H.264 Vs. H.265: Their Differences and How to Use Them

Part 1. What is H.264 and H.265

Before defining the difference between H.264 and H.265, let us first discuss what exactly is a video codec since our topic in this article is forms of codecs themselves. Video codecs are software or devices that are capable of compressing or decompressing files in order to make their file sizes more manageable and easier to run on online platforms. Codecs are composed of encoders and decoders, with the former used for compression and the latter for decompression. H.264 and H.265 are the most famous video codecs used today.

H.264, also known as Advanced Video Codec (AVC), was developed two decades ago in 2003. It is considered the industry standard and is commonly used for video-sharing platforms thanks to its low bit rate with little to no decline in video quality. Meanwhile, what is H.265, or High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)? It is the modern successor of H.264 and is better than its counterpart in terms of compression quality, being 50% more efficient than the other. (Check the differences between H.264 and AVCHD here.)

Both of these video codecs are capable of compressing videos while maintaining their original quality; however, one format is better to use depending on the purpose of the user. In the next part of this article, we will discover the difference between H.265 vs H.264 in different measurements that are essential for sharing videos online.

Part 2. Differences: H.264 vs H.265

H.264 vs H.265 Lossless Comparison

Both H.264 and H.265 are capable of compressing videos into lossless video quality since they are developed to be used as efficient encoders. However, H.265 takes the cake in this regard since its more modernized encoding allows it to have a higher quality encoding that comes at little to no lossless encoding. Learn here to compress H.264 video file.

H.264 vs H.265 Bitrate

In terms of bitrate, H.265 is also a better option in this aspect since this encoder type is capable of streaming videos at the same quality as an H.264 video but at a lower bitrate. This was made possible by the more advanced compression system present in the modern encoder. With that, higher-quality videos can be streamed at a lower bandwidth requirement if it was encoded via H.265.

H.264 vs H.265 Codec

With both encoders trusted as the leading video codecs today, H.264 is still considered to be the standard video codec up to this day. This was made possible by the longevity of H.264 in the market, making it the standard encoder for most video-sharing platforms. Although inferior to H.265 in the measurements mentioned above, H.264 is still the leading video codec format because of its status as the industry standard.

H.264 vs H.265 Quality Comparison

H.265 clears the competition when it comes to quality since the video quality is highly affected by the compression system present in these encoders. With that, H.265’s highly efficient video coding also made videos encoded by it to be superior in quality to H.264.

H.264 vs H.265 Size

More efficient compression equals a more compressed size. With that, H.265-encoded videos are also more compact than their counterparts. Because of that, HEVC is suited for compression high-resolution videos such as those saved in 4K or 8K resolution. Since these videos are much larger than regular 720p or 1080p, compressing them via H.265 will retain their high quality and also compress them to a more compact size.

H.264 vs H.265 for Editing for Instagram/YouTube/Tiktok

Although less efficient than H.265, videos processed for social media platforms are better encoded in H.264 since this codec is widely supported in today’s video-sharing sites and social media domains. In exchange for the high efficiency of H.265, it requires high-performance hardware to experience its potential, making it suboptimal for YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok use.

Part 3. How to Convert Between H.264 and H.265

Looking for a way to edit the encoder type of your video from H.264 to H.265 or vice versa? This part of the article will be the solution for this problem and we will use AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate to solve it.

Converting video codecs of videos is as easy as a few clicks with this software since it was made for more advanced functions, and editing the codec type is only a small adjustment in its conversion settings. In fact, once inside the software, changing the video codec may be done within a few clicks if you already know what you need to change.

Follow these simple steps to convert H.265 to H.264 or vice versa, depending on your needs:

1. Open AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate on your computer and head into the Converter Tab. Click Add Files.

2. Now that your file has been added, click the Output Format and adjust the conversion settings. This is where you can change the encoder type of the video with options to change it to H.264, H.265, or MPEG-4. Select the encoder type that you want to use.

3. With the new encoder type set, click on Convert All to start the process.

Although intimidating and sounds advanced, changing the video codec used in videos is as easy as a few clicks in dedicated video converters such as AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate.

With that, you can now enjoy video conversions, DVD ripping, and more by using this software that you can download easily by clicking the button below!