If you're working with digital video, you may be wondering about the differences between the H.264 and H.265 video formats. Both are widely used for encoding and decoding digital video, but there are some significant differences between the two.

H.264: The original digital video standard

H.264, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding), is a video compression standard that was first published in 2003. It's used in a variety of applications, including high-definition video, Blu-ray discs, and streaming video on the internet. H.264 is known for its high-quality video, even at low bit rates, and for its ability to efficiently compress and decompress video data.

H.265: The next generation of video compression

H.265, also known as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), is a newer video compression standard that was first published in 2013. It's designed to provide even better video quality and compression efficiency than H.264, as well as support for higher resolution and frame rate video. H.265 uses advanced techniques like prediction across multiple frames, transform coding, and entropy coding to achieve its improved performance.

The main differences between H.264 and H.265

So, what's the main difference between H.264 and H.265? It's their performance. H.265 provides higher video quality and compression efficiency than H.264, at the same bit rate. This means that H.265 can produce the same quality video as H.264, but with smaller file sizes, or higher quality video at the same file size.

Additionally, H.265 supports higher resolution and frame rate video than H.264, which makes it well-suited for applications such as Ultra HD (4K) and high-speed video. However, H.265 requires more computational power to encode and decode than H.264. This means that some older devices or devices with less powerful processors may not be able to handle H.265 files as well as H.264 files.

H.264 is also a more established and widely used format, so it you might find that it's compatible with a wider range of devices and software. This can make it easier to share and play H.264 files on a variety of platforms.

Conclusion

The H.264 and H.265 video compression standards are both widely used. H.264 is known for its high-quality video and efficient compression, while H.265 provides even better performance and supports higher resolution and frame rate video.

Hopefully this helps you decide which format you need, next time you’re exporting a video in Detail!