H.264/MPEG-4 AVC facts for kids

H.264, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10, Advanced Video Coding, is a very popular method for making video files smaller. Think of it like packing a big suitcase into a smaller one without losing too much of what's inside. This technology helps videos take up less space and stream more smoothly online.

H.264 is used everywhere you watch videos! It helps make Blu-ray players work, lets you stream videos on sites like YouTube, and is even used in many TV broadcasts.

What is Video Compression?

When you record a video, the file can be very large. This is because it captures a lot of information for every single frame. Video compression is the process of making these files smaller. H.264 is a type of video compression that uses clever tricks to remove information that your eyes might not notice, or to find patterns that repeat.

Lossy vs. Lossless Compression

There are two main ways H.264 can compress videos:

• Lossy compression: This is like taking a big picture and saving it as a smaller file. Some tiny details are removed, but the picture still looks good. Most videos you watch online use lossy compression because it makes files much, much smaller.
• Lossless compression: This method makes the file smaller without losing any original information at all. It's like zipping up a computer file – when you unzip it, it's exactly the same as before. H.264 can do this, but it doesn't make the files as small as lossy compression, so it's not used as often for everyday videos.

Where is H.264 Used?

H.264 is incredibly common because it works well and is supported by many devices.

• Streaming Videos: When you watch videos on YouTube, Netflix, or other streaming services, there's a good chance they are using H.264 to send the video to your device. This helps prevent buffering and uses less internet data.
• Blu-ray Discs: Movies on Blu-ray use H.264 to store high-quality video on the discs.
• Broadcast TV: Many digital TV channels use H.264 to broadcast their shows.
• Video Calls: Apps like Zoom or FaceTime often use H.264 to compress your video feed, making your calls smoother.
• Cameras: Many digital cameras and camcorders use H.264 to record videos.

The Next Step: HEVC

Technology is always improving! H.264 has a newer version called HEVC, also known as H.265. HEVC can make video files even smaller than H.264 while keeping the same quality. This is great for things like 4K and 8K videos, which are very large. However, H.264 is still widely used because it's been around longer and works on more devices.

Images for kids

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  Block diagram of video coding layer of H.264 encoder with perceptual quality score

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  Block diagram of H.264

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  A YouTube video statistics with AVC (H.264) video codec and Opus audio format