What are video codecs & what’s best for your project?

A codec, or “coder/decoder,” is a formula or mathematical process for compressing video files so that they require less storage space and can be used more efficiently in playback and non-linear editing systems. Hardware or software uses the codec to take a raw video stream and compress it into a usable video file. Some codecs compress the video in a "lossless" manner which means all of the original data is preserved. Other codecs are "lossy", and that means that you loss some of the video information during compression. Lossless codecs create better video, but don't typically do as good a job of reducing the file size, so most commonly used codecs are lossy. The holy grail is a codec that gives maximum quality with minimum file size. Codecs are getting better all the time, but the perfect one has yet to be developed.

There are several steps in the video process that use codecs.

First, the camcorder takes the video stream from the camera sensor and compresses it for recording. A huge amount of information comes from the camera sensor, and it would be too much for a typical camcorder to try to record, so the camera compresses the data to make recordable video files. The codec is the format used to do this.

Second, your editing software uses the codec to decode the video for playback and editing. It reads the video file and plays it back as video.

And finally, when you finish your video, you choose a codec for export so you can deliver your video for others to watch. You can use the same codec as the video was recorded in, or you can choose another, and your software will recompress the video into your chosen delivery codec. Keep in mind that since most commonly used codecs are lossy, each recompression stage potentially degrades your footage even further, so you want to recompress as few times as possible.

A number of codecs are in common use today. Some are best for recording, and some are best for display, or watching video.

One of the most common codecs for watching video on a TV is MPEG-2. It’s the codec used for DVDs and for HDTV broadcast or cable. It also commonly used for some Blu-rays.

Codecs often used for display on the Internet are MP4 and H.264. These are highly efficient codecs which are often used for recording as well.

The most common codecs you’ll work with these days are:

H.264, MP4, AVC, AVCHD

These are all in the same family of codecs and work similarly. Most camcorders you will use record in one or more of these codecs, so the video you shoot will most likely be in these formats.

When deciding what compression to use when exporting, have your purpose in mind.

Streaming sites like YouTube and Vimeo have guides for optimal compression. Most often these services will want MP4 or H.264 at a high bit rate, usually 10,000,000 or more.

Exporting for optical disc like DVD or Blu-ray has strict requirements. DVD is always MPEG-2. Blu-ray may be MPEG-2, but H.264 is most common.

Remember, whichever codec and format you use, a higher bit rate usually means higher quality, and a lower bit rate means smaller file size. You should decide what balance of quality and file size is best for your purposes.

Leverage the power of your computer’s hardware for playback, scrubbing, and pre-rendering your timeline by using your graphics card (GPU) for acceleration. VEGAS Pro also harnesses the computing power of the most popular GPUs to speed up render times to the popular AVC and HEVC formats, making renders up to twice as fast. Hardware acceleration enhances support for higher-resolution files and other formats requiring heavy processing.

VEGAS Pro leads in HDR support, including native support for HLG and HDR10. Combined with powerful, professional color grading tools in the new unified Color Grading panel, the HDR support in VEGAS Pro lets you produce stunning color work for the perfect image, all in the latest ACES 1.1 color space.

Take your productions to the cutting edge of resolution with 8K. VEGAS Pro automatically generates proxies for editing, then uses the original 8K files for final rendering, providing end-to-end support for your high-resolution 8K workflow. Deliver stunningly high-resolution footage for super-large format projection, for FX, or any other high-resolution need.