The term buffering
is not uncommon to the internet and is especially associated with video
downloads. In buffering, the computer basically uses a temporary physical
storage area that holds the date while the CPU manipulates it and then transfers
it from one device to another. Since it is a temporary storage unit that holds
the data for a limited time only, if not saved then the data can be lost.
When you see
online videos and don’t want to download it then also buffering is used. The video
streams on your computer so that you can see it without downloading the video.
When you click on the play button then the computer takes a little before
starting the video. During that period it buffers the video and stores in a
temporary place and then shows you the output only when the video has streamed
well enough to be viewed. The buffering time depends upon the internet traffic
and a longer time would make your video a little slow and static. The buffering
time is also dependent upon the player that you use for viewing the video. If
the internet connection and the player used are not efficient then buffering
takes a lot of time and the user may feel annoyed with it.