# H.264

The universal video codec with 99%+ device support and the fastest encoding speeds.

## Overview

### What is H.264

H.264 (also known as AVC, or Advanced Video Coding) is a video compression standard developed jointly by ITU-T and ISO/IEC MPEG. Released in 2003, it remains the most widely deployed video codec in the world — supported by every browser, mobile device, smart TV, game console, and hardware decoder in production. H.264 offers a strong balance of compression efficiency and encoding speed, though newer codecs like H.265 and AV1 achieve 30–50% better compression at equivalent quality. H.264's licensing is managed by MPEG LA's patent pool, with fees typically absorbed by device and encoder manufacturers rather than content producers.

## When to Choose H.264

Choose H.264 when:

- You need to reach every device on earth — H.264 playback is supported on 99%+ of devices and browsers without exception.
- Encoding speed matters more than file size — H.264 encodes 5–20× faster than [AV1](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/av1) and 2–3× faster than [H.265](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/h265).
- Your CDN costs are not your primary concern — H.264's larger files are acceptable when bandwidth is cheap or audience is small.

Consider alternatives when:

- Storage and CDN costs dominate your budget — [H.265](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/h265) saves ~40% and [AV1](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/av1) saves ~50% at equivalent quality.
- You're building for YouTube, Netflix, or similar platforms that already decode [AV1](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/av1)— [AV1](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/av1) is the forward-looking choice.
- You need royalty-free codecs — [VP9](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/vp9) and [AV1](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/av1) have no licensing fees.

## Transcoding Demo

### Key Characteristics

|     |     |
| --- | --- |
| Standard | ITU-T H.264 / ISO/IEC 14496-10 (AVC), 2003 |
| Compression efficiency | Baseline — newer codecs compare against H.264 |
| Royalty status | Licensed (MPEG LA patent pool); fees typically paid by device/encoder vendors |
| Hardware decode support | Universal — every GPU, SoC, and media chip produced since ~2010 |
| Hardware encode support | Universal — Intel Quick Sync, NVIDIA NVENC, AMD VCE/VCN, Apple VideoToolbox |
| Browser support | Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge — all versions currently in use |
| Container support | [MP4](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/mp4), [HLS](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/hls)(.ts/.fmp4), [DASH](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/mpeg-dash), [CMAF](https://cloud.qencode.com/video-formats-codecs/cmaf) |
| Max resolution | 8192×4320 (High 6.2 profile); practically used up to 4K |
| Encoding speed | Fast — 5–20× faster than AV1, 2–3× faster than H.265 |
| Typical use case | Maximum compatibility, fast encoding, cost-sensitive workflows |

## Browser & Device Support

| Platform | H.264 | H.265 | AV1 | VP9 | VP8 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Chrome (desktop) |  |  | 70+ | 29+ | 25+ |
| Firefox (desktop) |  |  | 67+ | 28+ | 4+ |
| Safari (macOS) |  | 11+ | 17+ |  |  |
| Edge |  | HEVC ext. | 79+ | 79+ | 79+ |
| iOS Safari |  | 11+ | 17+ |  |  |
| Android Chrome |  | device-dep. | 93+ |  |  |
| Smart TVs (Tizen/webOS) |  | 2017+ | 2022+ |  |  |
| Roku / Fire TV |  | 4K models | 2023+ |  |  |
| Game consoles |  | PS5, Xbox S/X | PS5, Xbox S/X |  |  |

## How Qencode Handles H.264

Qencode encodes H.264 using optimized x264 (software) and hardware-accelerated encoders (NVENC, Quick Sync, VideoToolbox) depending on the job configuration. H.264 is the default codec for most output formats — specify `libx264` explicitly or let Qencode default to it.

Pair H.264 with [Per-Title Encoding](https://cloud.qencode.com/per-title-encoding) to reduce H.264's bitrate overhead by 40–60% without switching codecs, or use Bulk Encoding to process large H.264 libraries in parallel.

```json
{
  "query": {
    "source": "https://your-storage.com/source.mov",
    "format": [
      {
        "output": "mp4",
        "video_codec": "libx264",
        "resolution": 2160,
        "optimize_bitrate": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

Copy this payload and use it with your API key to generate H.264 output from any video source.

## H.264 vs. H.265

|  | H.264 | H.265 (HEVC) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Compression | Baseline | ~40% better |
| Encoding speed | Fast | 2–3× slower |
| Device support | Universal (99%+) | Broad (90%+, growing) |
| Royalty status | Licensed (MPEG LA) | Licensed (MPEG LA + others) |
| Browser support | Universal | Partial (Safari, Edge; not Chrome/Firefox) |
| Best for | Maximum compatibility, fast encoding | Bandwidth savings, 4K delivery |

## What It Costs

### Pricing Table

| Resolution | H.264 |
| --- | --- |
| SD (< 960 x 720) 0 - 691199 pixels | $0.005<br>$0.008 |
| HD (2160 x 1080) 691200 - 2332800 pixels | $0.01<br>$0.015 |
| 1440 (2880 x 1440)  2332801 - 4147200 pixels | $0.025<br>$0.038 |
| 4K (4096 x 2048)  4147201 - 8388608 pixels | $0.045<br>$0.068 |
| 5K (5120 x 2560)  8388609 - 13107200 pixels | $0.08<br>$0.12 |
| 6K (6144 x 3072)  13107201 - 18874368 pixels | $0.12<br>$0.18 |
| 7K (7168 x 3584)  18874361 - 25690112 pixels | $0.16<br>$0.24 |
| 8K (8192 x 4096)  25690113 - 33554432 pixels | $0.22<br>$0.33 |
| 10K (10240 x 5120)  33554433 - 52428800 pixels | $0.35<br>$0.525 |
| 12K (12288 x 6144)  52428801 - 75497472 pixels | $0.5<br>$0.75 |
| 14K (14336 x 7168)  75497473 - 102760448 pixels | $0.68<br>$1.02 |
| 16K (16384 x 8192)  102760449 - 134217728 pixels | $0.88<br>$1.32 |