H.265 (HEVC) vs H.264 (AVC) Compression: Explained!

What is H.265 (HEVC)? Why is it better quality than H.264 (AVC), especially for 4K? Do your devices support H.265? This video will explain all of the questions you might have about the newest video compression standard.
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Hey, I'm HandyAndy and thanks for watching my video. If you enjoyed it, then please SUBSCRIBE to my channel!
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My notes on this topic:
- Video compression has undergone many changes over the past two decades. But it seems like every new standard promises the same thing - identical image quality at half the bitrate of the previous one. Indeed, a HD H.265 video running at 5Mbit/s will have virtually identical quality to a H.264 at 10Mbit/s.
- How is this achieved? Through improvements in both interframe and intraframe compression.
- Interframe compression involves a comparison between previous and future frames and the current one, and it only encodes what's changed in the picture. Intraframe compression involves comparing areas within the same frame.
- The main method used in interframe encoding is to divide the picture into small areas, which - in H.264 - were called "macroblocks", sized 16 x 16 pixels. So we start on a frame, called an I-frame or intraframe, that's stored as a full image - much like a JPEG. We then divide it into macroblocks, advance to the next frame, and compare its macroblocks with that of the I-frame. If several are virtually the same, we give the new frame the status of a "P-frame", or a predicted frame; this means that only the differences between it and the I-frame must be stored.
- In H.265, macroblocks have been renamed to "coding tree units", and with a new name comes a new improvement. The size of each is now variable, and can range from 16 x 16 pixels - the original size - to up to 64 x 64 pixels. Furthermore, in H.265, a single coding tree unit (or macroblock) can be divided into coding units, which can be sized from 64 x 64 - which, coincidentally, is the same as the maximum size of a coding tree unit - down to 8 x 8.
- Why is this such a big improvement? Well, remember that - when H.264 was standardized in 2003 - 1080p video was the height of technology. But now, more efficient encoding is needed for higher resolutions, such as 4K.
- The second big improvement - mainly to do with intraframe compression - is the increase in prediction directions. Coding units, in H.265, can be further partitioned into smaller groups, called prediction units. These allow us to predict pixel values within the exact same image.
- I could make use of several angular modes, which are directional. The angular modes allow me to extrapolate certain trends - so using a simple example, I could have a line coming down, and use an angular intra prediction mode to continue its progress throughout my prediction block.
- H.264 only allows me to use 9 such modes. This could result in errors in my estimation, especially if I have a large block. But H.265 has... wait for it... 33 different modes!
- One major problem with the new standard (at the moment) is that adoption has been limited. Even though it was first standardized back in 2013, there's still a lot of things that you can't do, including uploading videos encoded with it to KZbin. But the format was given a big boost recently, as it's been adopted as a default codec on 4K Blu-Ray.

[@theransomdance]

You are a huge nerd, but that's why you're amazing.

[@makegaminggreatagain3907]

@theransomdance, correction, he is a huge nerd and he is Australian, that's why he is amazing!

[@ArtificialSoul]

theransomdance The nerds are the new heroes!

[@latengocomoburro]

Uber nerd

[@webgpu]

he's a huge nerd, but why do we have to watch his incongruent nerd face? gives the creeps

[@peiko8082]

superficial moron

[@mikhailalexandrovich482]

Hans down the most professional yet balanced down to earth explanation, my hats off to you for that!

[@livemeyer]

I think you mean HANDS down, as in "hey, HandyAndy, your audio sounds pretty good but you really should mount that microphone on a stand so you can put your hands down!"

[@RafaelKarosuo]

Agree, it's very short, very to the point, and really highlights the differences. And to end up with this, definitely needed to know what's happening, this is a very complex field.

[@Ivanus59]

@@livemeyer I think he actually meant that Hans was shot and thus was "down". I hope they got him a medic in time. :s

[@medwatt]

I think you have the most deep and informative of tech info on youtube. Keep that up. Way better than those supercilious tech channels.

[@HandyAndyTechTips]

Wow, thanks so much for that, really appreciate the feedback!

[@spotted0wl.]

I'm glad I discovered some of your videos today. I'm appreciative and impressed by the depth you cover, but also all the helpful graphics and references. These videos would actually be perfect for secondary education class rooms.

[@dannii_L]

Thanks for a very clear and concise explanation of a complex idea. Perfectly paced and delivered.

[@spencerpatton9671]

Honestly one of the most in depth. From the research to the explanation, I appreciate the hard work thank you.

[@hdrgaming4962]

It's been 4 years since your video and now a LOT of videos uploaded to KZbin is actually encoded in H.265. KZbin itself uses an even heavier encoding codec, VP9, and soon will move on to AV1. All my videos, whether HDR or not, are H.265, a pain to process/edit but since videos are taking over the world, efficiency is the key. This video has helped me understand a lot deeper than I used to the differences between those 2 compression codec. Thank you and hope you push out more videos like this.

[@glenaw]

Great video and great explanation. You have had the best explanation that I have seen anywhere and I have searched a great deal on the subject. Just the explanation on H.264 that I have personally spent hours researching was better than anything I have seen. I'm glad I ran across you early on with my research on H.265, now I won't spend endless hours trying to find a good explanation. I have Subscribed and also gave you a thumbs up on the video. Good Job!

[@peternorthall]

The clarity of your explanation is great! Subscribed.

[@brimleyBK]

Top tier quality content, haven't seen such an detailed yet easy to understand explaination on youtube for decades. Instantly subscribed.

[@Decco6306]

thank you for actually explaining this and not just shoving a chart in our faces with some comparisons. appreciate this.

[@Abramelatin]

This is a very good explanation. You thoroughly went through all of the points and used great speech delivery. The presentation was well organized. Thank you so much for this premium video. I will be sure to check out more of your others!

[@emarc37]

Your video is short enough for people like me who just want to get an idea but still the information is quite profound. Great job!

[@gordobonnett1153]

And that’s how you train people. Excellent video mate, you made a difference in my understanding.

[@BoldBooksandBones]

Wow man, you have an extraordinary skill to explain complex things in a way that non-experts like me can understand it. Top! Keep up the great work. This video is not only explanatory but also useful!

[@gryjffrs]

An actual explanation! What a concept! Although my brain did kind of fuzz out for about 30 seconds or so. Thanks.

[@cybernetics9358]

Andy, that was a very well explained video! I found it to be very informative with the right amount of detail, and video was the perfect length. You ticked all the boxes Andy - very well done! Keep up the great work.

[@HandyAndyTechTips]

Wow, thanks so much for the really nice feedback! It means a lot :-)

[@progenitor_amborella]

Perfect explanation, and not stretched longer than it needs to be. Instantly subbed, hope to see more great videos from you.

[@GeoPicAT]

!! WOW !! - This is definitely the best explanation and informative video I have ever seen on this topic. Keep that up!!

[@joetylerdale]

Andy, I must say you are a gem! Watching another H.265 video I stumbled to yours, halfway thru I subbed! I will enjoy and recommend your videos!

[@vrguest251]

Very informative. This is becoming even more necessary with 8k immersive video. Thanks Andy.

[@ooyyss7652]

Thank you so much for making these great videos. This one in particular helped me greatly on understanding the concepts of video compression.

[@anthonyguada]

I am 60 years old, and I understand everything this man is talking about, Andy.. Thanks please make more vids.

[@btstudios1]

very detailed and one of the best sources in this topic. INSANE!

[@28-daynutritionalcleansing70]

You are an extraordinarily clear teacher. Inspiring. Thank you for these videos.

[@audryste]

A very clear explanation, as the animations really helps to understand everything easily.

[@golferchin76]

Very good, short and clear explanation of the difference between H.264 and H.265

[@sanrasuzumaki942]

Great explanation, I didn't understand half of it but did get the fact that it made me realize that h264 came out so long ago to support 1080 video and h265 came to support 4k, that is all I needed to understand how much better h265 is and that I can't wait for h266. have a great day and Merry Christmas!

[@farscape2129]

Thank you so much for explaining. I really didn't understand any of it until I watched your video. Excellent stuff.

[@gobindsidhu5949]

jesus christ dude well done!!! So informative, seems like you really spent a lot of time researching and using h265. Good work dude, hope you continue making excellent work

[@BrianCarey]

Never thought I could ever understand this but I think I got it. Thanks!

[@atom_zero5413]

Actually well explained. Great job! :D Thank you!

[@itsDRWman]

Wow. Thanks for your time and effort on this video. I was wondering about h.265 HEVC and I came across your video. I'm good to go! Interesting and informative. Keep it up!

[@thuanthuan2139]

Bộ này bao nhiêu tien

[@BLADE-4]

Way to go HandyAndy. I know this was a year ago. I always say whats the rush. LOL In other words I am late to the table, but new all this process. So from a beginner thanks for expaining this. Now I am wishing we had acces to H.265 to use on KZbin. I simply have to go find my place in a long line. Very good use of grahpics to give us all a very beginning framework to understand.

[@artemus80j.4]

You are one talented guy!....being able to look up and down at the same time take some special skill.

[@jippalippa]

Very informative, i loved it! Subscribed.

[@WorldSurvivalist]

That was, wait for it, the best explication I've seen so far. Top video man

[@SeeHearBeSilent]

I keep returning to your videos! Great content

[@shuhari3840]

never have i ever subbed that fast after watching just one video great work m8

[@D45Z]

Dude, that was such an highly informative video! Subbed.

[@gabzpot]

Best explanation EVER about the subject. Thanks.

[@EliteGamerpk]

The exact explanation I was looking for.

[@iso6460]

Thanks for the lovely explanation, Andy!

[@REPATHATHYALA]

Hi Andy, Thank you for the video, as the comments indicate as well. can you please suggest .264 player or any convertor from .264 to mp4, I tried with many online, and failed miserably including VLC.

[@RagnarRipper]

Best explainer I've come across so far. Thank you :)

[@lute2714]

I have a question. With all else equal, I have two files. All else equal, one is High10@L5 with a bitrate of 5,816 kbps, and the other is High10@L5.1 with a bitrate of 4,474 kbps. Which one would be better?

[@geraldjonothanwolfe5519]

He defines what a Nerd is in the whole sense of the word... Keep Making Videos!!! You're Awesome

[@alpacamale2909]

hello could you explain to me what main is used for? I always use level 4.0 profile main 4:2:2 tier high with 10 bits of depth in my 720p x265 encodings. but I'm not quite sure what the difference is, I just read that 4.0 is recommended for 720p. care to explain to me what these parameters mean? thanks.

[@soundsqueerbutokay]

its still a very difficult thing to digest but you nailed it. good job!

[@kodenkan6]

Great explanation, Andy. Related question: do the video codecs utilize anti-aliasing or is that technique obsolete with the improvements in hardware? And if it's still utilized, what are the dimensions of the matrix for pixels, and how many matrices to comprise a full screen?

[@JeffWelcherMedia]

I never knew there was an alternative pronunciation of the letter h. Appreciate the video.

[@jimdandy1010]

That was very helpful. Thank you Andy! You are awesome

[@WorldTravelVignettes]

Wonderfully spoken. Thank you for the clarification.

[@Solidlife1337]

Loving the content , Keep up the good work!

[@mgs4vaderfan2]

hi I need some help I have a Lenovo yoga laptop with windows 10 and a Nivdia GeoForce GTX 1050 and with intelcore i7 7700HQ I'm not good with specs but I think my laptop has the capacity to naturally run a hevc video but is not I have the go prp 6 and the computer is not allowing me to play the go pro videos. is there an update I need to do or something? help please

[@D_SOPHEIA]

choose to self holding mic and ignoring boom arm at his back... Such A Legendary Sannin

[@FromW]

I'm looking to buy a nas enclosure. The syonolgy ds918+ in description says h.265 4k transcoding but the one I want qnap ts 653b says 4k h.264 transcoding. So is synology the better one. It don't have a HDMI port for direct tv plug in nor is it able to connect to computer via usb... this is what was pushing me to qnap. Will this h.265 vs h.264 effect my 4k experience? If this synology that's advertised as h.265 transcoding is the better one then it's going to save me about £300 it will just be minus 2 bays, the HDMI port which will mean I'll need to use a plex app on my tv or connect it to my nvidia shield and it's minus the feature of being able to connect straight to my pc by usb port to transfer files. Some of my movie files actually say they are h.265 too. Sorry if i sound like a noob but im new to this.

[@squeakal3393]

Nicely explained Andy. Thank you.

[@geoffreymee7671]

The for the chunky gulp of info HandyAndy. Now I get it...somewhat. A question- if I bdhoot 4,k in h265 for better image quality, edit in such is it then appropriate to down convert to h264 for delivery...and if do, what quality loss can I expect. Thx

[@PeteWoronowski]

Very well explained, thanks so much and very best to you! Cheers, Pete

[@edgararcega3046]

Il new to this ever since I got a dash cam that records in hevc. So is it normal for playback to blur every time the pause button is used? This is rather annoying.

[@scyreption4156]

so what is better for recording with encodingntype hevc vs avc?

[@BestPlayedLoudLtd]

great video, thanks Andy, very informative

[@InFrontTechnologies]

Wow, very well explained.. your articulation is amazing..

[@zapillofilms]

Thanks Andy! Great explanation! Finally I get the difference :)

[@Cruis3zFPV]

Thanks *Andy* for clearing that up!

[@kunal-ko]

thank you for explaining, i hope your chanel gets big

[@wadehendrix9297]

What kind of software decoding is best and does it retain the same quality of video? Would you be better shooting in 264 or use 265 and Handbrake to covert it to 264?

[@DanielSRosehill]

Great stuff. Crystal clear explanation!

[@numbereightyseven]

Amazing. Thank you. I actually followed along.

[@julianmorrisco]

Good stuff. I know codecs fairly well - I use Cineform, Prores etc all the time but I’d never got around to understanding the differences between 264 and 265, even though I output to 265 all the time now. By the way, as of 2018 there is a LOT more support for HVEC than there was in 2016 when this video was made.

[@carloscasmore6603]

I can download and save .265 to a flashdrive but can't play it on any BluRay Player, or plug into a 4K TV. Is there any player that will allow me to play with my TV? I have no problems with .264 but I would like to know if there is an updated BluRay Player that will deal with this format?

[@Red0Ray]

HandyAndy thanx a loooooot for this helpful information... keep the good work :)

[@jakehop-]

Great video, Andy!

[@Brad-k]

Thank you for this video, it explained a lot to me!

[@kawashida]

Is it possible to install H.265 on a NVR that only has h.264 and mpeg

[@jupiter909]

A very informative and succinct video. Thank you!

[@milanjani]

Great info. Thank you. I wonder if my canon camera records for ex canon R8 records 4k 24 fps 10 bit 422 clog video in h.265 format, and if i want to convert to h.264, what should be target bitrate? Should it be 1.5 times or 2 times or more? And when I do this conversation, would I loose quality?

[@numspacsym]

Great video. Very well explained. Thank you!

[@Tanasaith.Ponyeam]

Do you know how to make my PC read or play that kind of VDO [HEVC, H.265] ? Now, I can't even watch or playback my footage that was took by Gopro6 and I can't also edit those footage in Premiere Pro. I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP,SIR. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT COULD I DO FOR THIS PROBLEM. THANKS.

[@Our_World455]

If we use 10mb file what is the output for h.264encoder

[@jonathanbrazeau970]

nice run down my friend. Thanks for sharing....

[@vanshrana9508]

Awesome explanation bro🔥

[@Mauser_.]

You are a genius!! Thanks for the best explanation ever. Now I finally get it

[@josbremer8705]

Do you know why davinci cant edit those video's? Or videos in d log m?

[@fstarockaburns425]

I just bought a h264 cctv system for my shop and was considering swapping the h264 for a h265 dvr, until you mentioned the support. Ill be sticking with the 264 for now (ease of playback/etc) but thanks for arguably the best video on the matter for total noobs like me. very interesting when you drill into it. (fyi try a mic stand :)

[@michaellin4553]

How different are these technologies compared to something like VP9, which KZbin uses?

[@nemindakarunaratne2291]

Hi Thanks for that. How can I play my H265 files on a normal Samsung Smart TV? What type of Player should I buy ?ty in advance.

[@alxndrassies]

thanks dude, perfectly clear and short explanation! But.... Can we expect an update regarding the new Av1 (the reason I was looking up compression to start with)?

[@eyeTelevision]

I love the way you talk dude, never change

[@issacdhan]

Thanks a lot. Very simple but very informative.

[@juandumas1]

This is really helpful !! Thank you! Best explanation on KZbin.

[@mtippett80]

does this setting just affect videos on smartphones or also photos?

[@froglife5564]

Very good, informative tutorial. Thank you.

[@michaelchen4752]

Thanks for the explanation; subscribed!

[@turbo2025]

Straight to point, thank you for making this.

[@ljose007]

Thanks for this brilliant presentation!

[@hugueninflorian]

Great Explanations! Crystal Clear! Thank you

[@EminoMeneko]

Very informative. Thanks for that. :)

[@TheGmr140]

very nice video, well done, i learned alot