to express the rate at which data is transmitted or processed. The higher the bitrate, the more data is processed and, typically, the higher the picture resolution. Digital video formats typically have bitrates measured in megabits-per-second (Mbps). (One megabit equals one million bits.) The maximum bitrate for standard DVDs is 11Mbps; for over-the-air HDTV broadcasts, it's 19.4Mbps. High-definition discs have even higher maximum bitrates: 36Mbps for HD DVD and 54Mbps for Blu-ray Disc™.