UK What H.266 is
H.266 is a video compression standard, also known as Versatile Video Coding (VVC). It was developed by the Joint Video Experts Team (JVET), a joint group of the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group and ISO/IEC MPEG, and finalised in July 2020. The ITU publishes it as Recommendation H.266 and ISO/IEC as MPEG-I Part 3 (ISO/IEC 23090-3): two names for the same standard.
It follows H.264 (AVC, 2003) and H.265 (HEVC, 2013) in the same line of codecs. The design goal was to cut the bitrate by about half again for the same perceived quality, most of all for 4K, 8K and HDR video. “Versatile” refers to its range: one standard covers camera video, screen content such as desktop sharing, 360-degree video and adaptive streaming, rather than relying on separate extensions.
Like every codec in this family, H.266 defines how the decoder reads the bitstream, not how an encoder has to work. That leaves encoder makers free to trade speed against quality, which is why real-world results vary between products. Our explainer on how video codecs work covers the basics.
How H.266 compresses video
H.266 uses the same basic approach as H.265: split each frame into blocks, predict each block from nearby pixels or from other frames, then compress only the difference. The gains come from doing each step with more options.
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Larger, more flexible blocks. Coding blocks go up to 128 × 128 pixels and can be split into squares, rectangles and three-way strips, so the encoder can follow the shapes in the picture closely.
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More prediction directions. Intra prediction has 67 modes against 35 in H.265, plus new tools that predict colour from brightness and use matrix-based prediction.
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Better motion prediction. Affine motion handles zoom and rotation, geometric partitioning splits blocks along diagonal edges, and decoder-side refinement improves motion vectors without spending extra bits.
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Stronger in-loop filtering. An adaptive loop filter and luma mapping with chroma scaling remove more compression artefacts, which helps most with HDR content.
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Streaming and immersive tools. Reference picture resampling lets a stream change resolution without a keyframe, and subpictures let a player decode only the part of a 360-degree frame being viewed.
How H.266 compares with H.265, H.264 and AV1
Each generation lowers the bitrate needed for the same quality and raises the processing needed to get there. The figures below are typical; actual savings depend on the content, the resolution and the encoder.
| Codec | Published | Largest coding block | Bitrate for similar quality | Hardware decoding today | Licensing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 (AVC) | 2003 | 16 × 16 | Baseline | Almost universal | Patent pool |
| H.265 (HEVC) | 2013 | 64 × 64 | Around half of H.264 | Most GPUs, SoCs, cameras and NVRs | Several pools |
| AV1 | 2018 | 128 × 128 | Similar to or a little below H.265 | Recent GPUs, phones and TVs | Royalty-free (AOMedia) |
| H.266 (VVC) | 2020 | 128 × 128 | Around half of H.265 | A few newer chips | Pools plus individual holders |
So is H.266 better than H.265? On compression, yes: JVET’s verification tests found bitrate savings of roughly 40 to 50 percent at the same subjective quality, with the biggest gains at 4K and above. That matters most for 8K video and for links where bandwidth is expensive. On compatibility, H.265 is far ahead, and AV1 has wider hardware support than H.266.
Disadvantages and support today
The main drawback is processing load. Reference H.266 encoders run many times slower than H.265 encoders at similar settings, and decoding is also noticeably heavier, so practical use depends on optimised encoders and dedicated hardware. Fraunhofer HHI’s open-source VVenC and VVdeC, and the native VVC decoder in FFmpeg from version 7.0 in 2024, have made software decoding usable on current processors.
Hardware support is still thin. Intel’s Xe2 graphics, first shipped in Core Ultra 200V processors, added VVC decoding, and some TV and set-top chips support it. NVIDIA’s current GPUs and Jetson modules decode H.264, H.265 and AV1 in hardware, but not H.266, and web browsers do not play it. Licensing is the other brake: patents are offered through more than one pool and by individual holders, the same uncertainty that slowed H.265.
Where H.266 is used
Adoption is led by broadcast and very high resolutions, where the bandwidth saving pays for the extra processing.
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Next-generation broadcast. DVB has added VVC to its broadcast specifications, and Brazil’s TV 3.0 system specifies it for over-the-air television.
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8K and immersive video. 8K, HDR and 360-degree content benefit most from the extra efficiency and from subpicture decoding.
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Contribution and archive. Long-term storage and expensive satellite or cellular links, where encoding time matters less than file size.
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Streaming trials. Some services and players test VVC, but most streaming still uses H.264, H.265 and AV1.
What H.266 means for industrial video systems
For CCTV, machine vision and live streaming from site, H.264 and H.265 remain the practical choice today, because cameras, network video recorders and AI accelerators encode and decode them in hardware. Our video encoders and decoders stream in H.264 and H.265, and our 4K and 8K capture cards bring high-resolution sources into a computer for software encoding where a newer codec is needed. H.266 is worth planning for on long-life systems that will handle 8K or must cut bandwidth sharply, once hardware support reaches the processors you deploy.
Quick answers on H.266
H.266 and VVC: common questions
Is H.266 the same as VVC?
Yes. H.266 is the ITU-T name and Versatile Video Coding, or VVC, is the common name for the same standard, also published as ISO/IEC 23090-3.
Is H.266 better than AV1?
On compression, usually. Tests typically show H.266 needing a lower bitrate than AV1 for similar quality, but AV1 is royalty-free and much more widely supported in browsers and hardware.
Can I play H.266 video?
With the right software. Players built on FFmpeg 7.0 or later can decode it on the processor. Most browsers, TVs and built-in operating system players cannot yet.
Will H.266 replace H.265?
Slowly, if at all. It is likely to grow in broadcast and 8K first, while AV1 competes for web streaming and H.265 stays in cameras and recorders for years.
Is H.266 royalty-free?
No. Licences are offered through patent pools and by individual patent holders. AV1 is the main royalty-free alternative.
We specify encoders, capture cards and edge computers for video projects with the codec, bitrate and hardware acceleration matched to your cameras and network as standard, and validate the streams before the system ships.