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FeaturesVideo Formats & CodecsH.265

H.265

40% better compression than H.264 with broad and growing device support.

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Overview

What is H.265

H.265 (also known as HEVC, or High Efficiency Video Coding) is the successor to H.264, developed by ITU-T and ISO/IEC MPEG. Released in 2013, H.265 delivers approximately 40% better compression than H.264 at the same visual quality — meaning smaller files, lower CDN costs, and better 4K delivery. H.265 has strong hardware decode support across modern devices (Apple Silicon, most smart TVs since 2017, PS5, Xbox Series), but browser support is uneven: Safari supports it natively, while Chrome and Firefox do not. The licensing landscape is complex, with multiple patent pools (MPEG LA, Access Advance, Velos Media), which contributed to the industry's push toward royalty-free alternatives like AV1.

Decision Guide

When to Choose H.265

Choose H.265 when:
  • You deliver 4K content to devices with hardware HEVC decode (smart TVs, Apple devices, game consoles) — H.265 is the most efficient codec with broad 4K hardware support.
  • Your audience is primarily Safari/iOS and smart TV users — these platforms decode H.265 natively.
  • You need 40% bandwidth savings over H.264 without waiting for AV1 hardware adoption — H.265 hardware decode is more mature than AV1.
Consider alternatives when:
  • You need Chrome or Firefox browser playback — H.265 is not supported. Use H.264 for compatibility or AV1 for efficiency.
  • You want royalty-free codecs — H.265's complex licensing makes AV1 or VP9 preferable for cost-sensitive projects.
  • You need maximum compression efficiency — AV1 achieves ~20% better compression than H.265, though at slower encoding speeds.
Try it

Transcoding Demo

Source video

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Maximum file size: 5GB

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Select a source video and click “Convert” to see H.265 output in action.

Reference

Key Characteristics

StandardITU-T H.265 / ISO/IEC 23008-2 (HEVC), 2013
Compression efficiency~40% better than H.264 at equivalent quality (per Netflix VMAF)
Royalty statusLicensed (MPEG LA, Access Advance, Velos Media — complex multi-pool)
Hardware decode supportApple A8+/M1+, NVIDIA Maxwell+, AMD GCN 3+, Intel Skylake+, most smart TVs 2017+, PS5, Xbox Series
Hardware encode supportNVIDIA NVENC (Pascal+), Intel Quick Sync (Skylake+), AMD VCE/VCN, Apple VideoToolbox
Browser supportSafari 11+ (macOS/iOS), Edge (with HEVC extension); Chrome and Firefox do not support H.265
Container supportMP4, HLS (.fmp4), DASH, CMAF
Max resolution16384×8192 (16K)
Encoding speed2–3× slower than H.264 (software); ~1.5× slower (hardware)
Typical use case4K delivery, bandwidth-constrained networks, Apple ecosystem, premium VOD
Compatibility

Browser & Device Support

Platform
H.264
H.265
AV1
VP9
Chrome (desktop)
70+
29+
Firefox (desktop)
67+
28+
Safari (macOS)
11+
17+
Edge
HEVC ext.
79+
79+
iOS Safari
11+
17+
Android Chrome
device-dep.
93+
Smart TVs
2017+
2022+
Roku / Fire TV
4K models
2023+
Game consoles
PS5, Xbox S/X
PS5, Xbox S/X
Implementation

How Qencode Handles H.265

Qencode encodes H.265 using optimized x265 (software) and hardware-accelerated encoders. Specify libx265 as the video codec in any output format — HLS, DASH, MP4, or CMAF. Qencode handles profile/level selection automatically based on the target resolution and device compatibility.

Pair H.265 with Per-Title Encoding for the maximum compression efficiency — PTE's bitrate optimization compounds with H.265's inherent efficiency gains. Add Content-Aware Encoding for per-scene optimization.

Request Example

MP4 output with H.265 (HEVC) and Per-Title Encoding

{
  "query": {
    "source": "https://your-storage.com/source.mov",
    "format": [
      {
        "output": "mp4",
        "video_codec": "libx265",
        "resolution": 2160,
        "optimize_bitrate": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}

Copy this payload and use it with your API key to generate H.265 output from any video source.

View Parameter Reference
comparison

H.265 vs. AV1

H.265 (HEVC)
AV1
Compression (vs H.264)
~40% better
~50% better
Royalty status
Licensed (complex)
Royalty-free
Encoding speed
2–3× slower than H.264
5–20× slower than H.264
Hardware decode
Broad (2017+ devices)
Growing (2022+ devices)
Browser support
Safari, Edge only
Chrome, Firefox, Safari 17+, Edge
Best for
4K on smart TVs, Apple ecosystem
Maximum efficiency, royalty-free delivery

For a detailed AV1 breakdown, see AV1

Pricing

What It Costs

SD
$0.01
0
Format
Select item
Codec
Select item
Framerate
25
Choose resolution

Planning for budgets over $1,000/month? Schedule a call with us to explore additional volume discounts.

Resolution
H.265
SD (< 960 x 720) 0 - 691199 pixels
$0.01
HD (2160 x 1080) 691200 - 2332800 pixels
$0.02
1440 (2880 x 1440) 2332801 - 4147200 pixels
$0.05
4K (4096 x 2048) 4147201 - 8388608 pixels
$0.09
5K (5120 x 2560) 8388609 - 13107200 pixels
$0.16
6K (6144 x 3072) 13107201 - 18874368 pixels
$0.239
7K (7168 x 3584) 18874361 - 25690112 pixels
$0.319
8K (8192 x 4096) 25690113 - 33554432 pixels
$0.44
10K (10240 x 5120) 33554433 - 52428800 pixels
$0.77
12K (12288 x 6144) 52428801 - 75497472 pixels
$1.1
14K (14336 x 7168) 75497473 - 102760448 pixels
$1.5
16K (16384 x 8192) 102760449 - 134217728 pixels
$1.94
Preset slow
1.25x
Preset slower
1.5x
Preset very slow
1.75x
Preset placebo
2x
See Pricing Details
Explore More

Related Features

Content-Aware Encoding

Per-scene bitrate optimization that compounds with H.265 efficiency

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