HEVC to MP4 (H.264) converter

Convert HEVC (H.265) videos into H.264 MP4 files that play everywhere. Useful when an iPhone, drone or camera video shows only sound or a black screen on another device.

    Original
    Original
    Result
    Result

    What HEVC is

    HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), also called H.265, is a video codec that stores the same quality as H.264 in about half the space. Apple adopted it for iPhone recordings, and many drones, action cameras, security cameras and 4K TVs use it too.

    The catch is support. HEVC is covered by complex patent licensing, so it isn’t built into every device and app. Windows needs a paid add-on, many Android phones and older TVs can’t play it, and some websites, video editors and messaging apps refuse it. H.264 plays on practically everything made in the last 15 years.

    HEVC is a codec (how the picture is compressed), not a file format. HEVC video usually sits inside an .mp4, .mov or .mkv file, which is why the file name alone doesn’t tell you.

    Checking whether a video is HEVC

    • VLC (free on Windows, Mac and Linux): open the video and choose Tools › Codec Information. HEVC shows as “MPEG-H Part2/HEVC (H.265)”.
    • Windows: the free MediaInfo app shows the codec when you open the file.
    • Mac: open the video in QuickTime Player and choose Window › Show Movie Inspector. The format line shows HEVC or H.264.

    How to use it

    1. Choose your video files or drop them on the box above. MP4, MOV, MKV and M4V files are accepted.
    2. HEVC video is decoded and re-encoded to H.264. The percentage shows progress.
    3. Download the MP4 and check the note: it confirms what was converted.

    What you get

    • H.264 video at a high quality setting, with the original resolution, frame rate and orientation.
    • AAC audio, copied unchanged when the original already uses AAC, as iPhone videos do.
    • HDR videos lose their HDR look. H.264 here is standard dynamic range, so colours in HDR footage can look flatter or slightly washed out.

    On a typical computer, re-encoding runs at roughly the speed of playback. 4K videos take considerably longer than 1080p.

    Privacy

    Videos are converted inside your browser using your computer’s own video decoder and encoder, through Mediabunny, an open-source media library. Nothing is uploaded.

    Questions

    How do I know if my video is HEVC?

    Common signs are a video that plays with sound but a black picture, or a message about a missing codec or "HEVC Video Extensions" on Windows. iPhones record HEVC by default since iOS 11. If you convert a video that's already H.264, the converter copies it unchanged and the note says so.

    Why does the conversion fail on my computer?

    Browsers can only decode HEVC when the computer has hardware support for it. Chrome and Edge on most Windows and Mac computers from roughly 2016 on, and Safari, usually can. Some browsers and older computers can't. Try Chrome or Edge, or a computer with a newer graphics chip.

    Will the file get bigger?

    Usually, by how much depends on the video, sometimes up to about twice the size. HEVC is roughly twice as efficient as H.264, so keeping the same quality in H.264 needs more data.

    Do I need to convert, or can I install the codec?

    On Windows you can install the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store for a small fee, which lets that computer play HEVC. Converting is better when you're sending the video to other people or devices, or uploading it somewhere that rejects HEVC.

    Last reviewed 4 November 2026