H.265, also called HEVC, is the successor of H.264. It reaches the same picture quality with fewer bits, so re-encoding a video with H.265 gives a smaller file than H.264 at the same setting. Newer phones, computers and TVs play it; some older devices and programs don't.
How to compress a video with H.265
- Upload the video (MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and more; up to 2 GB).
- Codec: H.265 / HEVC is already chosen.
- Choose A quality level (Balanced by default) or A file size in MB, and the maximum resolution.
- Start and download the MP4.
About the result
- The video is H.265 in an MP4 with the
hvc1tag that many players require, 8-bit 4:2:0 for the widest playback. - The sound is AAC at the bitrate you choose, or removed.
- With a target file size, H.265 needs fewer bits per pixel than H.264, so it can keep a higher resolution for the same size.
Things to know
- Encoding takes longer than H.264, so the length limit per job is lower: less than half of the H.264 limit at the same resolution. Lowering the resolution to 1080p or 720p helps.
- Compatibility: if the video has to play everywhere (older computers, some web browsers, older smart TVs), H.264 is the safer choice.
- HDR videos are converted to standard dynamic range, so the result looks right on ordinary screens.
- For even smaller files on the newest devices, AV1 is also available.
More about what this tool reads and writes: Video Compressor.