Convert OGV to HEVC

About OGV

OGV is a free, open-source video container format developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation. It is the video--toting sibling of the OGG audio format. OGV files most commonly use the Theora video codec and the Vorbis audio codec, both of which are open and patent-free. It was an early contender for the HTML5 video standard.

About HEVC

This refers to a raw video stream encoded with the HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding) codec, also known as H.265. HEVC is the successor to H.264 and offers about 50% better compression efficiency, meaning it can deliver the same quality at half the file size. This makes it ideal for 4K and 8K streaming. A raw .hevc file must be placed in a container like MP4 or MKV to be useful.

OGV vs HEVC

FeatureOGVHEVC
Streaming Supporttruefalse
Subtitle Supporttruefalse
DRM Supportfalsefalse
Quality Rating35
Patent Statuspatent-freeheavily patented
Year Introduced20032013
Developed ByXiph.Org FoundationITU-T/ISO/IEC

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't OGV more popular?

While OGV is a capable, open-source format, the Theora video codec it uses is less efficient than modern codecs like H.264 or VP9. Google's push for WebM (which uses the more efficient VP8/VP9 codecs) as the open standard for web video largely relegated OGV to a niche role.

Is OGV the same as OGG?

Ogg is the container format. An .ogg file usually contains only audio (typically Vorbis). An .ogv file contains both video (typically Theora) and audio. Sometimes, video files are also given the .ogg extension, which can cause confusion.

Is HEVC/H.265 the future of video?

It is the current standard for high-resolution video delivery (like 4K Blu-ray and streaming). However, its adoption has been hampered by complex and expensive patent licensing. Newer royalty-free codecs like AV1 are competing to become the next universal standard.

Why do I get an error playing an HEVC file?

Playing HEVC video requires either hardware or software support for the codec. Older devices may not have the necessary hardware decoders. You may need to update your media player, install a codec pack, or use a modern player like VLC that has built-in support for HEVC.

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