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Codec

A codec is a software or hardware tool used to encode or decode digital data, particularly audio or video. Encoding compresses data to reduce file size, while decoding restores the data for playback or editing. Different codecs balance quality, file size, and processing requirements.

List of video codecs

Here are some of the most widely used video codecs today, along with their creators and where to find more information:

  1. H.264 (AVC)
  2. Creator: Joint Video Team (JVT) – a collaboration between ITU-T and ISO/IEC.
  3. More Information: H.264 is one of the most popular codecs, especially for streaming and video-on-demand services like YouTube. It offers good compression efficiency and compatibility across platforms and devices.

  4. Read more about H.264

  5. H.265 (HEVC)

  6. Creator: ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and MPEG.
  7. More Information: H.265 is the successor to H.264, offering better compression for higher resolution content (like 4K and 8K), though it comes with higher licensing fees.

  8. Learn about HEVC

  9. VP9

  10. Creator: Google.
  11. More Information: A royalty-free alternative to HEVC, widely used by YouTube and supported by most web browsers. It is popular for 4K streaming.

  12. Find out more about VP9

  13. AV1

  14. Creator: Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), which includes companies like Google, Amazon, and Netflix.
  15. More Information: AV1 is an open-source, royalty-free codec designed to replace VP9 and compete with H.265. It provides even better compression and is becoming the standard for streaming platforms.

  16. Explore AV1

  17. Apple ProRes

  18. Creator: Apple.
  19. More Information: ProRes is widely used in professional video editing due to its high-quality compression, particularly in post-production.

  20. Read about ProRes

  21. Avid DNxHD/DNxHR

  22. Creator: Avid Technology.
  23. More Information: These codecs are commonly used in professional post-production, particularly for high-definition and high-resolution content, with strong cross-platform support.
  24. Learn more about DNx codecs

Each codec has unique properties suited to different workflows, ranging from streaming to professional editing environments【6†source】【7†source】【8†source】.