As a content creator, especially a course creator with online courses, you want your videos to ensure high-quality images while streaming fluidly and also storing efficiently. In this blog, we'll discuss HEVC (H.265), arguably one of the most advanced video formats available on the market, and why you should use this format for online course creation.

What is HEVC?

HEVC stands for High-Efficiency Video Coding and is also known as H.265. It is a video compression standard that offers better compression and quality compared to its predecessor, H.264. In simple words, HEVC allows you to achieve high-quality video at lower file sizes—a crucial advantage for both creators and viewers, especially when creating and streaming online course content.

Benefits of HEVC for Content Creators

1. Improved Video Quality
   HEVC will give you a better video quality at a lower bitrate. That means your online course videos can look just as good (if not better) than those compressed with older codecs like H.264 but with significantly smaller file sizes.
2. Reduced File Size
   The HEVC also comes with a feature of reducing the file size to up to 50% smaller than H.264. It is perfect for content creators to save storage without losing video quality.
3. Future-Proofing Your Content
   Since video streaming service providers and devices are widely adopting HEVC, using that format would ensure that your content stays up-to-date with technology and is available for access on newer devices.

How HEVC Improves Streaming and Storage for Online Courses

1. Faster Streaming
   Seamless video streaming is imperative for online courses. HEVC allows for buffer-free streaming much faster, even in the absence of higher bandwidths. This ensures that students can fully focus on the content with no interruptions or lags.
2. Efficient Storage Management
   As a content creator, especially within the e-learning space, you may have hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of course content. Given that HEVC's file size is smaller than its predecessors, you can keep more videos within the same space without wasting space on storage devices. This would be essential to creating large collections of educational materials.

H.264 vs HEVC: Which Video Format is Better?

When it comes to video compression, H.264 and HEVC (H.265) are the two most popular formats available. These both compress video to be streamed or stored but are different in efficiency, quality, and file size. Let's break down some of the differences between H.264 and HEVC for easier selection between these two formats according to your requirements.

1. Compression Efficiency

• H.264:
  H.264 is known as AVC or Advanced Video Coding. It is the most widely used video compression format and has managed to find an appropriate balance between efficiency in compression and video quality, though not quite as efficient as HEVC.
• HEVC (H.265):
  HEVC is the successor to H.264 and offers up to 50% better compression. This means it can compress video files at the same quality as H.264 but with half the file size. This is particularly useful for streaming and storage, especially with high-resolution content like 4K.

2. Video Quality

• H.264:
  While H.264 offers good quality at lower bitrates, it struggles to maintain high-quality video when compressing very high-resolution content like 4K.
• HEVC (H.265):
  HEVC offers better video quality at the same bitrate or better quality at lower bitrates than H.264. It is the most popular format for 4K videos and other high-definition content because it provides sharp visuals even at lower file sizes.

3. Compatibility

• H.264:

  H.264 is universally supported across nearly all devices, video platforms, and browsers. This makes it the most commonly used format by most users. It works very well on smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more.

• HEVC (H.265):

  HEVC is well compressed and has excellent quality but less compatibility compared to H.264. Older devices or browsers may not support HEVC natively, but newer devices, streaming platforms, and software are adopting HEVC.

4. Streaming and Storage

• H.264:

  The H.264 file sizes for high-quality videos are quite large and may consume more storage space. H.264 consumes more bandwidth in the case of streaming, especially with high resolution.

• HEVC (H.265):

  Thanks to its higher compression, HEVC reduces the storage requirement to a high degree. It also increases streaming efficiency and is used for high-definition streaming with 4k without buffering or data overload.

5. Use Cases

• H.264:

  • Ideally suited for HD-based standard videos such as 1080p
  • Generally applied in video streaming, video conferencing and online courses
  • Best for cross-platform compatibility

• HEVC (H.265):

  • Perfectly suitable for video content 4k without any data overflow
  • Good source of video storage and size reduction
  • More used nowadays in modern devices such as 4K TVs and the newest smartphones

Educators Adaptation

As an educator, adopting HEVC for your online courses offers two major advantages:

1. Saves Storage Space

   With large video files often required for teaching, HEVC helps to significantly reduce the storage space needed, allowing you to store more high-quality videos without exceeding your storage limits.

2. Ensures Smooth Streaming for Students

   Whether your students stream videos through a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet, HEVC ensures that the content will be delivered smoothly and of high quality, thus making for a perfect learning experience even when students have fewer internet strengths.

Our LMS also supports HEVC, which delivers the best possible video. You won't have to worry about the content that students access on your courses being delayed or distorted. Videos will stream flawlessly and remain sharp, even on mobile devices.

Conclusion

That said, the conclusion is: that HEVC (H.265) is simply the best video format for online courses. It has reduced the sizes of files, and improved video quality with enhanced performance while streaming crucial elements that deliver the best learning experience.

With our support for HEVC to optimize video delivery, you'll be free from hassles while creating and sharing high-quality course videos to reach students quickly and effectively.

FAQs

1. Does HEVC provide good quality?

HEVC does deliver superb quality videos half of the size that from previous versions, which includes H.264 for higher definition or 4K videos.

2. Which is Better MKV or HEVC?
HEVC is mostly used within MKV files. It offers excellent video quality with compression. In case you need to choose between the two, they can be used together—HEVC for compression and MKV for flexible storage.

3. Is HEVC better than MP4?
HEVC (H.265) is a video codec that provides better compression and quality; MP4, on the other hand, is a container format holding videos encoded using different codecs including HEVC, so HEVC can be used inside MP4 for better quality video and lesser file size.

4. What's the full form of HEVC?
The full form of HEVC is High-Efficiency Video Coding.

5. How to convert HEVC to MP4?
To convert HEVC (H.265) to MP4, use a video converter such as HandBrake or FFmpeg, select MP4 as the output format, and keep HEVC as the codec.