Video Codecs

Frame supports a comprehensive range of video codecs for different use cases, from web streaming to professional archival. This guide covers each codec’s characteristics, use cases, and recommended settings.

Supported Codecs

H.264 (libx264)
H.265 (libx265)
VP9 (libvpx-vp9)
AV1 (libaom-av1)
ProRes

H.264 / AVC

The most widely compatible video codec, supported on virtually every device and platform.Codec ID: libx264

Use Cases

General-purpose video conversion
Maximum device compatibility
Web streaming and social media
Live streaming
When file size efficiency matters more than cutting-edge compression

Preset Options

H.264 supports the full range of FFmpeg presets that control encoding speed vs compression efficiency:

ultrafast - Fastest encoding, largest files
superfast - Very fast encoding
veryfast - Fast encoding, good for real-time applications
faster - Faster than default
fast - Fast encoding
medium - Default - Balanced speed and compression
slow - Better compression, slower encoding
slower - Even better compression
veryslow - Best compression, very slow encoding

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Fast presets (ultrafast-fast): Encode 2-10x faster but produce 10-30% larger files
Medium preset: Optimal balance for most use cases
Slow presets (slow-veryslow): Produce 5-15% smaller files but take significantly longer

Container Compatibility

Works with: MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WEBM

Example Configuration

{
  "videoCodec": "libx264",
  "preset": "medium",
  "videoBitrateMode": "crf",
  "crf": 23
}

H.264 is the best choice when maximum compatibility is required. Nearly every device manufactured in the last 15 years can decode H.264 hardware-accelerated.

H.265 / HEVC

Next-generation codec offering 25-50% better compression than H.264 at the same quality level.Codec ID: libx265

Use Cases

4K and high-resolution video archival
Saving storage space while maintaining quality
Modern device ecosystems (2016+)
HDR video content
When encoding time is not a constraint

Preset Options

Same preset range as H.264:

ultrafast through veryslow
medium is the default

H.265 encoding is significantly slower than H.264, often 3-5x longer encoding times. Use slower presets only when quality is paramount.

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Compression efficiency: 25-50% better than H.264 at equivalent quality
Encoding speed: 3-5x slower than H.264 at the same preset
Decoding compatibility: Limited on older devices (pre-2016)
Hardware support: Most modern devices support hardware H.265 decode

Container Compatibility

Works with: MP4, MKV, MOV

Example Configuration

{
  "videoCodec": "libx265",
  "preset": "slow",
  "videoBitrateMode": "crf",
  "crf": 18
}

Ideal for archival purposes. The “Archive H.265” preset in Frame uses CRF 18 with the slow preset for excellent quality-to-size ratio.

VP9

Google’s royalty-free codec, optimized for web streaming and widely used on YouTube.Codec ID: vp9

Use Cases

Web video and streaming
YouTube uploads
Royalty-free codec requirements
WebM container workflows
Screen recordings and presentations

Preset Options

VP9 uses different preset names than H.264/H.265:

default - Standard encoding speed
medium - Default - Balanced performance
slow - Better compression

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Compression: Similar to H.265, better than H.264
Encoding speed: Very slow, often 5-10x slower than H.264
Decoding: Hardware support varies; software decoding is CPU-intensive
Web compatibility: Excellent browser support (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)

Container Compatibility

Primary: WEBM (also supports: MKV)

Example Configuration

{
  "videoCodec": "vp9",
  "preset": "medium",
  "videoBitrateMode": "crf",
  "crf": 30
}

VP9 is the codec of choice for the “Web Share” preset, paired with the WebM container and Opus audio for maximum web compatibility.

AV1

The latest royalty-free codec with superior compression, but extremely slow encoding.Codec ID: libaom-av1

Use Cases

Future-proof archival
Maximum compression efficiency
Streaming platforms adopting AV1 (Netflix, YouTube)
When encoding time is not a constraint (overnight/batch processing)
Small file size is critical

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Compression: 30-50% better than H.265
Encoding speed: Extremely slow, 10-50x slower than H.264
Decoding: Limited hardware support (mostly 2021+ devices)
Browser support: Modern browsers only (Chrome 90+, Firefox 67+)

Container Compatibility

Works with: MP4, MKV, WEBM

AV1 encoding is extremely slow. A 1-minute video can take 30+ minutes to encode. Only use when compression efficiency outweighs time constraints.

Example Configuration

{
  "videoCodec": "libaom-av1",
  "videoBitrateMode": "crf",
  "crf": 30
}

ProRes

Apple’s professional intermediate codec designed for editing workflows.Codec ID: prores_ks

Use Cases

Professional video editing
Post-production workflows
Color grading and VFX work
Mastering and archival in professional environments
When you need frame-accurate editing

Characteristics

Intra-frame codec: Every frame is independently encoded
Very large files: 10-50x larger than H.264
Fast encoding/decoding: Optimized for editing performance
Minimal quality loss: Designed as visually lossless
No preset options: ProRes has fixed encoding profiles

ProRes Profiles

ProRes comes in different quality levels:

ProRes Proxy - Lowest quality, smallest files
ProRes LT - Light version
ProRes 422 - Standard quality (most common)
ProRes 422 HQ - High quality
ProRes 4444 - Highest quality with alpha channel support

Container Compatibility

Primary: MOV (QuickTime)

ProRes is not designed for delivery or distribution. Use it for editing intermediate files, then encode to H.264/H.265 for final delivery.

Example Configuration

{
  "videoCodec": "prores_ks",
  "container": "mov"
}

When to Use Each Codec

Maximum Compatibility

Use H.264 (libx264)When you need the video to play on the widest range of devices, including:

Older smartphones and tablets
Smart TVs
Game consoles
Car entertainment systems
Any device manufactured before 2016

Recommended settings:

CRF: 23 (good quality)
Preset: medium
Container: MP4

Archival & Storage Efficiency

Use H.265 (libx265)When you want to save storage space while maintaining high quality:

Large video libraries
4K content archival
NAS/server storage
Personal media collections

Recommended settings:

CRF: 18-22 (excellent quality)
Preset: slow or slower
Container: MKV or MP4

Web Streaming

Use VP9For web-based video delivery:

YouTube uploads
Website embedded video
Browser-based playback
Royalty-free requirements

Recommended settings:

CRF: 30-35
Preset: medium
Container: WebM
Audio: Opus

Professional Editing

Use ProResFor video editing workflows:

Importing footage into editing software
Color grading intermediate files
VFX work
Multi-generation editing (minimize quality loss)

Note: Export to H.264/H.265 for final delivery.

Future-Proof Maximum Compression

Use AV1When you need the absolute smallest file size and have time:

Long-term archival with maximum space savings
Streaming platform requirements (YouTube, Netflix)
Batch overnight processing
Future-proofing content

Recommended settings:

CRF: 28-32
Be prepared for long encoding times
Container: WebM or MP4

Codec Comparison Table

Codec	Compression	Encoding Speed	Compatibility	Best For
H.264	Good	Fast	Excellent	General use, compatibility
H.265	Excellent	Slow	Good (2016+)	Archival, 4K video
VP9	Excellent	Very Slow	Good (web)	Web streaming, YouTube
AV1	Outstanding	Extremely Slow	Limited (2021+)	Maximum compression
ProRes	N/A (intra-frame)	Fast	Limited (editing software)	Professional editing

Get Started

Features

Guides

Development

Video Codecs

Video Codecs

Supported Codecs

H.264 / AVC

Use Cases

Preset Options

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

H.265 / HEVC

Use Cases

Preset Options

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

VP9

Use Cases

Preset Options

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

AV1

Use Cases

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

ProRes

Use Cases

Characteristics

ProRes Profiles

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

When to Use Each Codec

Codec Comparison Table

See Also

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Features

Guides

Development

​Video Codecs

​Supported Codecs

​H.264 / AVC

​Use Cases

​Preset Options

​Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

​Container Compatibility

​Example Configuration

​H.265 / HEVC

​Use Cases

​Preset Options

​Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

​Container Compatibility

​Example Configuration

​VP9

​Use Cases

​Preset Options

​Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

​Container Compatibility

​Example Configuration

​AV1

​Use Cases

​Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

​Container Compatibility

​Example Configuration

​ProRes

​Use Cases

​Characteristics

​ProRes Profiles

​Container Compatibility

​Example Configuration

​When to Use Each Codec

​Codec Comparison Table

​See Also

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Video Codecs

Supported Codecs

H.264 / AVC

Use Cases

Preset Options

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

H.265 / HEVC

Use Cases

Preset Options

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

VP9

Use Cases

Preset Options

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

AV1

Use Cases

Quality vs Speed Tradeoffs

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

ProRes

Use Cases

Characteristics

ProRes Profiles

Container Compatibility

Example Configuration

When to Use Each Codec

Codec Comparison Table

See Also