(1) To make a digital image smaller by removing pixels. With a quality image or photo editor, downsampling produces an excellent image. Scaling down always produces a sharper result than scaling to a larger size. Downconverting from a high-definition TV (HDTV) signal to a TV with a lower resolution is also downsampling. Contrast with upsample. See downconvert.

(2) To make a digital audio sample smaller by lowering its value. Audio downsampling is done when converting various audio sources to a common format. Contrast with upsample. See sampling.