Play-ability is the best ability for codecs; here’s where these four play.

H.264 Codec Backgrounder

Jan Ozer June 29, 2021 Codecs Leave a comment 1,889 Views

This article on the Wowza website provides a quick overview of the H.264 codec: what it is, how it performs, what it costs, and what it’s good for. It concludes with a section on what you need to know to effectively deploy the H.264 codec, particularly within the Wowza Streaming Engine software and the Wowza Streaming Cloud service.

Play-ability is the best ability for codecs; here’s where these four play.

The article is the first in a five-part series that will cover H.264, VP9, HEVC, AV1, and VVC. There are four tables that detail compatibility, performance, royalty status, and suitability for tasks like live, transcoding, HDR.

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About Jan Ozer

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I help streaming and video technology companies solve complex technical and market-facing problems in practical business terms. Engagements range from fixed-scope audits and codec strategy reviews to product testing and technical content that helps customers, prospects, and internal teams connect technical performance to business outcomes. I am a contributing editor to Streaming Media Magazine, writing about codecs and encoding tools. I have written multiple authoritative books on video encoding, including Video Encoding by the Numbers: Eliminate the Guesswork from your Streaming Video (https://amzn.to/3kV6R1j) and Learn to Produce Video with FFmpeg: In Thirty Minutes or Less (https://amzn.to/3ZJih7e). I have multiple courses relating to streaming media production, all available at https://bit.ly/slc_courses.

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