What is HEVC?
Also called: H.265
Definition
HEVC, or H.265, is a video codec that produces files roughly half the size of H.264 at similar quality.
The saving comes at the cost of compatibility and licensing: not every browser or device plays HEVC, and some need a paid extension. For video that must open everywhere, H.264 is still the safe choice.
Screen recordings compress very well in HEVC because large areas of the picture do not change between frames. It is a sensible choice for archiving. For sharing, check that the place you are uploading to, and the people watching, can play it.
Related terms
- H.264
- H.264 is the most widely supported video codec: nearly every browser, phone, computer and video site can play it.
- Codec
- A codec is the method used to compress video or audio into a file and decompress it for playback.
- Bitrate
- Bitrate is the amount of data a video uses per second, usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps).