H.264 is a video compression codec standard that is ubiquitous across internet video, Blu-ray, phones, security cameras, and drones. The result of 30+ years of work, its single goal is to reduce the bandwidth required for full-motion video transmission. An uncompressed 1080p @ 60 Hz video generates ~370 MB/sec of raw data, making it nearly impossible to store or transmit efficiently.
To illustrate H.264's efficiency, consider a 5-second 60fps H.264 video of the Apple homepage: just 175KB for 300 frames. A single PNG frame of the same content is 1015KB. This means H.264 achieves roughly 1500x better compression than PNG while preserving visual quality.
H.264 uses lossy compression, discarding less important visual details to save space. Unlike lossless formats like PNG, which retain every bit of data, H.264 removes subtle information—such as the holes in a MacBook Pro speaker grill—that the human eye barely notices at normal viewing distances. The compressed image can weigh as little as 7% of the original size.
The technology leverages numerous advanced techniques rooted in information theory and entropy, applying decades of research to deliver remarkable compression ratios without sacrificing perceived quality.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing