HEVC vs H.264: What’s The Difference And How To Convert H.264 To HEVC

Introduction

With the emergence of technology, several questions popped into our minds, like which format wins the battle in HEVC vs H.264 quality? Or which one of the two is more preferable. There was a time when we rarely came across 4k videos. Too much effort was demanded of you if you wanted to own a 4K video camera. At that time, 4K videos and cameras were among the most debated topic but not anymore.

Nowadays, we rarely encounter someone who does not know the terms like 4k or 8K. Who would have thought that the camera so expensive at a time would be available in smartphones? iPhone X was the first to introduce a 4K camera, and like always, the rest followed. As the format became common, there came a need for compression of the video to be played efficiently.

Also known as AVC, H.264 has been widely used for a long time. But with the arrival of 4K or 8K videos, there was a dire need to compress these videos. HEVC or H.264 was introduced as a format that can provide high-definition video in compressed form. But the question remained which one is the better of HEVC vs H.264 GoPro. Before getting into H.264 vs HEVC, we must have a comprehensive idea about HEVC and H.264.

What is H.264

H.264 (also known as AVC) is a video compression standard that allows digital video material to be recorded, compressed, and distributed. The H.264 codec is built on the MPEG-4 standard. In comparison to its predecessor, the H.263 codec, the H.264 (AVC) codec was created to increase video quality at quite a smaller bitrate. The H.264 algorithm, commonly utilized by streaming internet providers such as Vimeo, YouTube, iTunes, and others, can significantly reduce bitrates compared to prior standards.

What Is HEVC

HEVC, also known as H.265, can be termed as an advanced form of H.264. Compared to its predecessor, the H.263, the H.264 codec was created to increase video quality at a smaller bitrate. H.265 allows you to reduce the file size; thus, it can be helpful, especially while streaming.

HEVC vs H.264

As mentioned earlier, H.265 is a modified form of H.264 or HEVC. It provides a high-quality 4K video in a considerably small size. Both the codecs can play videos in almost all formats; the difference resides in the size of the file. Here we will discuss HEVC vs H.264 GoPro, how they differ, and which one is better.

Quality Difference for H.264 vs HEVC

Furthermore, H.265 can recognize high-definition 8K UHD recordings with a resolution of up to 81924320 pixels. The H.264 standard, on the other hand, only enables 4K HD films with a resolution of 2048x2048 pixels. If you stream videos using H.265 codec at a 30% lower bitrate, you can achieve the very same image quality that H.264 file delivers at a larger bitrate.

Despite all that, you must know that HEVC results in more power consumption. It can be a problem for some but does not cause much of an issue. So, there might be some setbacks in the case of quality difference for H.264 vs HEVC, but overall, HEVC triumphs H.264.

Internet Speed Required for H.264 vs HEVC

Even though we have advanced to a great extent and the internet speed might not be an issue for most of the world. But still, there are people residing in remote areas or third-world countries who have to make peace with low-speed internet. They might even face problems during browsing, let alone watching high-quality videos online. So, internet speed matters if you want to stream a video on any streaming platform.

While using H.265, you can watch the high-quality video even if you have a slow internet connection. It allows you to increase the video quality from 480p to 720p even if you have slow wifi. While on the other hand, H.264 gives a poor quality video if the internet is slow. Thus, we can say that HEVC offers high-quality streaming compared to H.264 if wifi is slow.

Bandwidth For HEVC vs H.264

The term Bandwidth indicates the amount of data transferred across a provided path at a specific time. As HEVC or H.265 is a modified or, more specifically, a compressed form of H.264, it shows a small brandwidth compared to H.264. This reduction allows you to stream online videos of very high quality.

As mentioned earlier, the video file is compressed in terms of size in the HEVC codec, so lesser speed is required to play a high-quality video. For instance, if you need a speed of 6 Mbps to play a 1080p HEVC video, you must have about 12 Mbps internet speed to stream video in H.264.

Devices To Support HEVC vs H.264

H.264 has been in the market for a long time now. Over time, H.264 has been the only choice for electronic devices. Also, the format does not require you to fulfill some high requirements. So, devices and media outlets alike accept the H.264 encoding. Almost all media players, websites, Android, iPhones, iPads, and other devices can play H.264 movies swiftly and efficiently.

On the other hand, even though HEVC is a highly compressed codec, it requires a system with certain attributes. You might need high-powered smartphones and PCs to use HEVC swiftly. Thus, we can say that in terms of HEVC vs H.264 quality, the latter facilitates the user in terms of system qualification.

How To Convert H.264 to HEVC

From the above discussion about GoPro HEVC vs H.264 quality, it has been proved that HEVC is a more recent and better format than H.264. Keeping that in mind, we won't be surprised if you want to convert H.264 videos to HEVC. Various tools have been designed to facilitate the users to convert videos from one format to another. Here we will briefly get into such programs.

DVDFab Video Converter

DVDFab's video converter can convert any format, be it audio or video. The software allows you to choose the format before carrying on with the conversion. So, you can choose the output format as you may like. This cutting-edge program is undoubtedly the greatest choice if you wish to convert H.264 to H.265.

Another important feature of the DVDFab video converter is its compatibility with Windows and Mac computers. It offers a 30-days free trial, but you may have to buy a premium account after that. Here we have discussed a step-by-step guide to use DVDFab Video Converter.

Download and install the H.264 to HEVC converter on your computer. The Mac button is located underneath the "Download" button, and it allows you to download the DVDFab video converter for Mac.

Launch the software on your computer when it has been installed.

In the center of the screen, a "+" button appears. You may either drag and drop the FLV video here or press the button to add it.

Select the desired output file format and press the "Start" button to convert.

Final Thoughts

HEVC vs H.264 has been under debate ever since the emergence of 4K videos. Both can support 4K videos, but the result may differ. For instance, HEVC provides better quality as compared to H.264. Here we have explained HEVC vs H.264 GoPro from different perspectives in detail.