Download the HEIF and HEVC media extensions for free here. The latest standard being the H.265 standard or HEVC Video Extension is a new standard for video compression and decompression. This new codec is an update to the older version being the H.264 (AVC) standard.
HEIF and HEVC media extensions
The latest standard as you will know is the H.265 (HEVC) standard. There have been a number of changes to this codec and why it has become so popular even with pictures. This now called the HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) standard which is an offshoot. The HEVC Video Extension was developed by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC).
Licensing
One of the first difference between these two standards is that there are less patents needed compared to the earlier technology being the H.264 standard. You will note that licensing is required if you give consumers the ability to encode video or watch (being that it is decoded) with the H.264 standard. See also the vp9 codec download on here.
Compression
When you compare the old to the new standard compression is important. You want smaller files with better or high resolution. The H.265 of HEVC standard has made many improvements in the compression of the video files. This of course comes with the need for more RAM as well as more access to the CPU. This is mainly as the new algorithm has become more complicated. The new H.265 is more efficient than H.264 when it comes to compression. So will have lower bit rates compared to the previous standard. Yet the video or image quality becomes better. Space and bandwidth is saved in this regard.
H.265 Compression compared to H.264 Compression |
64% Smaller at 4K |
57% Smaller at 1080p |
So, the HEVC Video Extension does use advanced compression techniques to reduce the size of video files. This while it still provides quality video. The codec is very good for streaming video as well. This make the codec good for video streaming as it has a small file. For mobile phones this is excellent as well as saving bandwidth in low bandwidth countries. The codec is included in Windows 10, Xbox One as well as on other mobile devices. See also the x265 Encoder and another option.
Resolution support
You will note that the new H.265 standard also supports higher resolutions. This is much more than H.264 standard before it. The HEVC standard has the ability to ramp up the video resolution to 8K as well as the 10K resolution. We will see how popular this becomes with many who wish to have ultra-high-definition video devices. You will note that the H.264 standard will only go to the 4K resolution. This will depend on the devices on use. The difference between 1080p and 4K resolutions may not be significant to the human eye on a mobile phone.
| Standard | Distribution | Mbps (Bitrate) | 2 Hours (GB) |
| MPEG-2 | Online | 16.7 | 14.0 |
| H.264 | Online | 10.0 | 8.4 |
Codec Complexity
The latest version is more complex than the older version. The video resolution is much higher with smaller files. On average there was a reduction of more than 50% in bandwidth. The bitrate reduction factor which as you know is that the ratio of the bitrate required by the codec to achieve a certain video quality compared to the older codecs. As you will note on the table above that the reduction is getting better than the even older MPEG-2. There is also a need to increase CPU power and memory on your computer.
So to decode a 1080p H.264 video at 30 frames per second. This being the average video that you would be watching. This will need a computer with at least a CPU with 1 GHz and 512 MB of RAM. Now if you move to the higher standard being the H.265. There is now a need for a 1.5 GHz CPU as well as 1 GB of RAM. This is needed because of the new advanced compression techniques and algorithms. They will need more memory to use and store data. Finally also see the AVC1 codec download.
