What is the H.266 codec
The new H.266 standard, also known as VVC (Versatile Video Coding), is used to compress and decompress video files so that they take up less space when stored on a hard drive and less bandwidth when transferred through a net.
Codecs use different kinds of algorithms (similar to mathematical formulas) to reduce the size of files. The best codecs are the ones that reduce the files the most without significantly affecting the quality of the video.
codec h266 vvc compression
The new H.266 will be able to create files 50 percent smaller than the current H.265. This means that a 10 GB video encoded in H.264 occupies 5 GB in H.265 and only 2.5 GB in H.266.
H.264 Vs H.265 Vs H.266
Codec Publication year File size
H.264 2003 10 GB
H.265 2013 5 GB
H.266 2020 2.5 GB
This incredible reduction in file size will greatly help the playback and streaming of 8K HDR video content on the devices of the future.
In addition to that, the new codec will have support for 10-bit HDR and more versatility of resolutions (it will allow to scale or change the resolution adaptively).
The VVC standard specification document is over 500 pages long and it has taken Fraunhofer HHI engineers nearly 3 years to develop it together with their partners (Apple, Ericsson, Intel, Huawei, Microsoft, Qualcomm and Sony).
The Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute, HHI, also known as Fraunhofer HHI or Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, is an organization dedicated to applied research and development in the fields of physics, electrical engineering and computer science .
For photographers it could also lead to a more efficient image file format and another challenge to the dominance of JPEG as the lightweight file type of choice as the HEIF image format – implemented by Apple on the iPhone and, more recently, by Canon on the 1D X Mark III- is based entirely on H.265 / HEVC compression. For the same reason, H.266 / VVC could lead to an even more efficient “VIC” format for photos, although this is pure speculation at the moment.
As for when it will actually be applied, the adoption could end up being faster than H.265 thanks to the creation of the MC-IF (Media Coding Industry Forum or Forum of the Media Coding Industry). This industry body, made up of more than 30 companies, will be responsible for the “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” licensing of H.266 / VVC when encoding and decoding software (and hardware) are released to the market. end of this year.
