What is H.265 (HEVC)?
High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265, is a video compression standard designed as a successor to the widely used Advanced Video Coding (AVC, H.264). In comparison to AVC, HEVC offers about double the data compression ratio at the same level of video quality, or substantially improved video quality at the same bit rate.
It supports resolutions up to 8192Γ4320, including 8K UHD, and unlike the 8-bit H.264, HEVC's Main 10 profile has been incorporated into nearly all supporting hardware, allowing for 10-bit color depth. This makes it the standard for 4K and HDR content distribution.
H.264 vs H.265: Quick Comparison
| Feature | H.264 (AVC) | H.265 (HEVC) |
|---|---|---|
| Compression Efficiency | Standard | ~50% Better |
| Max Resolution | 4K (4096Γ2304) | 8K (8192Γ4320) |
| File Size (Same Quality) | Larger | Smaller |
| Encoding Complexity | Low (Fast) | High (Slow) |
| Compatibility | Universal | Modern Devices |