Why H.265/HEVC Online Video Adoption Stays Limited Despite Superior Compression?
Online video streaming has undergone significant advancements over the years, with H.265 (also known as HEVC) offering substantial advantages in compression efficiency. However, despite these benefits, H.265 remains relatively rare in online video. This article delves into the practical reasons behind this limited adoption, including licensing and patent issues, hardware support, encoding costs, streaming infrastructure, competition from other codecs, and user experience.
Licensing and Patent Issues
The key obstacle to widespread adoption of H.265 is tied to licensing and patent concerns. H.265 operates under a complex licensing structure, necessitating royalties from multiple patent holders. Unlike H.264, which has a more straightforward licensing approach, H.265's royalties can potentially deter streaming platforms and content providers from investing in the technology. These licensing costs can be considered a significant barrier, as they add to the overall expenses and make H.265 less attractive for those operating with tight budgets.
Hardware Support
While many modern devices support H.265, not all older devices do. This limited hardware compatibility can significantly impact the audience for H.265-encoded content. Users with outdated hardware may struggle to play H.265-encoded videos, thus limiting the reach and accessibility of H.265 content. Ensuring broad compatibility across various devices is crucial, and until this issue is fully addressed, H.265's adoption remains constrained.
Encoding Costs
H.265 requires more computational power for encoding, making it a less cost-effective solution for many streaming services. The additional processing time and resource requirements can be prohibitive, especially for services handling large volumes of video content. For smaller providers, the increased encoding costs might be a significant deterrent, and for larger providers, the marginal gains in compression may not justify the higher expenses involved in upgrading their infrastructure.
Streaming Infrastructure
The current streaming infrastructure is heavily optimized for H.264, making a transition to H.265 a complex and costly endeavor. Updating encoding, storage, and delivery systems to support H.265 can be both time-consuming and resource-intensive. Providers may need to invest in new hardware and infrastructure, which adds to the overall expenses and makes the transition less attractive until there is sufficient demand to justify the investment.
Competition from Other Codecs
Another significant factor delaying the adoption of H.265 is the competition from newer codecs like AV1 and VP9. These codecs offer similar or even better compression efficiency while avoiding the licensing issues that plague H.265. For example, AV1 is designed with an open-source license, allowing it to be used freely without royalty payments. This can make it an attractive alternative for streaming services seeking a more cost-effective and flexible solution.
User Experience
User experience also plays a critical role in the decision-making process. Many users may not notice a significant difference in quality between H.264 and H.265, especially at typical streaming resolutions. This subtle difference in visual quality can reduce the incentive for platforms to invest in the transition when the benefits are not immediately apparent to the end-user. However, for high-end applications like live sports streaming or ultra-high-definition content, the quality improvements provided by H.265 can be more noticeable and valuable.
Content Availability
A final factor that keeps H.265 adoption limited is the availability of content in this format. With a limited amount of content currently available in H.265/HEVC, there is a chicken-and-egg situation where providers are less motivated to invest in the technology when few other providers are offering H.265 content. Conversely, consumers may be less likely to demand H.265 content if they perceive it as less available or less common.
In conclusion, while H.265 offers significant technical benefits, the practical considerations of licensing, hardware support, encoding costs, streaming infrastructure upgrades, competition, and user experience continue to limit its widespread adoption in online video.