What is H.265? Comprehensive analysis of high-efficiency video coding technology
In recent years, with the explosive growth of video content, efficient video encoding technology has become a hot topic. H.265 (also known as HEVC), as a new generation video coding standard, has attracted much attention due to its excellent compression performance and image quality. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the technical principles, application scenarios and comparison of H.265 with H.264.
1. Introduction to H.265 technology

H.265 (High Efficiency Video Coding) is a video coding standard jointly developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), and was officially released in 2013. Its core goal isImprove video compression efficiency by more than 50% under the same image quality, significantly reducing storage and transmission costs.
| Technical parameters | H.264 | H.265 |
|---|---|---|
| Release year | 2003 | 2013 |
| Compression efficiency | benchmark | 50% improvement |
| maximum resolution | 4K | 8K |
| coding unit | Macroblock (16×16) | Coding tree unit (maximum 64×64) |
2. Core technological breakthroughs of H.265
1.Coding Tree Unit (CTU): Supports flexible partitioning from 4×4 to 64×64, more efficient than H.264’s 16×16 macroblock
2.intra prediction: Add 35 prediction directions (only 8 for H.264) to reduce spatial redundancy
3.parallel processing: Introducing Tile and WPP technologies to improve multi-core processor utilization
4.Sample adaptive offset: Reduce ringing effects through SAO filter
3. Typical application scenarios
| field | Application cases | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| streaming media | Netflix 4K/HDR | Bandwidth saving 40% |
| Security monitoring | Hikvision smart camera | Storage period extended by 2 times |
| mobile communications | 5G Ultra HD Video Call | Data consumption reduced by 50% |
| Broadcasting and television industry | CCTV 8K Ultra HD Channel | Improved satellite transmission efficiency |
4. Challenges and Solutions of H.265
1.Patent licensing issues: Simplify the authorization process using a unified patent pool (HEVC Advance)
2.Hardware compatibility: New generation graphics cards (such as NVIDIA RTX 30 series) and mobile phone chips (Snapdragon 8 series) are natively supported
3.Coding complexity: Improve encoding speed through hardware acceleration (such as Intel Quick Sync Video)
5. Future development trends
With the release of the VVC (H.266) standard, H.265 is entering a mature application period. Expected to be by 2025:
• The penetration rate of H.265 in ultra-high definition video will reach 75%
• Smart camera H.265 encoding accounts for more than 90%
• Mainstream video platforms will fully shift to H.265/HEVC
To sum up, H.265 has demonstrated strong technical advantages in the 4K/8K era through its revolutionary encoding architecture. Although it faces challenges such as patents and computing power requirements, its core position in the field of video compression will continue for many years.
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