Saturday, September 17, 2022

VP9 vs h264 & other Codecs » How it Fares Against Competition | Bitmovin

https://bitmovin.com/vp9-codec-status-quo/

I am using an extension to Chrome that forces Youtube to use the h264 video format (codec) instead of VP8/VP9.  (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/h264ify/aleakchihdccplidncghkekgioiakgal)

Why is this an issue?   

Some newer graphics cards support the decoding of VP8/VP9, which is a more efficient standard.  However, it is not supported in hardware on older computers like my 2017 iMac nor all the iPhone Models.  These devices have hardware support for H264, meaning that H264 is easier to decode, and won't slow your device, won't make it as hot, nor use as much power.

Your web browser can decode VP8/VP9, but your device may not have hardware support for it.  If speed and battery life aren't an issue then it doesn't matter, and VP8/VP9 will likely use less Internet bandwidth.    If I were using a laptop, I would probably want this extension.

It is possible that most people won't notice a difference either way.  I do a lot of stuff on my computer so it might take a difference.

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