Video Encoding

H.265 / HEVC Encoding API — next-gen efficiency

HEVC encoding with the same neural perceptual engine — up to 50% bitrate savings over H.264 at matching VMAF, plus presets tuned for sports and high-motion content.

VideoEncoding

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Before & after

See the difference

Drag the handle — same quality as H.264, at roughly half the bitrate. Perfect for 4K and HDR delivery.

H.264 · 6 MbpsH.265 · 3 Mbps

Bitrate6 Mbps3 Mbps

File size · 10 min450 MB225 MB

Visual qualityH.264 qualitySame quality

What it does

HEVC's larger blocks and deeper reference structures are harder to drive well than H.264's — that is exactly where per-frame perceptual decisions pay off. The engine adapts to high-motion sports, film grain and screen content, and passes HDR metadata through cleanly for HDR10 and HLG masters. You get the efficiency of HEVC without the quality surprises.

Full API reference

Python

import requests

url = "https://api.mlslabs.io/v1/h265-encoding/jobs"
resp = requests.post(
    url,
    headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={
        "input": "s3://bucket/4k-master.mov",
        "output": "s3://bucket/h265/",
        "codec": "hevc",
        "profile": "main10",
        "quality_target": {"metric": "vmaf", "score": 92},
        "preset": "sports",
    },
)
job = resp.json()
print(job["job_id"])

Key features

Why teams pick this API

Neural perceptual HEVC

Per-frame adaptive decisions tuned for HEVC's larger blocks and deeper references.

Sports & high-motion presets

Motion-vector aware tuning for fast action — no smearing on fast pans, pitches or play.

Broad device compatibility

Main & Main10 profiles with HDR metadata passthrough (HDR10 / HLG).

Licensing clarity

One API handles encoding; we break out HEVC patent-pool implications in plain language.

Use cases

Built for real workflows

4K HDR delivery

Ship Main10 HEVC with HDR10/HLG metadata to modern streaming devices.

Sports streaming

High-motion presets keep fast action clean at efficient bitrates.

Storage savings

Halve archive footprint vs H.264 at matching VMAF.

Pricing

Credit-based pricing

Every request draws from your credit pool. This API bills 25 credits per minute of output video.

Billing unit	Cost in credits	Notes
Processing time	25 credits	Per minute of output video
Failed jobs	0 credits	Credits auto-refunded
Batch processing	Same rate	One queue, per-file callbacks

See credit packs & full pricing

Learn

Guides, tutorials & comparisons

Browse all tutorials

Tutorial

Batch Transcode a Video Library to HEVC

Batch transcode a video library to HEVC: folder-prefix jobs, per-title bitrate and quality reports, ...

Read Tutorial

Build a Low-Latency Live Encoding Pipeline

Build a low-latency live encoding pipeline: ingest a stream, encode HEVC/H.264 renditions with minim...

Read Tutorial

Compress 4K Video Without Losing Quality

Compress 4K video with HEVC: up to 50% smaller than H.264 at the same visual quality, VMAF-guided, s...

Read Tutorial

How to Convert Video to H.265/HEVC in Python

Convert video to H.265/HEVC in Python with a VMAF target: install the SDK, submit an encode job, ver...

Read Tutorial

Encode HEVC for Apple Devices

Encode HEVC for Apple devices: main10 profile, hardware-friendly settings, and the container paramet...

Read Tutorial

Reduce Streaming Bandwidth Costs

Reduce streaming bandwidth costs with HEVC: quantify the bitrate savings per title, compute the ROI,...

Read

Guide

H.265 vs AV1: Which Codec for Which Tier?

H.265 vs AV1 in 2026: compression efficiency, encoding cost, device coverage, and the patent asteris...

Read Guide

HEVC / H.265 Explained

HEVC (H.265) explained: how it beats H.264 by ~50% bitrate, CTU/tile/intra-block details, hardware s...

Read Guide

HEVC Patent Licensing in 2026, Explained for Engineering Teams

HEVC/HEVC patent licensing in 2026: Access Advance, Via LA, content distribution pools, the 2026 rat...

Read Guide

HEVC vs VP9: Which Codec Wins in 2026?

HEVC (H.265) vs VP9: compression efficiency, hardware support, licensing, YouTube/Apple ecosystem re...

Read

Compare

HEVC Encoding API vs Self-Hosted NVENC

NVENC gives you fast HEVC on your own GPUs; a hosted API gives you the same codec without the fleet....

Read

FAQ

Common questions

What about HEVC patents?

We separate encoding service from licensing: your output may be subject to patent-pool obligations depending on your market and device — see our licensing explainer for a plain-language breakdown.

Do you support 4K and HDR passthrough?

Yes — Main10 with HDR10/HLG metadata passthrough is supported end to end.

Why not AV1?

We are evaluating AV1 for high-throughput jobs; H.265 covers today's device compatibility matrix.

How much can I save vs H.264?

Typical tests show 40-50% bitrate savings at matching VMAF on 1080p+ content.

Related APIs

H.265 / HEVC Encoding API — next-gen efficiency

See the difference

What it does

Why teams pick this API

Neural perceptual HEVC

Sports & high-motion presets

Broad device compatibility

Licensing clarity

Built for real workflows

4K HDR delivery

Sports streaming

Storage savings

Credit-based pricing

Guides, tutorials & comparisons

Batch Transcode a Video Library to HEVC

Build a Low-Latency Live Encoding Pipeline

Compress 4K Video Without Losing Quality

How to Convert Video to H.265/HEVC in Python

Encode HEVC for Apple Devices

Reduce Streaming Bandwidth Costs

H.265 vs AV1: Which Codec for Which Tier?

HEVC / H.265 Explained

HEVC Patent Licensing in 2026, Explained for Engineering Teams

HEVC vs VP9: Which Codec Wins in 2026?

HEVC Encoding API vs Self-Hosted NVENC

Common questions

Part of a complete pipeline

H.264 Encoding API

Super Resolution API

SDR2HDR API