Introduction:
Recently, we undertook a project to deliver five videos for a small business, all destined for their new website which was being redeveloped. These videos included a hero video showcasing their business, a banner video, a testimonial, and two staff profile videos. Our challenge when delivering the completed videos was they were to be implemented without relying on a third-party streamer like Vimeo, YouTube, or Wistia.
While H.264 was the traditional choice for compatibility, we decided to test more modern codecs to see if we could deliver higher quality videos with smaller file sizes, while ensuring compatibility across all devices.
Background:
H.264 has been the first choice for video compression & streaming for over a decade. However, with the emergence of newer codecs like H.265, AV1, and VP9, each offering distinct advantages/disadvantages, it was time for us to reassess.
Codec Overview:
H.265:
• First released in 2013.
• Not open source.
• Offers highest quality video files
• Much improved compression, meaning smaller file sizes.
• Increasing hardware acceleration support.
VP9:
• Open-source codec developed by Google.
• Used by major platforms like YouTube and Netflix.
• More efficient than H.264 but lags behind H.265.
• Better image quality than H264, but not as good as H265.
• Has had slow uptake despite major players supporting it.
AV1:
• Open-source and royalty-free.
• Backed by major tech players.
• Similar quality to VP9.
• Limited hardware support but gaining traction, especially with recent developments like Apple’s M3 chipset.
• In early 2024 Twitch announced coming AV1 support, so future growth is looking strong.
Browser and Hardware Compatibility Testing:
To gauge compatibility, we created a test webpage featuring videos encoded with each of the mentioned codecs.
Green means it was supported.
Red means it was not supported.
Black means the combination was not tested.
Our tests across different browsers and hardware revealed some interesting insights:
• H.264 remains the most widely supported codec.
• Chrome boasts the widest support for video codecs.
• Windows computers exhibit broader compatibility than their OSx counterparts.
• Current-generation (M3 Macs and iPhone15) Apple hardware shows growing support for AV1, though you’ll need to install Chrome for the best overall results.
• It is disappointing Apple don’t allow software based decoding of next-gen codecs within Safari. The hardware is capable of playing all files, but Safari limits compatibility.
Looking Ahead:
For those prioritising quality, H.265 emerges as the top choice. However, AV1 shows promise with increasing support from industry giants like Intel, Nvidia, and Apple. Reflecting on the evolution of H.264, we anticipate that widespread of any next-gen codecs is still several years away, potentially five or more, before it becomes a reliable option for scenarios like the one we encountered.
Predicting the future of video codecs is difficult but currently it looks like AV1 is the frontrunner. VP9, despite Google’s backing, lacks widespread adoption and H.265’s licensing costs has hindered uptake. AV1’s open-source nature and traction among major streaming and hardware players bodes well for its future.
Conclusion:
As technology evolves, so do our options for delivering high-quality video content. While H.264 remains a steadfast choice for compatibility, the emergence of newer codecs like H.265, AV1, and VP9 presents exciting opportunities to enhance video quality and efficiency. While we aren’t quite ready to drop H264 as our primary delivery codec, we’re certainly getting closer to finding a suitable replacement.