What codec do you guys use H.264 or H.265 when recording 4k footage?

[MileHi_Skydio]

I'm brand new to editing and barely just going to start editing 4k footage with my Skydio 2+....Went down the YT rabbit hole in regards to HEVC (H.2.65) and the benefits of that codec vs the old standard of H.264 (AVC).

With a recording bitrate of 100 Mbps on the Skydio which format have you guys chosen and why? I got a new laptop with a 12th generation Alder Lake i7-1260P &16 gigs LPDDR5 not sure if it has the decoders built into the chip like the Apple M1 chips do but am curious as what to choose for my setup?

Legit my first edited video in my life will be footage from the Skydio so I'm diving in blindfolded and looking for some advice. Also I was going to download DaVinci Resolve 18 the free version for editing.

Thx

 

[BlueHeeler]

I'm currently using the AVC H.264 format because I have an old PC, time for a now one, perhaps a Mac Book Pro.

 

[Ridefreak]

I've been using H.265 for awhile, the GoPros can record it and when the SD came along I just used the same thing. I read where the files it creates are more efficient for streaming due to their reduced file size. The article said h.265 can be as high as a 30% reduction in file size w/o affecting the video quality. That's pretty significant when a 10min YT video can be 2~3G in size. Less potential to buffer with the H.265 and YT does accept that video envelope.

Good idea on trying out some of the free versions of the editing programs. They can get expensive and finding the right one early on can save you some $ and wasted time learning something you don't end up using. I think the biggest factor in making good videos is using what ever program you choose to it's fullest extent, most of them are pretty capable, some are easier to use then others. Good luck

 

[MileHi_Skydio]

Yea for sure I was watching some videos on H.265 and I'm leaning on using that codec format because of the efficiency of the compressed file.

Thanks, yea I think I'll start with DaVinci Resolve and see how it goes with the free version. Unless anyone has any other suggestions for free editing software that is user/beginner friendly?

 

[Trailryder42]

Yea for sure I was watching some videos on H.265 and I'm leaning on using that codec format because of the efficiency of the compressed file.

Thanks, yea I think I'll start with DaVinci Resolve and see how it goes with the free version. Unless anyone has any other suggestions for free editing software that is user/beginner friendly?

I've tried a bunch. I like Davinci the best. Does more than I need. I keep my videos pretty simple. If you run into a wall and can't figure out how to do something, Youtube is a lot of help. You quickly learn what is important to you in making your videos and then develop a workflow.

I've only shot 1 video in h265. When I went to play it on my TV so I could watch it on the big screen, it wouldn't play the codec. And I can't update the TV. Had to find and online converter to change it to h264 so I could watch it.

 

[Ridefreak]

I've tried a bunch. I like Davinci the best. Does more than I need. I keep my videos pretty simple. If you run into a wall and can't figure out how to do something, Youtube is a lot of help. You quickly learn what is important to you in making your videos and then develop a workflow.

I've only shot 1 video in h265. When I went to play it on my TV so I could watch it on the big screen, it wouldn't play the codec. And I can't update the TV. Had to find and online converter to change it to h264 so I could watch it.

Did you attempt to play it directly on the TV, I can see that being an issue since the TV would have to be h.265 capable. I don't think any of my TVs would be able to display it natively. Uploading the same file to YT should make it viewable by anyone with a web connection and a browser though.

 

[NEDroner]

I record in h.265 because the quality seems good and the filesizes are small. My PC hardware can handle the codecs but some PC's or NAS devices struggle to play h.265. I started video editing just a few years ago and went with Davinci. It's very capable/powerful and there are a lot of youtube video tutorials available. The free version has a lot of features, and I eventually paid to get the full version for better GPU utilization and automated features. A lot of folks like Adobe and sounds like it is an excellent product but they only offer a subscription fee usage model.

 

[MileHi_Skydio]

Yea I heard that if you get the paid version you get GPU acceleration to help with render times. I've been sticking to H.265 because of the smaller file sizes as well.