What is this: HEVC? Key features of the new codec

As you know, we all like to watch movies, videos or broadcasts in good quality. But in terms of storing video on the computer, there are many problems, usually associated with a banal lack of space. Relatively recently, a new standard appeared, and many users immediately had a logical question: "What is this - HEVC?". Let's consider several basic aspects related to the implementation and practical use of the new codec.

What is this: HEVC

If we talk about films that are written to removable media, usually the size of the disc itself affects the choice of the method of video compression. The same Blu-ray discs can store movies in high definition with volumes of more than 25 GB. However, you agree, to keep such a movie on the hard drive, especially when its capacity is clearly limited, from a practical point of view is completely inexpedient.

For this, encoding of the rollers is used, which allows even without damage to quality to reduce the size of the final file due to special compression methods. And in practice what is it? HEVC is by far the most advanced codec, it can be said, even a revolution in the field of video. But what is not satisfied with fans of high-quality video, the old H.264 codec?

High Efficiency Video Coding: Coding Basics

To do this, you need to understand the basics of signal coding. The point is that one of the main roles is played by the use of the maximum block. For H.264, this is 16 x 16 or a total of 256 pixels.

For a new H.265 standard, such a block can be 16 times larger! And if we also take into account the technology of the modifiable blocks, when the block size is taken directly by the algorithm itself during the compression process, it is not difficult to imagine that the new codec is, so to speak, the most "tolerant" to high resolutions and today even supports 8k (8192 x 4320 pixels ). You can add here also the function of parallel encoding. Thus, the HEVC codec for high image quality allows you to reduce the bitrate, and accordingly, the file size. The space saving in comparison with the H.264 standard can reach 25-50%!

Support 4k and 8k: how effective is it?

As for the effectiveness of using such a codec, at the dawn of his appearance he did not win much popularity. It was due to the fact that only the most powerful and modern graphics chips GeForce 970 or 980 could support the new standard.

Actually, the encoding process itself on other less powerful devices took about 10-12 hours. Thus, from the practical point of view, the application of the new standard was unprofitable.

Over time, the situation has changed, and now technologies based on H.265 are beginning to be applied everywhere. In terms of space savings in comparison with H.264, you can give a fairly eloquent example. At a resolution of 720p, the saving is about 25%, and under the condition of quality 4k - more than 50%. By the way, if you use rip Blu-ray disc, the size of the original video can be reduced almost 10 times (it will "weigh just over 3 GB)!

Main innovations

If you look at some of the innovations, among all that is presented in the requirements for the new codec, you can note the following:

• Support for Main 8 and 10 bit profiles (in perspective - 12 bits);
• The presence of two-dimensional separable, inseparable and directed interpolation filters ASF;
• Motion compensation with an accuracy of 1/8 pixel;
• Use of adaptive error prediction and matrix selection in the encoding process;
• The presence of a comparative coding scheme for the motion vector;
• Mode-dependent intraframe coding.

Of course, you can continue the list further. However, even these indicators to any professional who encounters video encoding, can say a lot.

What software to use to watch movies in a new format

So, the codec itself was sorted out. That it (HEVC), I think, is already a little clear. Now we turn to the most pressing issue, which, of course, is of interest to most users. What can I use to watch video encoded using new algorithms?

In principle, in the simplest version, you can use software players. One of the most interesting, in the opinion of many, is the specialized and highly focused Daum PotPlayer application. If this option is not suitable, you can use the popular VLC Media Player, only you need to install the latest version, because only it has built-in support for HEVC.

However, despite all the advantages, we can note a lot of problems. Most of this applies only to the fact that on the Internet now you can find not so many movies or videos encoded using a new algorithm. What is even more distressing is the lack of support from vendors. If the software issues are still somehow solved, the manufacturers of home theaters or Smart TV are not in a hurry to master the release of products with support for H.265. And the codec itself, although it is considered revolutionary, has not yet received a special spread. But I want to hope that this is a temporary phenomenon.

Instead of the total

Here in brief and all that concerns the new standard in video encoding. Of course, not all the technical aspects of the new technology were touched on here, however, even such a short information will help any user to draw a conclusion about the main innovations, expediency of implementation and practical use of such technologies. But in fact, by and large, they can turn all our ideas about the quality and processing of video information. And, apparently, soon obsolete H.264 standard will go into oblivion, because the technology does not stand still. If you take a long-term perspective, it will be very possible that something even more powerful will be developed instead of the HEVC codec.