H.264 vs H.265: Best Codec for Web?
A technical dive into video codecs. Why H.264 is still king for compatibility despite H.265's efficiency.
The Battle of the Codecs
When you compress a video, you have to choose a language for the computer to write the file in. This is called a Codec. The two most popular today are H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC).
H.264: The Compatibility King
H.264 has been around since 2003. It is supported by literally everything: obscure Android phones, old Windows 7 laptops, Smart TVs from 2012, and every browser on earth.
Pros: Plays everywhere. Fast to encode. Default for web.
H.265: The Efficiency Master
H.265 is newer and smarter. It can compress a file to be 50% smaller than H.264 with the same visual quality. However, it requires more powerful hardware to play back smoothly, and licensing issues mean some browsers (like Chrome on generic hardware) might struggle to play it natively without hardware acceleration.
Which One Should You Choose?
- For Web/Sharing: Use H.264 (VideoLite's default). You want your file to work for everyone, everywhere.
- For Archiving: Use H.265. If you are backing up terabytes of footage to a hard drive, the 50% space savings add up.