HEVC

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High Efficiency Video Coding

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265, is a cutting-edge video compression standard that represents a significant advancement over its predecessor, Advanced Video Coding (AVC) or H.264. Developed by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC), a partnership between the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group, HEVC was designed to meet the growing demands for higher video resolutions and quality, such as 4K and 8K, while ensuring efficient use of bandwidth and storage.

HEVC achieves approximately double the data compression ratio of AVC at the same level of video quality. This increased efficiency is a result of several improvements and new techniques in the coding process. HEVC uses larger coding units, improved prediction capabilities for both intra- and inter-frame compression, and more sophisticated motion compensation and filtering. These enhancements allow HEVC to deliver high-resolution video content, such as 4K and 8K UHD, at significantly lower bitrates than AVC, making it an ideal solution for streaming high-quality content over limited bandwidth networks.

The adoption of HEVC has been driven by its ability to handle the demands of modern video applications, from streaming ultra-high-definition content on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to efficient video transmission in broadcast and satellite TV. Additionally, HEVC plays a crucial role in areas like video conferencing and surveillance, where high-quality video needs to be transmitted and stored efficiently. However, its adoption has faced challenges, including patent licensing issues and the computational complexity of encoding and decoding. Despite these challenges, HEVC’s superior compression capabilities make it a key player in the evolving landscape of digital video, especially as 4K and higher resolutions become more prevalent.

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