Remember that frustrating time you watched a video or streamed a live event, and it freezes up, or its quality was reduced from what it previously was?

Now it’s possible to stream or play high-quality videos faster using either the H.264 or H.265 video codec. This post will try to answer which one of these video compression standards is better and why. To do that, we must first understand what a codec is and how it operates.

What Is a Codec?

Codec stands for compressor-decompressor. It’s a compression technology with two essential components: an encoder for compressing files and a decoder to decompress them.

It converts the light and sound from your camera into a digital format that a machine can understand (compression). Computers then read it and play it back to us in the same format as when it was recorded (decompression)

Some of the codecs for video include VP9, MPEG2, Cinepak, H.264, and H.265. Aside from videos, codecs are also used in other files such as audio (AAC, MP3) and still images (PNG, GIF, JPEG), and data (PKZIP).

Before we delve into the more technical stuff of comparing these two video codec, let’s first look at them individually.

What Is H.264 AVC?

”Compressor settings HD 1280x720” (CC BY 2.0) by kentbye

Advanced Video Codec (AVC) or H.264 is the current encoding standard for streaming videos. It works great for HD streaming, but if you want to watch content in 4K quality, you may need a better encoding format.

H.264 works by processing video frames using macroblocks. These macroblocks are usually made of 16 x 16-pixel samples divided into transform blocks and subdivided into prediction blocks. This format can significantly lower bitrates which makes streaming faster. Youtube, iTunes, and Vimeo are just some of the platforms that use AVC.

Pros

• H.264 is excellent for slow-motion video codec that uses megapixel cameras
• It has a better compression rate compared to the MPEG4 and JPEG format.
• Delivers real-time video transmission of high-quality video that uses different data formats in real-time.
• AVC codec has reduced the amount of bandwidth needed to send files over the network because of its smaller compressed files.
• The low bit rate on its content compression provides better picture quality compared to H.263+ formats.
• It reduced the video file content by around 50-percent, which saves a lot of storage space.

Cons

• Depending on the hardware processor, this codec might pose high latency.
• It has some difficulty in object tracking and motion detection since compressed images lack consistency.
• H.264 has a complicated licensing agreement that requires a loyalty fee if you want to encode video legally
• It requires high CPU time when compressing data, especially for multiple live videos.

What Is H.265 HEVC?

High-Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC) or H.265 is an efficient video compressing method that works best for Livestream and online videos. The key benefit of HEVC is that it uses less bandwidth to stream videos, and the video quality is higher due to its advanced compression.

Unlike H.264, the newer H.265 processes information using coding tree units composed of macroblocks spanning 4 x 4 to 64 x 64-pixel blocks. This format allows the codec to compress video information more efficiently and with better spatial prediction and motion compensation.

While HEVC allows for a faster live stream, it does necessitate more specialized hardware to compress the data. To decompress the data and watch high-quality streams, devices that are h.265 compliant would need less bandwidth and processing power.

”1080p HEVC playback h265 on MP-Classic-H” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Giulio Jiang

Pros

• H.265 has an efficient compression which results in a smaller file.
• It promises up to 50-percent bandwidth reduction while producing the same video quality.
• HEVC also has a lower storage requirement and has a nimble coding algorithm with minimal residual errors.
• It has a better deblocking filter and can reduce more artifacts using sample adaptive offset.
• The latest Intel processor generation, Kaby Lake and newer, supports the H.265 codec via unique instruction sets explicitly.
• H.265 has an improvement in both inframe prediction and motion.

Cons

• Since it’s a more complex codec and uses more calculations to process the video, it’s harder to edit and slower to play when using inadequate systems.
• Slower adoption because of multiple patent pools with different terms and conditions plus varying pricing structures.

H.264 or H.265: Which is Better?

”1920x1080p30 stream” (CC BY-NC 2.0) by csete

Both video codecs are exceptionally excellent at compressing and decompressing video. However, H.265 is better than H.264 for several reasons.

H.265 uses parallel processing computing methods and supports specialized extensions like FMA3/FMA4 and AVX/AVX2 to fast-track the whole process. Specific rectangular regions that separate the image are self-contained and enable parallel processing.

The intraframe prediction feature in H.265 is much more detailed than that of H.264, allowing for 33 directions of motion versus nine in H.264.Moreover, H.265 utilizes a decision tree called Wavefront Parallel Processing (WPP), which helps more productive compression.

However, the adoption of H.265 as the universal standard codec is relatively slow because very little hardware can integrate it. Many content providers also have stuck with H.264 because it will always play compared to H.265.

Devices that Uses H.265

While H.265 is not as common as H.264, the former is rapidly gaining more market share. For example, Apple’s new operating system for the iPad and iPhone, the iOS 11, will use H.265. The latest MacBook Pro also runs using the Kaby-Lake processors, which can decode the H.265 codec. Apple also plans to use it on the Safari web browser and their tvOS for streaming video.

Video Platforms that Uses H.265

Netflix (4K), iTunes Movie (4K), Amazon Prime, Vimeo, and Disney+ use H.265. Furthermore, mirrorless cameras such as the Canon R5 and Panasonic S1 all use the latest codec.

IP security cameras also greatly benefit from the efficiency of H.265 and are adopting them. However, playing video in browsers and mobile devices remains problematic.

Thanks to its greater efficiency and performance, H.265 is likely to dominate the marketplace in the next few years. But that’s just our opinion.

What do you think will be the future of video codec? Tell us your thoughts by writing a comment below.

Got you interested in things about videos? Read ”What is Raw Footage and Why is it Useful?” to learn more.