Definition
A method of sending video information over a communications link using data compression, so that a smaller amount of data carries the same picture. In aviation, CVTS supports the transmission of weather radar imagery, surveillance video, and similar visual data between ground facilities and, in some cases, to aircraft.
Plain English
A way of sending video by squeezing the picture data down so it travels faster and uses less bandwidth.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA acronym lists and communications-system references, especially where video information is being sent between aviation facilities or support systems.
Derivation
Compressed comes from the Latin comprimere, meaning to press together. The picture data is pressed into a smaller form before being sent, then expanded again at the other end.
Why Pilots Care
Compressed video is how large amounts of weather and surveillance imagery can be moved quickly across the aviation system without overwhelming the communication links the pilot depends on.
Analogy
It is like sending a smaller version of a photo so it loads faster, while still keeping enough detail to be useful.
Intuition Check
Do not read “service” here as customer support. In this term, it means a working communications capability used to move video information.
Example Sentence 1
Weather imagery distributed through CVTS reaches controllers and briefers faster than it would if the video were sent uncompressed.
Example Sentence 2
Ground teams received live video from the helicopter through CVTS.