Video Formats & Codecs

What is H.265?

H.265 (also called HEVC) is a video compression codec that delivers up to 50% better compression than H.264 at the same quality, enabling smaller files and higher resolutions.

H.265 Explained

H.265 (High Efficiency Video Coding) was standardized in 2013 as the successor to H.264. It achieves significantly better compression efficiency, making it ideal for 4K and 8K video where file sizes would be prohibitive with H.264. However, H.265 has more limited device support (especially older Android devices and browsers) and involves patent licensing complexities. Apple devices and Safari have strong H.265 support. For social media export, H.264 remains more reliable, but H.265 is preferred for archival, high-resolution masters, and Apple ecosystem delivery. AV1 is emerging as a royalty-free alternative with similar compression efficiency.

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Related Terms

Codec

A codec is a software algorithm that encodes raw video data into a compressed format for storage or transmission, and decodes it for playback. Common video codecs include H.264, H.265 (HEVC), VP9, and AV1.

H.264

H.264 (also called AVC) is the most widely used video compression codec, delivering good quality at relatively low bitrates with near-universal device and platform compatibility.

Bitrate

Bitrate is the amount of data used to represent each second of video, measured in kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). Higher bitrate generally produces better video quality at the cost of larger file size.

Resolution

Video resolution is the number of pixels displayed in each frame, expressed as width by height (e.g., 1920x1080 for 1080p, 3840x2160 for 4K), determining the sharpness and detail level of the video.

Encoding

Video encoding is the process of converting raw or uncompressed video data into a compressed digital format using a codec, producing a file suitable for storage, streaming, or distribution.