H264 vs H265 | Explained

[@faulttolerantstudio]

Thanks for the video! FYI: @ 0:31 you have a typo (256 instead of 265)

[@noviancasper]

I saw that and knew it was a typo

[@Mr__Fogg]

But thanks anyway!@@noviancasper

[@miss_B_]

hmmmk

[@YouTubeIncomeInnovator]

Bruh I thought that next one came out and I hadn’t heard 😂

[@cjxgraphics]

Fun side note, broadcast television, over the air and cable boxes, still uses mpeg2 which first came out in 1995!

[@ccvr6]

Sooo......When you're watching a compressed video, and you notice those pixelated portions around things in the video (especially if there is a lot of black/darker colors on the screen), is that the prediction being wrong, thus displaying "incorrect" frames?

[@BCE-111]

Thanks for this great informative video. What I'm wondering about is how hard is it to edit and color grade H265 4K video as compared to Apple ProRes 4K video. And wondering about possibly converting H265 video to Apple ProRes video for editing. I have a 512GB iPhone 14 Pro Max so file size is important. Thanks.

[@KaustavMajumder]

0:32 - It should be H265 as opposed to H256

[@whatever8282828]

H.265 is "arguably" better than H.264? I hope it's not worse!

[@brynmag]

Is KZbin accepting HEVC videos now? I just uploaded a clip and it seems to have processed ok.

[@arthousefilms]

This was awesome! Thanks so much. I came here to learn after I saw Premiere Pro released v22.4 supposedly exports 10x faster. I didn't know what HEVC was. Good job.

[@ClayWheeler]

Nice coverage for H264 and H265. But unfortunately this video didn't cover X264 and X265. Believe it or not, they're "same-same but different." H264 & H265 can be encoded with Hardware acceleration like GPUs or iGPU or APU which means writing the video files at real-time or "faster than real-time" speed. The trade offs? Storage space needed for H264 & H265. They're relatively bigger than X264 & X265. Which means the H264 & H265 specifically designed for speed. Not efficiency or bandwidth or picture clarity. So, in order to have a Crystal-clear picture quality on H264 & H265, you need to increase its Bitrate, which leads to more storage space needed. On the otherhand, X264 & X265 are more rigged towards Quality & Bandwidth & Storage space. But they're Slow. X264 & X265 cannot be encoded by any GPUs in existence, not even RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX. Both X264 & X265 need at least 6 to 8 Threads of the CPU to be able to encode in real-time, while technically it can use more than 8 Threads, using more than 8 actually degrade the picture quality. Now, this is something you might not ready to accept the TRUTH. A properly encoded video with X264 can have better picture quality and smaller file size than H265. And a properly encoded X265 can have even smaller size than X264. So, in summary, in terms of Encoding speed, it's like: H264 > H265 > X264 > X265. Meanwhile, in terms of Encoding quality and file size: X265 > X264 > H265 > H264. And then, these are some additional features. X264 can have 10 Bit HDR Color, but H264 cannot, 8 Bit only. H265 with 10 Bit HDR Color often have a bit bigger file size than H264 8 bit. But H265 8 Bit is way smaller size than H264 8 Bit. X264 10 Bit HDR can have smaller file size than H265 8 & 10 Bit. X265 10 Bit HDR have the best file size & picture quality, but also longer encoding time. Not even Core i9 13900K can encode X265 10 Bit HDR in real-time.

[@ClayWheeler]

Now, this leads to a wider real-life application such as Livestreaming. Some people might wonder "Why is my Livestream seem so bad quality? I have a good internet" This is because almost any platform that have Livestreaming support actually a little bit vague to the user regarding minimum requirements. Let's take example from KZbin and twitch Livestream at 720p 60 FPS. In their guideline, it is recommended to use 6000 kbps for 720p 60 FPS. But they don't specifically mention which CODEC to be used exactly. Their guideline simply says H264 or AVC. That's it!!!! THAT'S A LIE In reality, it is impossible even for offline recording/encoding at 720p 60 FPS with 6000 kbps and expecting a good picture quality with H264/AVC Codec. OR IS IT? Actually it is Possible to achieve good result of 720p 60 FPS with 6000 kbps. BUT it really needs to use 4 Threads of the CPU to do the work of X264 Livestreaming. So, if the average user has 4 Cores 8 Threads CPU for gaming, and wanting to use X264 for Livestreaming, they can expect FPS Drop in gaming. So they're forced to use H264 GPU Accelerated for Livestreaming, which has bad quality by default no matter the settings. You need at least 12000 kbps for 720p 60 FPS H264 GPU Accelerated Livestreaming. How about H265 Livestreaming? Well apparently KZbin can handle it, but it will not be low-latency. The time delay between "You" and the audience is like 10-15 seconds behind real-time of whatever you're doing. While H264 latency is only 0.5-3 seconds at worst. So, yes, H265 can handle Livestreaming at 720p 60 FPS 6000 kbps, but the delay is horrendous.

[@DearthVadar]

Dude! took me damn near an hr to find a proper explanation/differences between (H/X) .... 🙏 thank u mate ❤

[@ClayWheeler]

@@DearthVadar our Consumer CPUs is nowhere powerful enough to Encode X265 10 Bit HDR in real-time. But Google & Netflix already have Server-grade parallel CPU that can do it within seconds.

[@arvinnacario7857]

should have make your own video, but regardless, thanks!

[@ompawar858]

Brother just tell me which one has better quality 😂

[@arthurswart4436]

Just curious how the larger block size in h265 doesn't reduce the image quality. To be honest, I'm unable to see differences when watching Bluray footage converted into either codec. The smaller file size has to mean information was lost, like MP3 vs FLAC means information is lost in the MP3. The comparison doesn't add up at the user level; I do hear the loss of quality in a high bit MP3 while I don't see lost image quality in h265. I think I hear lower qua;ity audio in h265 [especially surround 5.1 seems to get duller], but that might just be my confirmation bias.

[@thisnameistaken]

Wait how come whenever I render something in Davinci Resolve the video with the H.265 code is about 50% bigger? Based on your explanation they should be smaller.

[@burukani]

There is called bitrate. It what decided file size.

[@jeremywvarietyofviewpoints3104]

Fascinating. I hadn't heard of H265.

[@Random.noname2077]

try researching about AV1 codec you will learn a lot

[@BrianHikesAllDay]

Just wanted to let you know that your video was so extremely helpful. I watched like four before this one and all of them just didn’t really answer my questions but yours was perfect. Thank you so much.

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@rodneysean]

Perfect explanation, makes complete sense to me now! Thank you! I've started exporting my 4K videos in 265 :)

[@T.jeffeson3524]

Thanx for the video. Small correction. In the opening you wrote H264&H256

[@yourvault1612]

Great explanation! Thanks! I’ve had a much better experience with H265 in media encoder

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Great to hear!

[@gregkrazanski]

if a video was compressed using the exact same H.264 settings, why would the mp4 file be more compressed than the mov file?

[@not.a.doctor]

He is just reading the script provided by someone else, he doesn't have the slightest clue. Avoid anyone who recommends a VPN to protect from hackers. That's in no way what a VPN does, let alone what it is for...

[@blaylock1978]

I’ve always been under the impression that h.265 was going to be a worse overall quality video. So if my camera records in h.265 and also creates proxies, would I still get the ProRes equivalent essentially but use the proxies for a better editing experience?

[@ChristopherGray00]

you should record at h.264 at a very high bitrate, and then encode with h.265. generally speaking h.264 is for realtime encoding, h.265 is for non realtime encoding and maximum space efficiency.

[@blaylock1978]

@竜•Yu Zhong Thank you!

[@blaylock1978]

@@ChristopherGray00 I was out of town running around when you replied and I just noticed it now. I didn’t even realize you had responded. Thank you and sorry for not seeing it.

[@ChristopherGray00]

@@blaylock1978 no sorry to you i was on something lol

[@blaylock1978]

@@ChristopherGray00 No problem at all, I get it. You were helping me out and I totally skipped you. I appreciate it! Thanks again.

[@Mrkiller1295]

not much if a change on quality for the normal eye, the only grip I have with x265 is it doesnt play on normal TVs but x264 plays on an android TV

[@Gaurav.P0]

Why x265 doesn't plays on Android TV ??

[@kiddd74]

H265 is more taxing on your computer when editing… I’ll rather buy bigger SD cards uhs-2.. then struggle with the compressed file while editing…

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Agreed, I did mention this at 8:14 but not sure if you had got to that section of the video! Most modern systems though can play back h265 with now issues, I even have a $900 M1 MacBook Air that can play multiple H265 streams in Final Cut and Davinci and modern graphics cards (if you can get one 🤦‍♂️) do have special encoders/decoders for this as well as some CPU chips

[@kiddd74]

@@SabrentUSAOfficial yes I did see that you mentioned it at the end. Most people don’t. They praise the benefits of h265 but editing nightmares are never brought up with that compressed file. Lol. I have a Sony FX3 and if I want to take advantage of what all this camera can do I have to use UHS-2 and Express cards. Yes that does suck because of the price.🤦🏽‍♂️ But the barrier for entry with cost outweighs the headaches and stress editing at the more compressed 4k option on my camera.. I currently use the MAC mini M1base model, with plenty of external hd space.. lol.

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Do you use UHS-I cards with your FX3?

[@kiddd74]

@@SabrentUSAOfficial I have uhs-2 card right now in it, and even a card like that has limitations after a certain point with this camera, it unlocks about 85% of its features. I’m about to order the express card for the 2nd card reader slot. I can’t justify buying a camera like this without unlocking everything this camera is capable of doing. It just sucks that I have to buy a $300+ SD card to truly unlock all the features.. it reminds me of having a free game app on my phone that I can only get to level 2 without the paid subscription… lmao. Level 3 and beyond is only after you pay.. lol

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Oh yeh you definitely need it, I have UHS-II V90 cards as my Sony won’t record in certain modes without it! But it makes sense because you have to have a minimum rating and there is no way a UHS-I card will handle 600 or 240mb per second write speeds consistently and reliably! Small cost compared to the camera though even if I have to buy a few! It’s technology same way you wouldn’t use a HDD to edit video lol unfortunately when you upgrade one piece of gear you end up having to upgrade everything! Imagine buying a RED or an ARRI, you would have to upgrade everything just to use it! Haha

[@AM93000]

Why 4k UHD bluray is always in HEVC (H265)?

[@hoatranquang8376]

Dear Sabrent, I had build Video application Assuming that, i have 1000 client downloading video at the same time. Now, i should use which tool to test download my app from client to measure performance and load of server Thanks.

[@heresyourproblem9939]

I definitely notice a difference in quality especially in shadowed areas. I don't like h265 compression very much for only like 20% savings on file size.

[@tibork3845]

Great explanation, thank you! I kind of knew the difference but definitely not in this much details, thank you again! I have mostly been using H.265 with my videos for the last couple of years, I like the compressed size reducing storage needed. Especially with the new Apple M1 (and upcoming M2) chips they are easy to handle now for editing and viewing.

[@BobsSite-r1z]

Thanks for this fantastic and very informative video! For the moment, I'll have to stick with H264 until I upgrade my laptop with a faster graphic card. Thanks again !!!

[@XpertGamerSAZ]

Very well explained 👍

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Thank you 🙂

[@A64632]

No idea what to talk here about, but if I'm correct h.265 requires 2x less bandwidth for the same quality as h.264, but for 5x more encoding resources. The same is for h.266 vs h.265. So h.265 is quite good video codec, but only in case your hardware supports it, and h.266 is even better in the same case.

[@ubon21]

would 264 render faster than 265?

[@A64632]

@@ubon21 depends on the hardware support. Most modern hardware supports not only h.264, but also h.265 and vp9 codecs for decoding - so, no practical difference in this case.

[@ubon21]

thanks for the fast reply

[@Florianski]

If .mp4 and .mov both use the same h264 codec then why should .mov have better quality? In the end it just depends on the bitrate, the container doesnt matter much.

[@UKHeritageRailways]

Yes the video codec is the same. The main difference is in the audio. MP4 supports highly compressed AAC, where as MOV supports AAC, Linear PCM, and 32bit. So for quality audio 24bit 48k Linear PCM is the way to go.

[@spirituallyrelated5406]

Hi, Thank you for your informative video on video codecs. I have a specific scenario and a question regarding the best format for it: I offer online courses, and our users stream videos while logged into our site - these videos are not downloadable. Considering this, I'd like to know: Is H.265 still the best codec today for reducing bandwidth usage and ensuring easy streaming? And, importantly, will it play smoothly across all platforms and browsers without additional requirements for the end user? I want to convert my current MP4 videos to the optimal format for these needs. Thanks for your guidance!

[@VintageBoxingTM]

Thanks for this handy, and detailed info mate! Gonna try exporting at H.265 now. Is the processing time quicker too?

[@ClayWheeler]

read my newest comment of this video regarding H265 Exporting processing time. 😊Just sort the comment section by newest, and you will see my comment

[@MrGheller]

Anybody here knows if an M1 Macbook Air would be capable of editing video recorded on Hevc well or does it have to be h264? Thinking of getting the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and planning to edit 20 min videos on an M1 Macbook Air. I was told I cannot record on 4k 24 fps as the computer won't be able to handle it. I was recommended to record in 1080 P 24 fps. I don't know if that will look awful or not... Some help by people who know a lot about this would be appreciated. Thank you.

[@OliBaitsMedia]

All very interesting but I'm still left with the question... If shooting on a drone, to be edited on a 2017 MacBook Pro in Final Cut Pro... Which should I use?

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

H264 will be much easier to edit with in Final Cut Pro on a 2017 MacBook Pro due to it not having any specific media engines like the new Apple Silicon MacBooks

[@OliBaitsMedia]

@@SabrentUSAOfficial thank you 🙏🏼

[@ArturArocha]

Por que dizia "REPORTAGEM" nas costas do cinegrafista? Os editores do vídeo são brasileiros ou portugueses?

[@CPedroHenrique1]

ele só deve ter pego os vídeos em stock, nem deve saber os detalhes de fato

[@mlnima]

hope you notice @00:34 you have typo on H265

[@AlexdAviator]

bro at 0:34 you wrote H.256 instead of H.265, other than that great video and very useful

[@housbinpharteen7445]

my main question is , is the audio output of a 265 different than a 264? it seems when i play a movie in 264 i hear all the surround effects dolby digital and dts , that said when i play a movie in 265 i dont get any surround effects just L C R speakers ... is this a receiver problem that can not play 265 audio?

[@DroseMr]

I liking your products🎉Thank you

[@chrisidema]

I don't think 6k and 8k will become the norm any time soon. Bandwidth and storage is still limited. I remember when HD content became available. I was blown away. But now I realize there is plenty of content that still looks great at 480p and 720p. 1080p is fine for me. I don't need higher. The truth is there are diminishing returns for higher resolutions. 144p is very pixelated and very blurry, 240p is somewhat pixelated and pretty blurry, 360p is slightly blurry, 480p is quite sharp on small screens (this is DVD quality!), on larger screens you need 720p or 1080p. That's it. Unless you have a monitor that covers your entire field of view the extra pixels won't make you enjoy the content more.

[@neilmcintosh5150]

You are right 6k and 8k will not become the norm any time soon. 16k will.

[@neilmcintosh5150]

@Haplus It soon will be. And with a blink of an eye 16k will replace it.

[@WILDFIRE69-r4i]

4k is becoming popular day by day 😂 bro tech in Ohio 2160p 4320p 1440p 1080p is need and now days 720p is also blurry

[@billweir1745]

Sure, but cropping and zooming are a factor as well. You can get much further with higher resolutions, and this can be an important factor in editing depending on what you're trying to do.

[@Sur-Rip-Ski]

Ay thanks for the help! that helped me understand the difference

[@jodalry]

Sorry but there’s an error in your video at time stamp 0:35.

[@ubon21]

Im rendering a 60min, 4k video in 265 codec. And it takes 30 hours. Would it be faster if I use 264 instead? my specs i5 12600k gtx3060 12gb vram

[@smokingcheddar]

3:14 the video shows AVC but you said HEVC instead

[@tvset4554]

Why h265 did not predicted the whole word SHMENS at 5:55? (up left corner)

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

It did predict it, it just was cut up into more blocks so it might not be clear. It might also just be because it has been processed one too many time from when I used the source, then rendering out the video and then KZbin compression (a lot of converting and compressing using different standards). Here is a great video which talks about it even further from this source back in 20213: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaaTpJ5jbpd3itE and I believe its around the 19 minute mark. You also have to remember that this wasn't using 4K footage etc, basically there is a reason why H265/HEVC is becoming the norm in high end camera gear and it is just more compressed meaning more data per frame as the same bits per second recording speed.

[@PedroOnPurpose]

SUCH A COMPLEX CONCEPT EXPLAINED IN SUCH AN EASY WAY. WELL DONE

[@jaychauhan7844]

Informative thanks ❤❤

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Your welcome 😊

[@RavitejaLucky-hg8eu]

1080px 264 vs 1080px265 which one better quality sir

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

both will perform similar, h265 has been know for better noise reduction in videography, however there is almost no difference, I would always choose H265 for the smaller size compared to 264 plus the small benefit of noise compression performance.

[@achimp3675]

Great video and information, watched it fully! Keep it up man!

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

I appreciate it!

[@achimp3675]

@@SabrentUSAOfficial and i appreciate your info and the way you made the video man. When i searched for this tropic you were the most pleasan to liste to, but more importanly you explained it really well and entertaiming. So thank you.

[@Stephane_]

Thank you so much for this video, it is very helpful! My Sony ZVE-10 camera's codec is h264. Is it still better to choose h265 when exporting a video to get the best image quality? (especially for KZbin)

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

I think depending on your system it may be best to leave it at h264, but if you have a system powerful enough or one of the new Apple Silicon Macs, it may be worth exporting in H265 for smaller file sizes and faster upload times as there is less to upload. Hope this helps!

[@anachronicmind1922]

Thank you so much! It was entertaining and informative. You explained it wonderfully for those of us who are not so technically inclined.

[@TrutherTalk]

Thank you for your through explanation.

[@falcon81701]

Best explanation I have found!

[@jethromartino]

thank you so much for the clear and awesome explanation!

[@JM-uj5hk]

Wow, I get it! Thank you!

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Glad it helped!

[@ArendBuren]

Great explanation 😊

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Glad it was helpful!

[@KobePrimeTv]

Very informative. You've unlocked a new subscriber 🎉

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

My favourite achievement! 🎉

[@Digital963]

I thought CoDec meant Compress/Decompress 🤔

[@rajivkumarkale]

Good Video, learnt a lot.

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Glad to hear it!

[@MeMyselfAndBob]

Great video! Typo in the title 0:33 s (H264 & H256) ;-)

[@kobial8406]

Why does it sound like mike has European codec? 🤔

[@GOGPlays]

".mov" is just a container. It shouldn't be better than the same video coded with the same setting into a .mp4 container.

[@HippieP629]

Thanks a lot for the explanation

[@TopSecret2022]

Bro, you made a typo at 0:32

[@quoc_nh]

thanks for the vid, i just want to ask a question not actually in the right topic though... i want to download videos from the internet and i dont know which i should choose (hevc or avc), i mean i like hevc more because it requires less storage to save a video but i dont know should i use it or not because of the hardware...

[@DevOpsBoss]

Clear, concise and very professional 👏

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

I appreciate that!

[@DavidDuchov]

You wrote H256 in the explantation in the beginning ;)

[@ArendBuren]

😂agree

[@ArendBuren]

Great explanation 👍🏻

[@matedu4508]

Hello. I filmed my first scuba diving with a gopro, and the microsd was full, and all the video-photos are corrupted, I can't see them. I tried with vlc and other players but nothing. Do you know how to make me see them. Thank you

[@zero.g13]

too many mistakes in this video. says "coding tree units", guy says "coding three units", plus various other typos and issues.

[@stehume]

That was so easy to follow and so clear to understand, great video. So can i ask you or a fellow reader, if i record on an insta 360 at 5.7k then put it in davinci what should i export it as, 264 or 265 and at what bitrate hope that makes sense

[@AprilHtayWin10]

Thanks a lot.

[@GuruSan88]

Thank you!

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

You're welcome!

[@DanteLikesRock]

Very interesting, good video.

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Thank you very much!

[@travelwithads3631]

Excellent video!

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Thank you!

[@SnazzBot]

Great explanation. 👌

[@allanw.gackstetter7969]

GREAT Explanation really excellent! Thank You soooooo much!

[@raoaurgame]

hey bro, your typing mistake at this second. of ( H264 & H265 ) YOUR TYPING IS ( H256 )😂 0:32

[@exploreevery]

Well explained

[@rowluna6400]

thank you

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

You're welcome

[@Pfagnan]

Well done!!😊

[@CliffFennell]

nice job sir

[@Yoriichi_Sengoku]

Sir, does facebook allow videos under H265 format in 2023? Thank you in advance

[@ArturArocha]

H.256???

[@jean_yves_plongeur]

very interesting, thx

[@Manco654]

The container has nothing to do with video compression…

[@lasantha12lasa]

great explain

[@patel2474]

thak you

[@eazyasyoulike]

Good luck trying to play h265 422 video on a PC!!

[@rockrecordreport7136]

With a CPU that has QuickSync (feature on many), and GPU that has the specs included to handle it (265), yes you can do h.265 on a PC with the codec installed. And of course an editing or -playback system that is compatible as well. There are some hoops to jump though and I am not sure it's worth it until you are going to buy a new PC anyway.

[@Jordan1000]

This guy is fit!

[@nofantasyguy]

are you related to ASIA?

[@dennisanderson8663]

I hate .MKV file containers a lot more than .MOV or .MP4

[@ADDONRACER]

0:33 h256..

[@SabrentUSAOfficial]

Yes, fault tolerant studio made this comment two months ago, typo, thank you

[@xsjdnxkx2070]

So old school analog tech will better then

[@blacklotus432]

we should all use h.265

[@rockrecordreport7136]

Umm, NO!

[@auroraflash]

I love Sabrent

[@chillingplayingdd2397]

I have h265 tv it's beautiful

[@kaycee_one]

H256^^ 0:34

[@MadMax-ph1rl]

10bit vs x264

[@ClayWheeler]

yes it can. Read my newest comment about 10 Bit HDR in X264 of this video. Just sort the comment section by newest

[@TheLazyGamers]

Imagine using H.264 in 2023

[@julioandrade3125]

Nice vid

[@seymourm7523]

The preview image has stupidly wrong content.

[@AsadRehman1993]

Use for movies 😁